Product Description

Describes the rules and basic and advanced strategies for a variety of poker games and includes tips on reading other players and beating online poker games.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29092 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Customer Reviews

Great Book!
Why all the carping and snippy reviews of this book? One only needs to read the forward by the late Andrew Glazer at the beginning of Play Poker Like the Pros to understand the value of this book. This is one of MANY poker books that are worth reading. There is never any claim that this is the best or the only book on the subject.

Smart poker players read from as many sources as possible and try to learn from different perspectives. Arguing about whether this book is better or worse than Brunson or other books is a waste of time. Instead of arguing about it, read them both and learn a little from every author you can. Most importantly if you think there is any book out there that will make you a winner without having to utilize your own judgement and ability, then I hope to see you at the casino so I can take your money.

As with any guide on poker, there are some parts of this book that are helpful and other parts of the book that I don't agree. The strength of this book is in its strategy discussions for players who are fairly new to playing in casinos, online or in tournaments. It's a big jump from playing in someone's living room to playing against strangers. Hellmuth's basic tight/aggressive strategy is bound to be instructive to any poker newbie.

Where the book tends to be lacking is in its discussion of subjects other than limit hold em and seven card stud. You can tell that the game of Omaha 8 baffles Hellmuth as it does most players and the chapters on Razz and regular Omaha add little. The other shortcoming is in the discussion of No Limit Hold em. Many more casinos are offering this as a cash game along with tournaments. You won't learn a lot about that particular game with this book.

The good news is that if you are new to competitive play, you will probably end up playing in a small stakes limit cash game. This book will help you. If you are a hardened, poker veteran who wants to improve your game, there are probably other books that you can find to suit your need.

As a beginner this book was the business.
In the introduction to this book, the reader is told that they cannot just read it all the way through and expect to win at poker. You are told that to get the most from it you will need to read it slowly and go over parts of the book time and again.

This has certainly been the case for this poker player who up to 3 months ago had not played poker at all. The main reason why this book worked so well for me is the way it is laid out. By having strategy for beginners then intermediate and finally advanced it allows you to learn at your own pace without being bogged down in strategies you can barely understand. In my opinion this format is the best way to do it as it shows the beginner what to concentrate on until they are comfortable enough to move up to the next level

The fact that there are no charts detailing table odds and the like to me is a positive. Phil in this book concentrates on teaching you how to play the hands you will be dealt and the thought processes you should use as the hand progresses to make decisions. Not confusing you by saying well if the table odds are this or if they are that.

Thanks to this book I am now enjoy playing Texas Hold Em online, when my wife allows and I think it will do the same for you as long as you remember that reading this book alone cannot make you a great poker player, the way you approach it also has an effect.

Learning At The Feet Of The Master
Want to play poker? Then read this before you read anything else!

Anybody who already plays poker at any level should have the authors name already engrained into thier memory as a true master of the game.

Phil lays out what, when and how to play with such amazing clarity that it stunned me. Whilst some books on the game can bamboozle you with mathematical formulas Phil lays it out in plain sometimes even funny English. The ideas laid out in the book such as playing Ax suited "either hit it or miss it" could advance nearly anyone's plays and the layout is superb taking you from beginner through to advanced plays. I consider myself a good intermediate player but decided to read the book from the very first page, just to see what Phil had to say and was amazed that I picked up fresh insights into even Begginers stratgey. I may already have played these plays many times but this book refreshed your mind in how and when to do so.

The clear consice layout of animal characters and how to identify them at your game are also truly insightful.

Rest assured this is a book I will go back over again and again and again.

As I said before, Want to learn poker? play better poker? or most importantly WIN AT POKER? Then look no further than this excellent book.