Intelligent Poker: Texas Hold'em

Rating:
Summary: Handy Guide
Review: I find this a very helpful summary of Texas Hold'em. I travel by bus to Atlantic City every couple months to play Hold'em and I carry this book along to review on the bus. I own a lot of poker books and have studied them all. However for a quick summary of Hold'em basics before sitting down to play, this book is what I use. The list of the five decision factors reminds me of where I should focus my thoughts during play. I like to review the tables and charts too.

Rating:
Summary: A WASTE OF MONEY
Review: It is hard to imagine a [price] book being overpriced, but this one is. If you have never played Hold'em at any level, this MAY be a place to start, but even for that it is totally inadequate. There are dozens of better choices available. Save your money.

Rating:
Summary: Great Overview for Beginners and Experienced Players
Review: This is an outstanding overview of Texas Hold'em poker. I wish I had read it before reading longer books on the game. Braids provides a compact and clear explanation of Hold'em and the thought processes needed for each stage of a hand. His discussion of the five decision factors is actually applicable to all forms of poker. The charts and illustrations are helpful. More complex books on Hold'em make much more sense after reading Braid's book. Also if you play poker online, having the chart on page 22 taped above your computer screen is helpful for knowing when to stay in a hand after the flop.