Win at Poker

Rating:
Summary: A hard-boiled homily
Review: Poker books are perhaps best judged by characterizing the author; given this, reading Jeff Rubens' "Win at Poker" is like listening to your grandpa sermonize on his card strategy, which in this case is conservative and numbers-oriented.

Be forewarned--'Win' was written in 1968, and the game has changed since then. There is no mention of Texas Hold 'em or Omaha, and "stud" poker mostly means 5-card, which is virtually extinct. Not to say that the book isn't generally correct or effective (I have caught a couple of questionable calculations that don't give further explanation), only that it isn't very stimulating, and the sample deals and quizzes aren't easy on the eyes.

'Win' is good for the amateur player who already has style and intuition, but needs to learn a bit about probability. The book's strength is its coverage of pot odds and betting odds (calculating risk vs. possibility of reward), and its treatment of positional mechanics, or what you'd better have in relation to where you're sitting.

I'd like to give "Win at Poker" more, but the fact that it's dry and dated devalues it from a 'must-read' to a 'might-read.'

Rating:
Summary: A hard-boiled homily
Review: Poker books are perhaps best judged by characterizing the author; given this, reading Jeff Rubens' "Win at Poker" is like listening to your grandpa sermonize on his card strategy, which in this case is conservative and numbers-oriented.

Be forewarned--`Win' was written in 1968, and the game has changed since then. There is no mention of Texas Hold `em or Omaha, and "stud" poker mostly means 5-card, which is virtually extinct. Not to say that the book isn't generally correct or effective (I have caught a couple of questionable calculations that don't give further explanation), only that it isn't very stimulating, and the sample deals and quizzes aren't easy on the eyes.

`Win' is good for the amateur player who already has style and intuition, but needs to learn a bit about probability. The book's strength is its coverage of pot odds and betting odds (calculating risk vs. possibility of reward), and its treatment of positional mechanics, or what you'd better have in relation to where you're sitting.

I'd like to give "Win at Poker" more, but the fact that it's dry and dated devalues it from a `must-read' to a `might-read.'

Rating:
Summary: A fantastic introduction to winning poker
Review: This book presents a no-nonsense approach to winning draw and stud poker.

The author not only talks about the strategies of winning poker, but he also talks about what you need to do to become a strong player besides just learning the strategies. He presents an entire plan for your poker development.

But that's the icing on the cake. This book is absolutely full of solid, fundamental poker advice. How do you determine whether to draw, raise, or fold? What cards should you throw away? How good a hand do you need to open? It's all in here.

This book is cheap but packed full on excellent information. I recommend it strongly for those who know nothing about poker other than that they'd like to play as well as those who, like me, know the basic rules already and want to learn what it takes to win.