Rating: 
Summary: Become a poker warrior
Review: "Zen and the Art of Poker" teaches lessons essential for anyone who wants to better understand the emotional element of the poker game. I consider this text to be the most useful thing I have ever read on poker (and card playing in general). Any success I have had since reading this book is the direct result of the lessons contained in its pages, as I have transformed myself from a sloppy gunslinger to a cold-blooded pot-dragger. Success at the tables can be owed to three things. The first is luck, which can't be taught. Next is a player's mathematical understanding of the statistics of the game, which is the subject of almost every other poker book written. Finally, the overlooked element of successful poker play concerns self discipline at the table. This book outlines Buddhist philosophies that can be applied in a poker game, helping a player better understand how their mental approach to the game is as important as the cards they are dealt. This book is not for the average poker player. A person needs to be prepared to do some serious self analysis and abandon old tricks, habits and superstitions that have no real practical purpose in the game. If an open-minded player does "buy-in" to the lessons of this book, they will learn to focus, remain calm and dominate weaker-minded opponents.
Rating:
Summary: Become a poker warrior
Review: "Zen and the Art of Poker" teaches lessons essential for anyone who wants to better understand the emotional element of the poker game. I consider this text to be the most useful thing I have ever read on poker (and card playing in general). Any success I have had since reading this book is the direct result of the lessons contained in its pages, as I have transformed myself from a sloppy gunslinger to a cold-blooded pot-dragger. Success at the tables can be owed to three things. The first is luck, which can't be taught. Next is a player's mathematical understanding of the statistics of the game, which is the subject of almost every other poker book written. Finally, the overlooked element of successful poker play concerns self discipline at the table. This book outlines Buddhist philosophies that can be applied in a poker game, helping a player better understand how their mental approach to the game is as important as the cards they are dealt. This book is not for the average poker player. A person needs to be prepared to do some serious self analysis and abandon old tricks, habits and superstitions that have no real practical purpose in the game. If an open-minded player does "buy-in" to the lessons of this book, they will learn to focus, remain calm and dominate weaker-minded opponents.
Rating: 
Summary: Zen: A good vehicle, but a bad destination
Review: Before I recommend this book, let me be blunt about its limitations. I don't recognize much philosophical weight in the old Eastern schools of Confucianism, Taoism, and Zen (although Neo-Confucianism is quite a bit more substantial). These traditions of parables and riddles are aesthetically pleasing and valuable to a certain extent, but modern Western thought completely overpowers them. Anyone who understands the outlines of Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason," for example, necessarily understands where Zen tries to lead us and, simultaneously, that the goal is unattainable. So while I am deeply skeptical of the truth that Zen aims for, I do believe that Zen can be useful psychologically as a vehicle for understanding, accepting, and honoring truths that emerge from other lines of inquiry.
And that's the capacity in which Zen and the Art of Poker is valuable. It helps readers integrate the paramount virtues of discipline and patience into their game-concepts that you don't need to be a Buddhist monk to appreciate, but that you have to be a little like a Buddhist monk to live by.
Rating: 
Summary: good idea
Review: But the writer hasn't really pulled it off. Far from essential for poker players.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing poker instructional book
Review: Ever wonder how people like Howard Lederer win so much cash over the long haul in poker? It isn't that line he and other pros like Phil Hellmuth always give ("I see into the soul of the other player"). Poker pros say that as a standard defense just in case they ever run into you at the table, so they can intimidate you (hey, these pros aren't stupid, they realize psychology is a huge factor to Texas Hold-em)... The real key is patience (a simple, yet very difficult concept in poker). It is pretty well known that Lederer has gotten into Zen over the last year or so (and his game has soared to even higher levels then before). Don't worry, there is no chanting or other mystical weirdness in this book, just 100+ quality concepts of fundamental, intermediate and advanced poker techniques and tactics. The key is being able to implement them into your game. I would guess only 20% or so of you reading this have what it takes to do that (just human nature)... If you can implement these techniques, there is no doubt you will win consistantly, whether you play on the internet or in traditional card rooms. I would imagine those who wrote bad reviews for this book are the aggresive type players who are unable to play a quality "thinking man's" or "woman's" game. The bottom line is, do you want to win cash or do you want to be a maverick who may hit a lucky big pot here and there, but ultimately give all their chips away to guys like Lederer, Dan Harrington, Erik Seidel and Andy Bloch. Yeah, I know, those are not the most flashy players around, but they are guys who probably have the most cash in their bank accounts. The truth is, grinders win. And this book should be part of any personal poker instructional library (the format of it is also great as it lends itself to not only cover-to-cover analysis, but quick reference as well).
Rating:
Summary: Amazing poker instructional book
Review: Ever wonder how people like Howard Lederer win so much cash over the long haul in poker? It isn't that line he and other pros like Phil Hellmuth always give ("I see into the soul of the other player"). Poker pros say that as a standard defense just in case they ever run into you at the table, so they can intimidate you (hey, these pros aren't stupid, they realize psychology is a huge factor to Texas Hold-em)... The real key is patience (a simple, yet very difficult concept in poker). It is pretty well known that Lederer has gotten into Zen over the last year or so (and his game has soared to even higher levels then before). Don't worry, there is no chanting or other mystical weirdness in this book, just 100+ quality concepts of fundamental, intermediate and advanced poker techniques and tactics. The key is being able to implement them into your game. I would guess only 20% or so of you reading this have what it takes to do that (just human nature)... If you can implement these techniques, there is no doubt you will win consistantly, whether you play on the internet or in traditional card rooms. I would imagine those who wrote bad reviews for this book are the aggresive type players who are unable to play a quality "thinking man's" or "woman's" game. The bottom line is, do you want to win cash or do you want to be a maverick who may hit a lucky big pot here and there, but ultimately give all their chips away to guys like Lederer, Dan Harrington, Erik Seidel and Andy Bloch. Yeah, I know, those are not the most flashy players around, but they are guys who probably have the most cash in their bank accounts. The truth is, grinders win. And this book should be part of any personal poker instructional library (the format of it is also great as it lends itself to not only cover-to-cover analysis, but quick reference as well).
Rating: 
Summary: A nice addition to your collection.
Review: For those poker players who appreciate Zen concepts, Zen and the Art of Poker may significantly help them improve their self-control at the poker table. Overall, this book is good at explaining how and why a player should work on this aspect of their game, although not all types of people will be receptive to this style of writing. However, the book does contain a small amount of very bad advice, that on playing streaks in poker, that, if followed, has the danger of undoing the positive effects of the rest of the book. Read this book if Zen principles can help improve one's self-control at the game, but follow Phillips' advice on "card bunching" at one's risk. If you are a new poker player and would like to start playing poker online at www.partypoker.com - make sure you use the bonus code: "AMAZON25" and you will receive $25 free on your first purchase at www.PartyPoker.com. You can also use the Bonus Code "AMAZON100" and you will receive a 20% bonus up to $100! If you already play at PartyPoker, you can also play at www.Pokerroom.com. Use the promotion code "100BONUS" and you will receive 20% up to $100.
Rating:
Summary: different game, same discipline
Review: I am not a poker player (the last time I played was a nickel-ante game for laundry money in my third year of college). Being a reformed protestant, I have zero interest in zen buddhism. So why did I even read this book at all? Because from the perspective of a trader, I loved this book. I find it ironic but strangely fitting that one of the best books on trading psychology I have ever come across, turns out to be a flimsy little throwaway paperback that was not written about trading at all. Poker and trading are strikingly similar disciplines. They are both one man endeavors; they are both zero sum games played for financial gain at the expense of opponents; they are both oriented towards luck in the short run but skill in the long run; they both require proficiency in the realm of probability and statistics; they both require a taste for risk and an aversion to risk in equal amounts; they both require an ability to read the emotions of others while controlling the emotions within yourself; and they both see profits consistently flow from the losing many to the winning few over time. Because of these similarities, the skill sets of the poker player and the trader are in many ways interchangeable. Of the 100 "rules" for poker presented in this book, I would say at least 80 of them have a direct and valuable application to trading (just mentally substitute "losing" for folding, "markets" for cards, and so forth). Many of the rules overlap, or repeat a principle that was highlighted only a few pages back, but unless you are a nitpicker this does not take away from the book. Some of the unique observations truly shine: for example, I was immediately struck by the concept of viewing inaction as a weapon, and intrigued by the nonstraining nature of patience (hint: if you are struggling, you are not doing it right). I can't claim that this book taught me a lot of new things. Instead it clarified my vision of old things, which is truly far more valuable. I cannot stress enough how valuable it is to deepen your understanding of the principles that you think you already know, but in reality do not. Focusing on depth rather than breadth of knowledge is so central that it has been a constant underlying theme in my growth as a trader, a christian and a student of life in general. A pet peeve I have with books on trading psychology, even the very best of them, is that the author usually cannot seem to resist giving his opinion on markets, methods or indicators somewhere, and this opinion usually turns out to be a mediocre distraction at best, or useless and bad advice at worst (Mark Douglas comes to mind here- his excellent books are slightly marred by this). Thus one of the reasons I rate this book so highly is because of, and not in spite of, the fact that it's about a different game than the one I play. The truth in the observations is given a fresh perspective automatically- the trader is forced to creatively extract the principle, and thus think about its implications and application, rather than have it spoon fed to him along with a dose of pap. Certain sections of this book, not to mention the full book itself, could literally make it worth 100 times the price to the beginning trader. If the lessons sink into your psyche, they could easily help shave a few thousand dollars off the cost of your "tuition" (the losses incurred from the time you begin to the time you achieve profitability, if ever). A few powerful sections that spring to mind immediately are the ones on folding and inaction, the nature of patience, the interplay of skill and chance, the long run aspects of the game, and potential hidden motives for playing. A final note to poker players reading this review: if you embrace the principles of this book and are competent in your craft, consider trying your hand at trading. You might find yourself at a whole new mental and financial level.
Rating:
Summary: different game, same discipline
Review: I am not a poker player (the last time I played was a nickel-ante game for laundry money in my third year of college). Being a reformed protestant, I have zero interest in zen buddhism. So why did I even read this book at all? Because from the perspective of a trader, I loved this book. I find it ironic but strangely fitting that one of the best books on trading psychology I have ever come across, turns out to be a flimsy little throwaway paperback that was not written about trading at all. Poker and trading are strikingly similar disciplines. They are both one man endeavors; they are both zero sum games played for financial gain at the expense of opponents; they are both oriented towards luck in the short run but skill in the long run; they both require proficiency in the realm of probability and statistics; they both require a taste for risk and an aversion to risk in equal amounts; they both require an ability to read the emotions of others while controlling the emotions within yourself; and they both see profits consistently flow from the losing many to the winning few over time. Because of these similarities, the skill sets of the poker player and the trader are in many ways interchangeable. Of the 100 "rules" for poker presented in this book, I would say at least 80 of them have a direct and valuable application to trading (just mentally substitute "losing" for folding, "markets" for cards, and so forth). Many of the rules overlap, or repeat a principle that was highlighted only a few pages back, but unless you are a nitpicker this does not take away from the book. Some of the unique observations truly shine: for example, I was immediately struck by the concept of viewing inaction as a weapon, and intrigued by the nonstraining nature of patience (hint: if you are struggling, you are not doing it right). I can't claim that this book taught me a lot of new things. Instead it clarified my vision of old things, which is truly far more valuable. I cannot stress enough how valuable it is to deepen your understanding of the principles that you think you already know, but in reality do not. Focusing on depth rather than breadth of knowledge is so central that it has been a constant underlying theme in my growth as a trader, a christian and a student of life in general. A pet peeve I have with books on trading psychology, even the very best of them, is that the author usually cannot seem to resist giving his opinion on markets, methods or indicators somewhere, and this opinion usually turns out to be a mediocre distraction at best, or useless and bad advice at worst (Mark Douglas comes to mind here- his excellent books are slightly marred by this). Thus one of the reasons I rate this book so highly is because of, and not in spite of, the fact that it's about a different game than the one I play. The truth in the observations is given a fresh perspective automatically- the trader is forced to creatively extract the principle, and thus think about its implications and application, rather than have it spoon fed to him along with a dose of pap. Certain sections of this book, not to mention the full book itself, could literally make it worth 100 times the price to the beginning trader. If the lessons sink into your psyche, they could easily help shave a few thousand dollars off the cost of your "tuition" (the losses incurred from the time you begin to the time you achieve profitability, if ever). A few powerful sections that spring to mind immediately are the ones on folding and inaction, the nature of patience, the interplay of skill and chance, the long run aspects of the game, and potential hidden motives for playing. A final note to poker players reading this review: if you embrace the principles of this book and are competent in your craft, consider trying your hand at trading. You might find yourself at a whole new mental and financial level.
Rating:
Summary: This book single handedly transformed my game.
Review: It's not enough to know the rules and stats of poker. Your mindset and understanding of the dynamics of the game are crucial to success at poker. This book taught me those things. While some of the concepts may seem obvious I found it was very easy for me to get off track when playing. This book not only got me back on track it has kept me there. I've only been playing a few months and have much to learn but my knowledge and profits are up five fold since reading this book.
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