USA TODAY on Poker Books

[Macedon]

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2005-08-30-poker-books_x.htm

[MicroBob]

is this writer retarded?

[ QUOTE ]


Despite the game's popularity, few poker books by mainstream publishers have done well. Only one — Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions by Ben Mezrich (2002) — has been in the top 50 of USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list in the past 10 years.

[/ QUOTE ]


Does he not realize that there is a difference between poker and blackjack?? (for those who don't know....the 'team of whiz-kids' were card-counters at BJ....they never played poker at all).


the article continues:

[ QUOTE ]


He attributes part of his first book's success to the Robin Hood syndrome.

“People see the casinos as these evil institutions, because everyone has lost in a casino, and they see it as the odds being stacked against you. The idea that a bunch of kids could go out there just using their brains and win turns a lot of people on.”

[/ QUOTE ]


well great. that's all very interesting.
except that it still isn't a book about poker...and when a poker-player wins money he is not taking it from the casino.


did it not occur to them to contact some of the biggest poker writers/publishers in the business for an article about the popularity of poker books?


James McManus did a similar write-up for the NY Times a few weeks ago about the popularity boom of poker-books.
The only difference was that his article actually made sense and didn't focus on some silly blackjack MIT-team story but instead focused on most of the 'how to be a better poker-player' books which are obviously the thrust of the popularity boom.

[Macedon]

It was a stupid article.
Should not have bothered posting it.

[MicroBob]

well..it's not your fault the article was terrible.

i think you were fine with posting it. I had already read it and was going to post similar.
I think it's appalling that USAToday would write something THIS incorrect.

[gildwulf]

USA Today Boycott!!!!!!one111!!

[Macedon]

I guess it appeals to the curiosity of those who don't actually play poker or read about it. It is a General Audience piece and not intended for those who actually know a thing or two about poker literature.

Can you imagine the reaction of the employees at Gamblers Book Shop (in Vegas) after reading this junk? They are probably still shaking their heads.

[BarronVangorToth]

When there are sooooo many people honestly looking to get into poker, giving them accurate information would be so simple: recommend them Getting Started in Hold 'em, The Theory of Poker, and Small Stakes Hold 'em. Those three books, if studied, can turn anyone with no idea about poker into a player ready to start hitting the $3-$6 game at their local casino....

In fact, this is something I was thinking about writing about for a future article for 2+2, as there is a husband and wife that we hang out with that know NOTHING about poker outside of what they see on TV and they have never played a hand anywhere.

Off to the Barroncave!

Barron Vangor Toth
BarronVangorToth.com

Why do you want to give beginners accurate information? I'm glad the article named a bunch of irrelevent and crappy books.

[MicroBob]

[ QUOTE ]

I guess it appeals to the curiosity of those who don't actually play poker or read about it. It is a General Audience piece and not intended for those who actually know a thing or two about poker literature.

[/ QUOTE ]



yes. it's a general audience piece.

but the writer still f'ed it up:


Despite the game's popularity, few POKER books by mainstream publishers have done well. Only one — Bringing Down the House - has been in the top 50 of USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list in the past 10 years.




as I stated before....Bringing Down the House is NOT a poker-book.
It is a REALLY terrible mistake by this writer to say that this is the only POKER book to make the USA Today's best-sellers.

And after he establishes this as a POKER book he goes on to quote this particular author.

The headline of the article is about the popularity of POKER-books...yet this writer doesn't seem to understand that he is essentially interviewing a NON-POKER author about a NON-POKER book.


This is a truly moronic piece.

[Russ Fox]

Publisher's Weekly had as their cover story, "Publishers are Betting on Poker" in their August 15th issue (written by Timothy Peters). The article is not available on their website (unless you're a subscriber). Mason Malmouth is quoted, "Sales exploded in 2003, a couple of months after the World Poker Tour began to appear on the Travel Channel...We though it was a fluke, but the sales kept on climbing. And now you have hundreds of thousands of people playing." The article notes that 61 poker books have been or will be published in 2005.

It's a better (and longer) description of the poker book world of 2005 than the USA Today article.

-- Russ Fox

[BarronVangorToth]

[ QUOTE ]
Why do you want to give beginners accurate information? I'm glad the article named a bunch of irrelevent and crappy books.

[/ QUOTE ]


I realize I may be in the minority on this board as I am NOT against educating people as to poker's finer points, and I think the longterm health of the poker economy is best served if every new player were to read from the 2+2 library rather than nonsensical blatherings that will potentially turn them - and people who may have started playing because of them - from the game.

Information will fuel the future, not ignorance.

Barron Vangor Toth
BarronVangorToth.com

[muck_nutz]

We want more people playing poker. Basic beginners info getting them into the game is great. I suspect that books on BJ have made the casinos more money then it lost them because people were willing either to playing knowing the game "could be beat" without doing any of the necessary work or they were unwilling to put in enough practice to succeed. I suspect poker is very similar in that many people will pick up a book and browse it or even read pieces of it but the majority will be unable to apply the knowledge in any meaningful way. But once in the casino and feeling like they know how to win they will be players for life. Good accurate info will just make it easier for those players to accept they could be winners. Well written would help alot also. But I suspect thats a lost cause.

[bobbyi]

[ QUOTE ]
Can you imagine the reaction of the employees at Gamblers Book Shop (in Vegas) after reading this junk? They are probably still shaking their heads.

[/ QUOTE ]
In fairness, this has been my reaction to every USA Today article I have ever read.

[imported_legoman]

Email the author at cmemmott@usatoday.com

[PE101]

I disagree with part of this...
I think TOP is WAY over the head of most neophytes!

I think the strategy books you mentioned are terrific for beginners, but TOP is rather sophisticated and requires study and insight. I’m afraid that it would scare the curious away from our wonderful game – not attract them to it.

Think back to the 1st time you played real poker – would you have sat down if you knew your opponents studied this kind of material? I wouldn’t have!

[BarronVangorToth]

VERY true, it's VERY advanced, but after you get the basics in Getting Started I think a read through of TOP can help get some thought processes flowing, then maybe Small Stakes Hold 'em, then back to TOP, then play a little, and some combination of mixing back and forth...

...ideally, all while you have someone(s) to bounce questions off, etc etc.

You have to start somewhere. And a new player will be limited initially at least to only wanting to check out a few books, so are there any others you'd recommend before TOP? There's a reason why many consider it the best book written on poker ever - and no one expects a newbie to get it all in the first take.

Heck, I've read it a number of times, and far be it that I believe I have all the lessons and theories down-pat, which is why I keep going back to it ... and to SSH ... and to HEPFAP ... and back again to TOP ... etc etc.

Barron Vangor Toth
BarronVangorToth.com