Where to find Book Reviews?

I would greatly appreciate anyone who can direct me to where I need to go, or offer any advice on what I am trying to do.


I'm new to the game, I'm just as new to this sight. So far the two books I have read are from Lou Krieger (Beginner to Winner) and Lee Jones (Winning Low Limit Hold'em), basically because that is what I have been told to read.


My first time through each book I read both as you would read a Tom Clancy novel. I picked up a point here or there, but missed about 95% of it. That was my first time through.


Then I sat down at $3/$6 Hold'em and played. Now I'm going from the viewpoint like I'm back in College and this book is the title of some course I've just got to get an A on. I'm not conserned whether it takes 5 minutes or 5 hours to get through a topic, I have to understand it.


In the past week I've ordered more books than I care to admit(Theory of Poker and Hold'em are my two main concerns right now), but I am not concerned with the cost, I am really serious about this, not to come across as pompous, but I think that in time I can become an excellent poker player. I'm 24 now, I'm not under some kind of dreams I'll be playing in the World Series for a number of years, I'm just looking for the best foundation as I can get, then move up the ladder as fast as my skill/bankroll will take me.


I want to get the best books, read them, study the hell out of them, I want to wear the cover off some of my favoite poker books. In one post you guys told someone that although (the book you were talking about had flaws) he should go through it to identify them himself, it would be good practice. That's all well and good, and hopefully in time I can read that same book and find all of those flaws you are talking about and then some. The only problem is right now I am so darn new at this I couldn't tell you a good book from a bad book. The reason I believe it is so important for me to get good books is right now I am tremendously impressionable, I really have no habits.


I know Mason writes up book reviews, I understand they are very good, I just want to know where to find them?


Thanks in Advance!

All of Mason's book reviews can be found in the last chapter of "Gambling Theory & Other Topics". So, I guess you'll have to buy that book. /images/smile.gif

My book reviews are contained in my book Gambling Theory and Other Topics. On our link page there is a link to book reviews by Nick Christenson which are pretty good.

If you go to Dan Kimberg's site and click under book reviews, these reviews are there also, as well as many more.

here's an idea...along with my post below about 'poker by numbers' split your learning into sections....

1 starting hands

2 flop play

3 turn

4 river


get ahold of the basic concepts of each. nt just by reading, but by experience. experience will solidify the concepts better. see the concepts in practice.


if ya wanna save money to learn, get wilson's turbo holdem. it is fantastic practice tool. minor flaws, but will accelerate your learning much quicker. try doin that in a cardroom.

the evaluator will tell ya where your 'basic' holes are. then when ya see where your holes are, reread the section that deals with said spot.

my experience is when your playability evaluation reaches around high 80s or low 90s youll generally break even at normal tables...


those are the 2 books i started with and i used to reread em quite a bit. those with wilson, is a powerful combination for the beginner. then graduate up to more advanced books. if ya dont have a decent grasp of the basic, youll hae tricks from advanced, but may not know the 'why' of your play. which is very important.


but it still may be worth a peek...post a question on here about a book or section of a book, and im sure youll get lots of reviews...


hope this helps...


b

What I gave Kimberg, and what appears on his site, are the reviews from an old edition of my book. Since then many more books were reviewed and some of the books reviewed have been updated. So I think you are much better off with looking at a current edition of Gambling Theory and Other Topics.. That's the fifth edition with a 1999 date on the title page.

http://www.casino.com/poker/article.asp?id=1568


Andy G. recently wrote an article for his Wednesday Night Poker series where he listed the best poker books and explained why.


If you can't use the above link, go to Casino.com and hunt around under Andy's name. I met Andy at a lecture at Lucky Chances a while back and he's a very nice guy.


Hope this helps.


Shawn

To all who responded thank's a bunch, I truly appreciate it. Buy a few books on Amazon today, expected arrival date; February 27, gee thanks!


I like what you said bernie about breaking up the game into categories, starting hands, flop, etc.


Also as simple as a concept this is, I have to get better at identifying the nuts. Like Sklansky says in Hold'em Poker I've really go to sit down and deal myslef out a few hundred hands so I can identify the nuts, second nuts, and so on.


I've only played Hold'em one time in a cardroom, a few Saturday's ago at Mohegan Sun. Not seeing the nuts really cost me. Turned an excellent night, into a very good night. (Although this is book review hope no one minds this)


$3/$6. I'm in BB and got a free play in a pot with about 7 callers, I have 54o. Flop comes 7,6,3 of mixed suits. I could not believe it, I just flopped a straight! My mind (thinking of check-raise on the turn) checks (knowing full well this pot will be bet by someone). Bet from Mr. I have never met a hand I do not like does come, and I along with about 3-4 others I call. (My thinking of not raising here is not to give away I have a big hand, and get them on turn when betting doubles). Turn brings about a Q, perfect card for me, again I check (If I did not believe anyone would have bet, I would have bet). $6 bet from different guy (really loose) comes and knocks one other out, another calls, I raise, they both call me. River brings about an 8, I bet, knock out guy to my left, get raised (Something should have gone off in my head here) re-raise, guy plays back, then I call. Guy is sitting there with 10/9 suited.


Maybe my betting, re-raising wasn't the mistake (or maybe it was, maybe I should have come out stronger after the flop, possibly raised there), the fact that I never saw 10/9 coming (even after he re-raised) and it hit me like a ton of bricks is what I want to learn from.

Mason,


Would you consider posting your book reviews in the Essays section of this site. It would make a great resource.

Playing $3/6 in a live game don't be surprised by anything you see. People will call capped betting with a gutshot, or bottom pair hoping to hit their kicker, or trip. This won't happen in all games all the time, but it will happen most of the time.


I would suggest staying away from the theory of poker and other advanced books until you can grasp the easy books like Jones and Kreiger.

That is basically what I am doing. Reading a second and a third time is amazing. So many points that I missed really jump off the pages, some good stuff! Took a bus from NY to AC last night (an absolute nightmare by the way, do not advise of, ever!) and reread about 1/2 of the Sklansky book. I canot even tell you how many points I missed in my first go around.


The entire concept of not always wanting the best hand was revolutionary to me. Naturally in 6.5 hours of poker I didn't get one friggen hand where that applied, (my cards really sucked) I thought it was an execellent point.