USA TODAY on Poker Books

[BarronVangorToth]

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

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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]

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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.

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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