Customer Reviews:
this is a beginner's book.......2007-08-01
See Wookborm's review for a more complete discussion of what is wrong here. I don't mind beginner's books, but they should be marketed as such. I think you'll be hard pressed to find anything new in this book, if you have spent any time reading up on no-limit on any of the popular online forums. Mastery of the material in this book does not look sufficient to beat the 25 cent big blind game online. I could only recommend it if you have no other no-limit book at all; but then, why not buy Harrington volume 1 or something else? This book is superfluous. I felt ripped off.
Book needs more practice and less theory.......2007-05-31
This book gets a three star rating because it does some things very well whilst omitting some critical details. The first portion of the book talks about bet sizing. It gives some very practical advice about how much to bet to encourage your opponents to make mistakes, how much to bet when bluffing, how to size your "blocking bets", how much to bet preflop and so forth. This section is excellent.
Some of the other topics are covered in a rather haphazard manner. In the check raising chapter, he covers the very specific case of check raising heads up on the river. For other situations, the book says "Only expert players recognize the best opportunities for the play...A book really can't do the subject justice". Sometimes the calculations are based on figures that in real life are simply prohibitively difficult to obtain. One example begins "So if you have one chance in three of stacking your opponent if you catch a straight...". How exactly one deduces the probability of stacking an opponent when you river your straight is never quite explained, perhaps because it falls into the "A book can't really do the subject justice" category. The second section of the book is titled "Concepts and Weapons" and it does provide useful and practical tips that should improve anyone's game.
The main shortcomings of the book revolve around the topics it doesn't cover. The book does not mention concepts such as pot equity and hand ranges, two ingredients that I believe are critical to today's game. Sure it's important to know how to price your opponent out of a flush draw if you're sure that is his exact holding. However, real life scenarios are rarely that simple. What happens if there is a flush draw on the board and an opponent bets into you and you suspect he's holding a flush draw half the time but will be holding top pair top kicker the other half of the time? This book does not provide the tools for dealing with this type of problem and others like it that no limit players face repeatedly on a daily basis.
To wrap up my review I will use a medieval analogy. If you're already well equipped to deal with the battle that is no limit hold em, this book will certain give you some extra weapons and patch up some holes in your defence. However, if you're looking for your sword, shield, helmet and body armour I would recommend starting with other resources.
Good theory poker book.......2007-05-13
A very good book on poker. Be prepared to learn!
Great Read for Serious Players Only.......2007-05-02
Read this book only if you are serious about improving your game. Sklansky did a good job in capturing into words the intuitive nuances that I have come to recognize after so many hands of playings, and take them even further to horizons I have yet to explore (and can't wait to try). It is not a book for beginner and you are expected to be somewhat a good player already to even start reading this. A "fish" would most certainly get lost within a few pages. A lot of the math in the book is probably not going to be too applicable while you're at the table, but rather just as his way of showing that the decisions are mathematically correct. There is a list of tips at the end of the book that sums up everything quite nicely. To me, the Sklansky-Chubukov rating is unheard of before and it will take me a while to digest its significance and importance in improving my play.
pick one up.......2007-04-14
i've bought plenty of poker books and by far this is my favorite one. Beginners can read it and develope their game, while intermediate to advance players can learn these concepts and apply them to their game. If you read this book over and over and fully realize the concepts and the insight sklansky has on no limit play, you should be able to sit down at a poker table whether it be at the casino or at home game and become a confident solid player.
Product Description
The recent boom of Texas hold em has forever changed the way the game is played. Many more people know how to play this game well. Even the loose players who come to gamble have become far more aggressive, making them more difficult to play against. So a basic tight and patient strategy will no longer guarantee that you can make a significant amount of money in games at the higher stakes. This is especially true short-handed, which have become increasingly popular in the online poker rooms. This text is the first to tackle the complex issues presented when playing short-handed and high-stakes limit hold em. But even if you happen to only play in softer games, many of the key concepts presented will still help you against the other good players in your game. Winning in Tough Hold em Games includes an examination of pre-flop play, covering issues at a depth of sophistication which have never appeared in print before including discussions of blind stealing, re-stealing, isolating a loose player, big blind and small blind defense, and blind versus blind play. Also covered are thorough sections on playing heads up and semi-bluffing. In addition, over 50 hands, taken from high stakes online games which were played by Stoxtrader, are presented along with appropriate discussion of the strategy involved. This book is a must read for anyone hoping to make a meaningful income from playing limit hold em. It is a serious text and should be beneficial for those of you willing to make the effort to master this material.
Customer Reviews:
Great! .......2007-08-14
Fascinating read. Not sure why these guys would want to share their secret, but I'm glad they did.
Good, but..........2007-08-05
Pretty good book overall. This is narrowly targeted at higher-stakes, short-handed, limit holdem players. It has general guidelines for types of hands, and then specific guidance for particular hands. I found the general guidance and principles to be extremely good. But the particular hands to be not so relevant for the games i play. It also has lots of math in there that is only marginally useful.
This book is a goldmine.......2007-07-06
I'm not one for writing reviews, but when I saw this book only had one to it's name, I had to say a few words.
I can honestly say this is the best book out there when it comes to beating tough 6 max online games. And I've read a lot of them!!
Stox is a genius. I've based my entire style of play on his "teachings" and I have been a successful online pro for 18 months. I hesitate to praise him too much because I don't want my opponents to get their hands on this book!!
I wont go into much detail other than to say there is a large and clearly explained section on Blinds play/defense which is a must read for any serious player. It has helped my game no end.
Flintoff 2+2
Good, Heavy reading.......2007-05-21
This is a book by a couple of respected 2+2 er's (If you dont know what a 2+2er is then this book is not for you (yet) )
It specifically addresses tough 6 max limit games, tough, being with the explosion of internet games and the recent US gaming laws it is getting harder and harder to find what we call loose, profitable tables.
It is concise and to the point and includes alot of PT stats (if you dont know what PT is again this book is not for you) to back up their reasoning.
In conclusion the book adopts an aggressive (as you should be when playing short handed anyway) style and deep thinking analysis of every play including actual hands.
However this is not a beginner book and you should be a winning player at full ring/6 max games limit medium stakes $2/4 and above to find this book useful. it is also good for those players who have plateued and are looking to improve.
Book Description
The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky discusses theories and concepts applicable to nearly every variation of the game, including five-card draw (high), seven-card stud, hold 'em, lowball draw, and razz (seven-card lowball stud). This book introduces you to the Fundamental Theorem of Poker, its implications, and how it should affect your play. Other chapters discuss the value of deception, bluffing, raising, the slow-play, the value of position, psychology, heads-up play, game theory, implied odds, the free card, and semibluffing.
Many of today's top poker players will tell you that this is the book that really made a difference in their play. That is, these are the ideas that separate the experts from the typical players. Those who read and study this book will literally leave behind those who don't, and most serious players wear the covers off their copies. This is the best book ever written on poker.
Customer Reviews:
Required poker foundation .......2007-08-07
Sklansky's Theory of Poker is no longer the newest book on advanced poker thought, but it remains required reading for both the average and the more experienced player. While some of the specific hand-analysis and tactical advice has been updated or superceded by more recent and also excellent books by the likes of Harrington or Gordon, the basic concepts do not change, and Sklansky is an insightful analyst, as well as an excellent teacher. The attentive reader will find his time and thought well rewarded.
According to Sklansky's Theory of Poker, the game is one of mistakes - the point is to induce mistakes in your opponents' play while avoiding mistakes in play yourself. The basic nature of poker, in any of its forms, implies that you have imperfect and limited knowledge of the value of the hands your opponents hold, and they have limited knowledge of yours; it is because of this limited knowledge that mistakes can take place.
Mistakes and errors are simple to define. If you had perfect knowledge of all hands, you would play your own hand in a certain, mathematically correct way. To the extent you play your hand differently, due to lack of knowledge or deception or whatever, you have made a mistake. Sklansky teaches various ways of inducing those mistakes in others, and also how to correctly analyze your own hand and options for play.
Sklansky draws on multiple forms of poker for examples; not just Hold 'Em, but also 7 Stud, 5-card Draw, Razz, etc. For the player only familiar with Hold Em this may be a little confusing at first. The book is meant as a theoretical examination of principles built into all poker games, and is not really a how-to-play for Hold Em or any other form of poker.
Sklansky's writing is dense in the sense that he does not beat around the bush or waste time or fill his book with fluff. The book is not light reading, and probably should not be your first book if you are not thoroughly familiar with the play as well as the language and jargon of the game. It cannot be skimmed. But there isn't a player out there who would not benefit from a careful reading, and would not benefit more from re-reading again six months later, this book.
Granddaddy.......2007-08-05
This is the grand daddy of all poker books. if you only get one book, this should be it. teaches you to think for yourself in poker situations
Sometimes It's Like Eating Your Broccoli.......2007-06-30
If you're going to be a serious poker player, you must read "The Theory of Poker." It gives you the entire foundation for how to play properly. But sometimes, it's like eating broccoli. You know it's good for you. You know you have to do it. But it's not always pleasant. Too many examples come from stud and razz. (If you don't know what razz is, then you may not be a serious enough poker player to enjoy this book.) Of course, Sklansky wrote the book in an era when stud was a much bigger game. But with the popularity of hold'em, you spend much of your time translating Sklansky's concepts into hold'em situations. If you're new to poker, that's hard to do since you haven't had enough experience to fully incorporate the concepts. (Sklansky has books dedicated specifically to hold'em, if you prefer.) The narrative is okay, but not great. (Harrington's books are far better.) So, in short, this book is a must read. But you're not always going to enjoy it.
Powerful information!.......2007-05-30
The Theory of Poker presents ideas that have the potential to improve your game significantly. There is a reason why this book is consistently named by almost everyone as one of the best poker books out there. In fact, I would go as far as to say if you haven't read this you are probably not playing the best poker you could play. I had seen several of these concepts discussed elsewhere, but it wasn't until I read this that I fully understood the power of calculating pot odds/estimating implied odds, semi-bluffing, and raising in many different situations. These are powerful concepts, and Sklansky backs them up with mathematics.
Many of the concepts presented in this book are not intuitive, but once Sklansky takes you through some examples, you will kick yourself for not having used them before. He provides sufficient evidence to show that these strategies really do work.
It is important to understand, and I think this book does a good job of explaining, that you will get beat when you implement these strategies. That is inevitible. But if you keep at it, you will come out ahead in the long run.
This book is probably not the best book for beginners. This actually was the first poker book I read, but I wish I had more of a fundamental knowledge base before I read this. I tried to implement several of these strategies in my game, but I found that I lacked the proper context to really understand why they worked and in which situations. But once I practiced, read some more, and then came back to this, it was extremely useful.
In short, if you are serious about improving your poker game, this book is absolutely essential. Read a couple of beginner books first and practice a lot, and then check this one out. You will be very pleased that you did.
The only reason I don't give it five stars is because many of the examples concern games that I am really not interested in and don't care to learn (at least not now). I understand that Sklansky wrote this as a general poker book, and he did so back in '94, but most poker players today are interested in Hold Em. So examples that used Stud or Razz to illustrate their point weren't as useful as they could have been. I do know that Sklansky wrote a book specifically on Hold Em though, so not a big deal.
A Good Guide to Poker.......2007-05-14
Despite the fact that this book is a must have for any poker player (and it is), I must say it's not a complete guide for dummies. One must have some poker background in order to enjoy the full contents of this book, since the most I got from it is consolidating the knowledges I already had. For instance, most poker players are familiar with semi-bluffing, but the book somewhat provides a more indepth approach that will really explain what it's about, how to use it and why it's so powerful against the right opponents. You'll have to read it to understand what I mean. I also thinks someone should publish a book exactly like this, but focused on NLHE, since most information in this book is about "POKER" as a general sense and the reader must learn to "filter" what is and isn't valid for what type of poker he or she plays. That's the reason why I'm only giving it 4 stars; otherwise it would be a five.
Average customer rating:
- Difficult, complicated but of good use
- Good information, some of it needs to be updated.
- Futures and Commodities Trader gives it two thumbs up!
- The Math of Gambling
- Excellent treatment of all games of chance
|
Getting the Best of It
David Sklansky
Manufacturer: Two Plus Two Pub.
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Similar Items:
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Gambling Theory and Other Topics
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Poker, Gaming, and Life
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Gambling for a Living
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No Limit Hold 'em: Theory and Practice
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Sklansky on Poker
ASIN: 1880685043 |
Book Description
Getting The Best of It is divided into six sections: Mathematics of Gambling, General Gambling Concepts, Sports and Horse Betting, Poker, Blackjack, and Other Casino Games. This book covers some of the most sophisticated gambling concepts ever put into print. It also includes a comprehensive discussion of the basic mathematics of gambling written in such a way that even the most non-mathematical of readers can understand it. Moreover, many of the ideas discussed are those that Sklansky himself has successfully used during his career.
This revised and expanded edition of Getting The Best of It includes fourteen additional chapters and covers such topics as expectation, combinations, Bayes' Theorem, the eight mistakes in poker, checking in the dark, playing tight, the Key Card Concept, casinos and their mistakes, Crapless craps, betting sports, hedging and middling, knowing what's important, the Law of Averages and other fallacies, and much more.
Customer Reviews:
Difficult, complicated but of good use.......2005-02-05
Though some of the "games" discussed by the author is out of date, his exhaustive elaboration on the direct relationship of winning with "probability" is straight to the point. About 1/5 of the book is dedicated to high maths about probability. In case you find the book too difficult, (as in my case), it shows that you (and me) dont belong to there, and we can never be pro gamblers who can win consistently in the long run against the unfavorable odds set by the casinos. But if you are determined to be successful in gambling, this book is certainly an acid test of your aptitude and talent.
Anyway, a good read, in particular for gamblers, both winning and losing ones.
Good information, some of it needs to be updated........2004-02-27
This book is largely composed of old essays that David Sklansky wrote during the 70's and 80's. Although he knows he stuff inside and out, this book is really not as useful as it could be. A la Stanford Wong, Sklansky wastes many pages regaling the reader with his exploits winning money from defunct downtown Las Vegas casinos during the 1970's. While these stories are interesting, they are nothing more than entertainment. He wastes a chapter telling us about a 1980's craps offshoot called crapless craps which may have been of interest to others in 1985, but no one would care about today. He also offers up a chapter on counting cards at baccarat and at the end tells us that other gambling experts have researched this matter and that it is not really feasible. He offers two chapters about beating progressive slot machines and at the end states that unfortunately progressive slots are different now. His section on poker includes a reprint of 10 pages of his book Hold Em' Poker which to me is a waste of space.
On the positive side, the area of the book on probability is well done. His poker section has some interesting insights although the examples would be better if they were updated to show more hold em' examples and less draw and lowball examples. The sports betting section has some interesting insights but is a little short. The blackjack section I feel is a waste of space. A lot of the essays seem to show the mathematics behind basic strategy which is of interest only to those trying to recreate the wheel. All in all, considering the $30 price tag, this book should get an update which makes it more relevant to today and should excise the essays which are no longer pertinent. I'm not questioning Mr. Sklansky's expertise at gambling, but I do question why certain parts of the book are left verbatim after 20 years.
Futures and Commodities Trader gives it two thumbs up!.......2003-04-17
Mr.Sklansky has written a phenomenal book. I am an 11 year veteran of the futures and commodities market. I have been a broker, investor, and I have written three books on the subject. Mr.Sklansky sheds that necessary light into the probability of gaming success. These thoughts are easily applied to my industry. Whether you are investing in commodity futures or options on commoditity futures, you have to be able to assses how successful the trade can possibly be and understand money management. This book covers it all.
Mr. Sklansky is a very astute gambling mathematician and he paints a broad swathe across the entire gaming industry and shows you what games can be worked and what games will work you. I would like to see him apply some of his knowledge to the investment arena and see what assessments he can come up with. I recommend all of my brokers read this book. For any gambler this book is a necessity for your success. Good luck and put this on your shelf.
The Math of Gambling.......2000-05-16
A nice book that covers games that Sklansky thinks the smart player can win, poker, blackjack among others. Most valuable for the teachings of odds versus probability and other math equations that help the player know whether he has the best of it.
Excellent treatment of all games of chance.......1999-05-23
A visionary text exploring the mechanics and profitability of gambling. Essential for any serious gambler. Sklansky's prototype work on card-counting at baccarat was an invaluable research tool in the development of my own work on practical methods for money-making at the game. The one caveat I have is that the key-card concept may well be dangerous to players not already well versed in the theory of blackjack. John May, Author of "Baccarat for the clueless"
Book Description
Mason Malmuth was born and raised in Coral Gables, Florida. In 1973 he received his BS in Mathematics from Virginia Tech, and completed their Masters' program in 1975. While working for the United States Census Bureau in 1978, Mason stopped overnight in Las Vegas while driving to his new assignment in California. He was immediately fascinated by the games, and gambling became his major interest.
After arriving in California, he discovered that poker was legal and began playing in some of the public cardrooms, as well as taking periodic trips to Las Vegas where he would play both poker and blackjack. In 1981 he went to work for the Northrop Corporation as a mathematician and moved to Los Angeles where he could conveniently pursue his interest in poker in the large public cardrooms in Gardena, Bell Gardens, and Commerce.
In 1983 his first article, "Card Domination — The Ultimate Blackjack Weapon," was published in Gambling Times magazine. In 1987 he left his job with the Northrop Corporation to begin a career as both a full-time gambler and a gambling writer. He has had over 500 articles published in various magazines and has authored or co-authored 14 books. These include Gambling Theory and Other Topics, where he tries to demonstrate why only a small number of people are highly successful at gambling. In this book he introduces the reader to the concept of "non-self weighting strategies" and explains why successful gambling is actually a balance of luck and skill. Other books he has co-authored are Hold 'em Poker For Advanced Players, written with David Sklansky, and Seven-Card Stud For Advanced Players written with David Sklansky and Ray Zee. All the "advanced" books are considered the definitive works on these games.
His company, Two Plus Two Publishing, has sold over 400,000 books and currently has 26 titles to its credit. These books are recognized as the best in their field and are thoroughly studied by those who take gambling seriously.
Customer Reviews:
A "must read" book.......2006-06-18
I have many books that tell me "what" to do. This is the only one that really explains "why" to do it. While not always easy reading, there are amazing and valuable lessons in here. The topics apply directly to poker but also to Life.
time for a revised edition...?.......2005-12-13
When this book came out it garnered a lot of respect within the poker world. Even today his section on the standard deviation and it's importance to poker players understanding how good or bad they can run just as a function of luck as well as "non-self weighting poker ideas" are still considered required reading by many players..
Unfortunately, much of the rest of the book is outdated and of little use to today's players: He discusses lowball and jacks or better draw, he discusses "bingo", he talks about the "new games" of PaiGow and Pan 9. This book is almost 19 years old now much of the original text is outdated or obsolete. Another section that seems a bit suspect is his discussion of tournaments. Although it contains some interesting mathematical ideas, it seems of little use in the "real" world of tournament poker. The fact that Malmouth chooses not to play in tournaments has stirred controversy over the years from those whose primary involvement in poker is tournaments. This text( with the noted exceptions in paragraph one) is in need of an overhaul in my opinion and is not much more than an interesting philosophical or theoretical overview of gambling. One other section that is actually of value is his review of many of the popular gambling and poker titles by other writers. A number of players I have talked with like this section the best as it gives them direction in their book reading and buying decisions.
Fundamental understanding of gamling.......2005-07-25
The book gives a understanding of how gamling works. It explains the fluctation that create illusions among players. Illusions about how good they are, what card that makes a profit. If you want to be a serious poker player, this book gives you a fundamental understanding that you fail to find in other poker books.
Great Book.......2004-08-19
This book helped me incredibly understand the odds and help beat the casino at their games. I recommend it.
Thought Provoking and Annoaying.......2003-08-03
While reading this book it forces you to think, which is excellent. However I found myself annoayed at some of Mason's comments as alot of what he says is semi-controversial and he seems to try to make everything over controversial, more so than it has to be.
Book Description
Arnold Snyder shows how to play and win money online against the internet casinos. People love to gamble, and now that they can do so from their own homes, Snyder shows them how to choose safe sites to play. He goes over every step of the process, from choosing sites, opening an account, and how to take your winnings! There are major chapters covering the differences between "brick and mortar" and internet gaming rooms and how to handle common situations and predicaments. A major chapter covers internet poker and basic strategies to beat hold'em and other games online.
Customer Reviews:
Please read the first review and listen to it!.......2006-06-26
Please do not buy or read this book! I don't want competition. Arnold Snyder is a genious and in my opinion is the foremost gambling expert in the world, and no, I'm not one of "The Entity Known As Avery Cardoza's" shills either. This book is kind of like a sharpa who leads you to a mysterious temple and says "here it is". It doesn't really tell you what "it" is other than to say it could be worth a couple large. It's worth a lot more, and if you don't know why that's certainly not my problem, nor is it Mr. Snyder's for that matter.
Previous review is flawed.......2006-03-17
In reading the first review posted here, most is misguided, misleading, or just wrong.
However, this statement is completely false:
"The trouble is that online gambling is illegal in most of the United States. "
Online gambling is illegal in the few specific states that have prohibited it (Nevada, New Jersey, and a few others). This definitely does not make up the majority of the US.
I would think that Amazon would have a policy against posting false statements in a review.
A bit disappointing .......2006-03-17
Arnold Snyder has some interesting ideas as a gambling writer, but this new offering is a little disappointing.
The author explains how to make money from casino and poker bonuses. Basically, his method involves signing up with an internet casino, taking any bonus they have, then cashing out.
The trouble is that online gambling is illegal in most of the United States. If you could make hundreds of thousands of dollars doing this then it might be worthwhile, but as Snyder seems to admit, getting the money is really hard. Getting money out of an e-casino, judging by the problems Snyder's mentions, is not easy, they are very reluctant to pay up, many simply will take your money knowing you can't take them to court. Some will cheat: it is very easy to write a computer program which fixes the odds against you.
Even with honest e-casinos, you often have to wager eighty times the bonus or more before they will let you keep it!! You would end up losing your money most of the time!! Imagine trying to get a $100 bonus, having to wager $8000, and losing $600 or $700. It does happen!
If you check out the author's website, you see why he is promoting e-casinos-his site gets lots of money from links to internet casinos and he gets a percentage of the losses of people who go through those links. I think that is why he is recommending this type of "advantage play" rather than something respectable like card-counting.
Nevertheless, he does cover some of the common problems you face online in some detail. And, the section on poker is a good basic primer, if you like playing poker.
Average customer rating:
- Not a bad read, but don't expect any spectacular revelations
|
The Ultimate Blackjack Book: Basic Strategies, Money Management, and More
Walter Thomason
Manufacturer: Lyle Stuart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Gambling
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Blackjack
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ASIN: 0818405899 |
Customer Reviews:
Not a bad read, but don't expect any spectacular revelations.......2000-06-22
Blackjack is a game that is easy to understand and nearly impossible to master. It is also a game that is largely influenced by how people play. The odds will vary depending on compliance with basic strategy. For a new player, the basic strategy chart will be useful, as may the description of gameplay. But the suggested betting strategies and card counting techniques are nothing but snake-oil! I'd recommend Andy Glazier's works over this book to experienced as well as inexperiened players.
Book Description
The World's Greatest Gambling Scams details the best scams ever pulled off in the adrenaline-fuelled gambling world. They range from those relying on basic sleight-of-hand maneuvers to those that utilize gadgets based on the very latest high-tech wizardry.
Scams examined include:
• the famous Ritz Roulette Scam that used mini-computers and cell phones to determine on what number the roulette ball would drop.
• big-action baccarat games in which the dealers merely pretended to shuffle the cards.
• a dye solution for marking casino cards that can only be seen with special contact lenses and disappears without trace an hour after its application.
• a tiny weightless receiver embedded into a roulette ball and controlled by a radio transmitter hidden in a pack of Marlboro cigarettes.
Customer Reviews:
The World's Greates Gambling Scams.......2007-06-11
I'd give this book 5 stars, except for some typos in the book. Marcus spins the stories of gambling scams down through the years,making them interesting. I'm sure there are some embellisments to some of the dialog in the stories, but the scams themselves actually happened.
Customer Reviews:
A Very Original View of the Felt........2005-07-30
The first thing that potential readers will probably want to know about this book is that it was actually written in 1950, but re-released in 1996. It definitely is dated as Hold'Em, the game most of us play, was not even a twinkle in a Texan's eye at the time it came out. Strategy is not a "how to" manual. It is philosophical in nature. In fact, some of the technical things he explains do not jive with our current perception of how poker should be played. He recommends playing conservative in a conservative game and loose in a loose game; although, every expert I've read says the opposite.
Other than its fifties feel (he talks about bridge quite a bit), it is an intriguing little book with some excellent ideas. The main subject is strategy, and how people arrive at the decisions they do. McDonald gives an overview of game theory which is perfect for those unfamiliar with it. We learn about "minimax" and the way in which games are played in general. Then game theory is examined in relation to poker, business, and the military. Concerning poker itself, America's new obsession is analyzed in the first 60 or so pages. The author clearly has some new things to say, and this is surprising considering that Strategy was written over half a century ago.
As a narrator, McDonald can be profound. The idea that gambling and capitalism are reflective of man's true nature is intriguing. Undoubtedly, such a belief is correct as it is the promise of fortune that creates societal innovation, enrichment, and millions of people spending dollars (that they don't have) on everything from The Lotto to poker. Another great point Thompson makes is that it is female curiosity undermines their capacity to excel in poker because curiosity about what your opponent holds can be deadly (for an example of female curiosity, think of Annie Duke illegally grabbing Johnny Chan's mucked cards last year in the WSOP). I liked the notion that poker embodies all the traits civilization discourages, and then the counter-notion that when we make use of these deceptive traits at the table it decreases our need to do so during life on the whole.
Strategy has much to offer, but I would not pay full price for it. It's no more than 100 pages of text, so you should check out the z shop price first. I got mine for about $2.00.
Strategy, good, but kind of unsatisfying.......2004-05-17
Okay, over all I like this book. I don't know exactly what I thought this book would provide. I think I was looking for a little more game theory than what this provided me. It is short, and pretty good, so I would have to say it is worth your time.
Excellent Strategy Primer.......2001-08-20
This book is really a study of games - specifically strategical games such as poker. Strategical games are those where information is imperfect. The author uses poker as a model for describing strategy in business, war, and politics - Three of life's other strategical games.
He correctly deduces that the optimal strategy in poker is not to have one - that is, to vary unpredictably. Poker playing requires deception, and to do that, the poker hand "must be concealed behind a mask of inconsistency," as he puts it. This is critical poker knowledge, but you don't have to buy the book for that.
He makes the important observation that the winning strategy in general is to have better information than one's opponent. Thus, poker players bluff representations of strength and weakness, in order to deny information about their hands to their opponents. People involved in capital markets try to get better, faster information (e.g. "real time quotes") because that is the only way to win.
Don't buy any poker books besides this one. It has everything you need. Don't buy any other gambling books - no sense wasting more money on games you can't win. As for business, war, and politics, this book describes a good "mindset" for thinking about these fields.
Information is key to strategy.......2001-08-04
This book is really a study of games - specifically strategical games such as poker. Strategical games are those where information is imperfect. The author uses poker as a model for describing strategy in business, war, and politics - Three of life's other strategical games.
He correctly deduces that the optimal strategy in poker is not to have one - that is, to vary unpredictably. Poker playing requires deception, and to do that, the poker hand "must be concealed behind a mask of inconsistency," as he puts it. This is critical poker knowledge, but you don't have to buy the book for that.
He makes the important observation that the winning strategy in general is to have better information than one's opponent. Thus, poker players bluff representations of strength and weakness, in order to deny information about their hands to their opponents. People involved in capital markets try to get better, faster information (e.g. "real time quotes") because that is the only way to win.
Don't buy any poker books besides this one. It has everything you need. Don't buy any other gambling books - no sense wasting more money on games you can't win. As for business, war, and politics, this book describes a good "mindset" for thinking about these fields.
Interesting topic but doesn't add value.......2001-06-23
The article McDonald wrote was well written in Fortune magazine but unfortunately is not much more informative in the 100+ page book that follows. McDonald attempts to connect phenomena (games, economics, business, & war) to concepts in which he feels cross between disciplines. However, the writing style of his book swtiches back and forth between making assertions and stating examples that are so broad that at some point becomes unrelated to the whole point of the book. One example even tries to describe the chemistry of ideal gases and how it's related to pure competition! I was expecting that the book would dive into deeper aspects of how poker was related to investing as he described in the article but mainly talks about concepts already written in standard college textbooks. I suspect that McDonald tried to rush his writing of the book and grabbed straws to fill out the pages. My recommendation is to read the article and not the book!
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