Million Dollar Hold'em - Johnny Chan, Mark Karowe

Million Dollar Hold'em is a unique book. Written by a world champion at no limit, this book focuses on the concepts necessary to be successful in fixed limit games. There is a lot you won't find in this book. You won't find an introduction to hand rankings or the rules governing how to play Texas Hold'em. This book is aimed at people who have an innate understanding of these things.

The structure of this book is unique as well. Johnny presents a concept. He presents it succinctly and then proceeds to demonstrate it. The vast majority of this book is a recap of hands that have been played. Using these hands to demonstrate the concepts presented. For someone with experience at the tables, this is a very effective method. Often I was able to think back to a hand I played earlier in the week or month and say, "That's what he was doing." Or sometimes, ok maybe more than sometimes, "That's why he called my bluff."

This treatise can be very enlightening. Also of key importance, Johnny assumes the reader has the skills to identify what kinds of plays people are fond of. What kinds of risks other players are willing to take. Most of these concepts work or don't work because you have more than just a guess about how your opponent will react. If you are struggling to identify who is tight aggressive and who is weak passive at a table there is very little this book can help you with.

You always hear that poker is a people game, not a card game. This book shows you just how true that statement is. Is you understand the people you are playing with, this book will help you improve the decisions you are making against them and ultimately, when you make good decisions you will make money.

Power Hold'em Strategy - Daniel Negreanu

In the tradition of Doyle Brunson, Daniel has brought together a collection of world class poker stars to write the "Bible" of poker. Unlike Super/System, this book focuses exclusively on Texas Hold'em. More specifically, on No-Limit Texas Hold'em.

The authors attack the game from a number of angles. Tournament and cash games. Internet and live games. Playing at short-handed tables, shifting gears and playing small ball. There is very little time spent on limit games. Usually limit games are mentioned only to point out the strategy being discussed has no chance of working in a limit game.

Evelyn Ng provides a good and in depth discussion of basic big bet strategy for playing tournaments. She is quick to point out that there are problems with the strategy she advocates but, it is designed for the player who has little to no tournament experience.

Eric Lindgren provides an insightful piece on Internet cash games. What to look for and how to protect yourself. His advice goes beyond how to manage your game but has implications for how to manage your life successfully.

Daniel's "chapter," it takes up half the book, focuses on a strategy he calls "Small Ball." The explanations and examples are very well put together. This is definitely the most enlightening part of this treatise. Without a doubt this is a worthwhile investment of your money and your time. If you play no limit hold'em, buy it today and start digesting it tonight.

Dead Money - Rudy Stegemoeller

I first started this book some years ago when it was being presented in a condensed version as a series in Card Player magazine. I missed the beginning and I missed the end. I also missed several parts in between. I wasn't a subscriber to the magazine so I only got to read it when I could find a copy laying around my local card room. Needless to say, when I saw it on the shelf at the library, I added to my stack.

When I started reading, it was at once familiar. And also clearly not the same. The original story I read took place during a marathon session at his local casino playing in a $30 - $60 game. This story is set during a fairly large tournament. The plot line is the same. A very strong player that most of the poker world is less than fond of is found dead in the parking lot.

Mark Newcomb is a talented amateur poker player. He does well in the cash games when he isn't working in the public defenders office. His wife is less than thrilled with the time he spends playing cards but, she isn't making any ultimatums. Not yet.

The tournament trail is filled with a class of unique individuals and we are introduced to several. People from all walks of life. A multi-millionaire who plays only for the hope of victory to an immigrant who arrived in the country without a cent to his name. Rudy does a good job of fleshing out the characters. We can see whole people, not just cardboard cutouts. More impressively, he does this without slowing the pace or development of the story.

This murder mystery is surprisingly well written. Poker is the backdrop on which the story is told, not the centerpiece. The story itself is compelling and well thought out. Even if you have no interest in poker, this is a great read for any mystery buff.

Harrington on Cash Games Vol. I - Dan Harrington, Bill Robertie

Dan Harrington is one of the more respected professional poker players on the circuit. He won the World Series of Poker main event in 1995 and has four top 6 finishes. In short, he knows what he is talking about. His co-author is a Harvard educated world class chess and backgammon player. He is also a respected author on various games.


In this first volume, Dan gives us a clear picture of what information he is going to provide. This is the first of two books focused exclusively on No-Limit Texas Hold-em cash games. Games where you decide how much you want to buy in for and when you want to stop playing. The other side of this coin is the No-Limit Texas Hold-em tournament game. Dan has written a three part series on that already.


Right up front it is clear that this series will differ significantly in advice and strategy from his series on tournament play. There is an overriding principle to playing no limit hold-em cash games effectively. "Bigger stacks implies bigger implied odds implies more hands played."

This is the driving force behind the way you think about poker in theses games. Your hand selection is more important. How you read hands changes. What constitutes aggressive or loose play changes. All of these concepts are explained in clear easy to understand language and reinforced with example hands. Some of these examples are taken from hands played and broadcast on the show High Stakes Poker.


This book is put together well. Dan has the information to give us and Robert has the talent to make sure this information is presented in a way we can understand it. If you have any desire to play in a no-limit cash game, I highly recommend you read this book.

Annie Duke: How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed, and Won a Million Dollars at the World Series of Poker - Annie Duke, David Diamond

Whew! That has got to be one of, if not, the longest titles I have seen on a biography. Being one of the most successful women in poker, I suppose she is entitled to be a bit unorthodox.

She tells the story of her run through the 2004 World Series of Poker. It is very linear. She starts with the process of registering for the first event she plays and ends with the last hand she plays. Along the way she goes into various tangents.

We are treated to much more than a life story. The origins of the game are explored. The history of the WSOP (World Series of Poker) is presented in very objective voice. Along the way we are treated to some incites as to how she makes her decisions at the table.
For those who are really after a treatise on how to play poker, she is kind enough to draw attention to these tidbits by drawing a box around them. She give you a basic rule of poker and then a brief description. At the end she provides a glossary of poker terms.

There is no doubt that Annie is a great poker player and a wonderful ambassador for women in this predominantly male field of endeavor. However, with several degrees in English including a PhD in Psycholinguistics, I am surprised that she felt it necessary to employ a co-author. I found this to be a very pedestrian read.

Winning Low Limit Hold'em - Lee Jones

There are a lot of books on how to play Texas Hold'em poker. Most are written by world champions of no limit tournaments. That is what they write about. How to win major tournaments. Tournaments with buy-ins starting at $1,500. Most people cannot afford to play these tournaments. Most people play in their local casino or around a kitchen table. And the stakes they play for are significantly less.

In these smaller games, the advice of Doyle Brunson or Mike Sexton is next to worthless. The amount of money at risk has a significant impact on how people play and how you should play. Lee Jones is not a world champion. He is consistent winner in low limit games. Lee defines low limit games as $1-$2 to $6-$12. In card rooms today it is rare to fine a $1-$2 game. $3-$6 is the most popular game and can be found in almost every casino that offers live poker.

This is a very good book for the beginning player. Lee takes the time to explain the basics of the game as well as the basics of playing in a casino. Many people are intimidated to play in a casino because it looks complicated. Lee does a good job of removing the mystery around what is happening and why.

Even though this book is aimed at the beginner, there is a lot of good information for the experienced player who may be considering playing in a low limit game. Lee explains many of the fundamental strategies and how to apply them in a low limit game. A good example is bluffing. Most books go into great detail on when and how to bluff. How to recognize when your opponent may be bluffing. Lee's advice is not to bluff. The amount of money it costs to call a bet in a low limit game makes it almost impossible to induce your opponent to fold.

This is a must read for anyone who wants to play poker in a casino. Starting with a low limit game is a good way to get your feet wet and become comfortable in the environment. Armed with the knowledge and strategies provided by Lee, you have a good chance of coming away with a little more money in your pocket as well as an enjoyable experience.

King of a Small World - Rick Bennet

It is rare to find a poker novel that rings true. The reason is simple, people who write well are rarely avid poker players. It is not uncommon to find yourself at the card table for 20 or more hours at a stretch. When are you going to find time to write?

Rick is a clear exception to this rule. His descriptions of the life of a professional poker player have the ring of truth. The typical professional poker player does not make millions a year. The romance of the lifestyle just isn't a reality for most. Poker as means of supporting yourself is hard work.

Joey Moore knows just how hard the work is. He shares an apartment with another gambler, one who struggles and has for all his life. Joey is doing well at the game. He hasn't had any huge wins, he grinds it out. Winning more often than he looses and loosing less than he wins. He has money stashed in quite a few hidey-holes around Prince Georges county in Maryland. A few thousand here and a few thousand there. Not enough to retire on but then Joey is still young.

There is nothing complex about the story. We are examining the life of an average guy with an uncommon occupation. The story is told exclusively from our hero's perspective. The introspective conversations are compelling and authentic. King of a Small World didn't win any awards. Never-the-less, it is a great read.

No-Limit Hold'm; Theory and Practice - David Sklansky, Ed Miller

This is a very focused treatise. The authors go out of there way to tell you over and over again that this is not a book about how to play poker, it is a book about how to think about how to play poker. The distinction can easily be lost if you are not careful.

The authors identify several traits that all successful no limit players exhibit. Then they focus on two. There is no shortage of books on no limit hold'em. And the vast majority will address the same things over and over. Position, reading hands, bluffing and so on. This book focuses on manipulation. Manipulation of your opponents decisions and manipulation of the size of the pot.

What is unique about this focus is that all of the ideas they present are presented logically. Once you understand what they are trying to say, they then show you how to prove it is correct. The do this with math. Of course, because every piece of advise is situational, they then show you an example of when the advise you just digested is absolutely wrong. And, of course, they prove it with math.

The math used is fairly basic. The constants in the equations, however, are not easily or quickly arrived at in the heat of a hand. The math is there to prove the thought process is sound, not to provide you with a "system" for beating the game.

This is a very good book for the advanced player. They spend no time explaining the rankings of hands or describing how the game is played. If you haven't played a fair amount of Texas hold'em, this book will only confuse you.