How to Play Poker: And Other Gambling Card Games [Paperback]

Peter Arnold (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2004

More than 250 illustrations, charts, and tables make understanding poker concepts simple. Beginners will see how cards and hands are ranked and how to bet and bluff, and they' ll master shuffling techniques and find out proper table etiquette. Intermediates can practice chip management, learn to recognize opponents' strengths and weaknesses, and discover smart strategies for both good hands and bad. Players will also benefit from the tactical discussions of variations of Draw Poker, Hold' Em, Five- and Seven-Card Stud Poker, and other casino games like Blackjack, Baccarat, Red Dog, Slippery Sam-- even Gin Rummy. The full glossary of terminology can get anyone up to speed.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Hamlyn (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0600609227
• ISBN-13: 978-0600609223
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #842,175 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book, March 13, 2005

By 

Brian D. Tomcik - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Play Poker: And Other Gambling Card Games (Paperback)

As a novice poker player, I was looking to find a book that explained the general concepts of poker and also specifics on the popular variations without getting drowned in tables upon tables of odds and blah blah blah. The book covers Draw, Stud, Hold 'Em and Omaha poker, along with a small section that covers other card gambling games like baccarat and blackjack. The section on blackjack even has basic strategy tables for memorization.

The book opens with some poker history and then goes into general rules of the game, ranking of hands, time limits, seating, dealing, betting limits, wild cards, etc. Then the book goes into the specifics of Draw Poker.

The section on Draw poker in my opinion is great. I really liked how the book clearly explained how draw poker is played. The sections on the arithmetic of poker were very helpful with some odds tables and a brief section on expectations (comparing pot odds with card odds). Plus there were several strategies for before and after the draw. Very helpful and clearly explained.

The same goes for the section on Stud Poker, with both 5-card and 7-card being covered. The sections on Hold 'Em and Omaha are short but sweet with strategies outlined for before and after the flop without burying you in useless charts of odds. The strategies also consider position and your hole-cards. There are also several pages on bluffing techniques and poker etiquette.

For someone starting out in poker I would highly recommend this book. I use it a lot more than the other poker books I bought to expand my knowledge of the game.

5.0 out of 5 stars If You Just Never Learned Poker, November 13, 2009

By 

J. Barr (Westerville, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Play Poker: And Other Gambling Card Games (Paperback)

I guess I must have missed "Poker 101" in college. (We played euchre.)Now that poker is a voyeuristic "sport" broadcast on TV and the terminology is leaking over into everyday life it could be helpful to know something of the game without necessarily playing it. And if you want to play...where do you start? This book was PERFECT for my needs. I just wanted to understand the rudiments of the game...what wins when, the order of betting, how to raise, call etc. No fancy "poker theories" just the nuts and bolts...and in a clear and concise format. Excellent graphics allow you to follow the play and understand the progression of the game. The book covers several of the major ways of playing poker so you aren't stuck with great knowledge about only how to play 5 card stud or texas hold'em. Great buy for the newby or the intellectually curious who had to take that seminar with Sister Mary Hitler on "The Primal Shrug" instead of something that would have really helped you in life...like how to play poker.