Customer Reviews

Inside the Poker Mind: Essays on Hold 'em and General Poker Concepts

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is more of a "Best Practices" poker book in many ways.

Here's the real skinny on the book and the reviews as I see it.

TRUE:

1. This book should not be the first poker book you read. But reviewers neglected to mention that the author himself states this in "General Poker Concepts" and suggests many starter texts.

2. This book does spend significant time on topics other than what's going on inside a poker player's mind. The author might do too much of that, but it's clear that he does so to provide supporting info. The sections contrasting the thoughts of average vs advanced players do treat the subject and perhaps they deserved more emphasis.

3. Yes, the author does criticize non-limit and tournament play. Playing in casino situations is very differnent from tournaments where the chips don't represent real money dollar for dollar. Nobody said it doesn't take skill to win. It's just a different skill set. Truth be told, there are plenty of great tournament books if that's what you are into.

FALSE:

1. No, it is not fair to say this book is unoriginal. Nor is it accurate that Sklansky's and Malmuth's books cover everything in this book. This book has some really great real world examples of poker logic spelled out much more clearly than in other books. It doesn't have to be the definitive poker book to be a valuable read.

2. While the book does start out a little slow, I found the stories very funny. For those who play in casino or card-room games, you will find humor in reading Feeney's examples of mistakes that you have seen yourself and others make. I did.

3. One point needs clarification before some unsuspecting person goes and drops $2K in Vegas after reading this book. Reading this book will NOT save you thousands of dollars. No book will save you $. Only UNDERSTANDING the concepts the book trys to bring across will actually make you or save you money.

On pg 62, he writes, "Education in poker theory reduces one's susceptibility to illusions which can interfere with good play." Man I wish I could believe this. I think his advice to seek psycotherapy might do more to that end.

So many people read a few books and lose their shirts because of false confidence. While I totally understand the value of the material, value cannot be derived by reading it. It must be digested, pondered, and mastered to be valuable.

The coolest thing about this book is the relevance of the examples. Every topic, from reraising the weak to calling on the end, was treated in a real world way that I have observed in casino play. A great example is "Maximizing the Set" on pgs 127-128. So many books treat these concepts abstractly. I must say that I did not fully understand much of this till I read this book.

Again, the outline of the way bad players think was the hallmark. It talks about things that not only stop you from making mistakes but help you identify the saps in a real game. Perhaps the treatment of tilt could have been more explicit. But his unique viewpoint provokes thought, even though it comes along with resistance.

There's a common quote that goes, "If you look around the poker table and don't see any suckers, you're it!" I would strongly advise anybody reading the sections on advanced vs. weak player thoughts to read the hands and honestly evaluate what they would be thinking if they drew that hand before reading the author's explaination. This is a serious wake-up call to those who are unknowing maniacs or overconfident goats.

Overall this is a very practical read that deserves the attention of anybody looking to increase their hourly rate in actual casino and card-room play.

Overall Inside the Poker Mind should be part of any serious poker player's library. However, it shouldn't be one of the first books read about poker. Quite frankly, beginning players won't get much out of it, and most who have (that I know of) are dissappointed.

For the intermediate to advanced player, the subjects addressed should be extremely useful. For the most part, the book focuses, as the title implies, on different ways of thinking rather than strict tactical plays. Example: in the "strategic moment" section, the author contrasts what the average player thinks as opposed to what the advanced player considers. In this way the author illustrates the depths of poker.

Overall very worthwhile if you're ready for it.

Feeney has produced an extraordinarily deep work. The sections discussing the thought processes of an expert poker player are truly eye opening, and offer an insight into the complexities of the game that most books fail to capture. The book is exceptionally well-written -- exceptional in the sense that most great poker players are not great writers and most great poker books are, well, written by great poker players. (Slansky & Malmuth essentially open their "Texas Hold Em for Advanced Players" with an apology for their poor writing). This is not a book for beginning poker players, but I would recommend it without hesitation to anyone who has become familiar with basic poker theory. I had read about a dozen books on poker and hold 'em before I came to this one. No book before or since has made me feel so excited about the game.

I have read every top poker book ever published and have been a successful middle limit player for fifteen years. John Feeney's first poker book is a terrific collection of poker essays geared toward the mid to upper limit holdem player. However, anyone who plays poker seriously should find this book to be a tremendous value. He "pushes the envelope" of advanced thinking on familiar poker topics and brings a fresh and accurate perspective to every chapter. His essays concerning "Playing Against A Maniac" cover ideas I have never before seen in print and soon hope to employ at the tables. But my favorite chapter is "The Strategic Moment in Holdem", which literally puts you "Inside the Mind" of a top-level professional player as he thinks at the table.

I am one of a growing number of serious card club poker players who learned to play poker competitively and for profit by reading books in addition to time spent at the tables. Seldom does a new book provide the unique perspective on this wonderful and complex game as this great book of essays by Dr. Feeney.

This book is not for beginners. Dr. Feeney assumes that the reader understands the advanced works of other great poker writers such as David Sklansky, Mason Malmuth, Bob Ciaffone, and Mike Caro. It also concentrates on Texas Holdem rather than other popular games such as seven card stud. But its advanced analysis of the psychology of poker will help all players who want to beat the biggest and toughest games.

This is a rare book; and to use a time worn cliche "it gets better with age". This is certainly one of the top five books to own and study for limit holdem. The rage nowadays is no limit holdem, so if that is your game, this book is not for you. If your game is limit holdem and you have been struggling, you can not afford to miss this one. This book ranks up there with "The Theory of Poker" and "Holdem Poker for Advanced Players" as absolute essentials for strengthening your limit holdem game. It is great for rereading every three to six months to re-evaluate your game, plug the inevitable leaks and reassess your overall approach to the game. The reason I say it gets better with age is that as you gain more table experience you come back to ideas that six months ago escaped you because you lacked the proper reference points. Now, in rereading them you reopen your view and thinking about the game to a new level. It is like that every time I come back and read this book again. It's like spring training for your holdem game; cover the basics, learn finesse plays, out think and outplay your opponents. Simple, but not easy. Highly recommended.

This is one of my favorite poker books. It is not for beginners; it is filled with interesting and advanced topics in limit Hold'em. This is a good book for any reader who is looking to read more advanced material. The section titled "Do You Pass the Ace-Queen Test?" was controversial when the book first came out, but Feeney's thoughts has proven to be correct. The Short-Handed essays are illuminating as well. Definitely a great addition to any hold'em library.

I was looking forward to this book when I ordered it from Amazon and I have to say I was quite disappointed.

First, there is very little here about the poker mind. A few obvious bits of advice about not going on tilt but no real analysis of what goes on inside a poker player's brain during a game. For this reason, I feel the book's title is misleadinng, to say the least.

Second, the book has little original to say. It echoes ideas that can be found (but said more clearly) in books by Sklansky and Malmouth. If you have books by those authors, you don't need this one.

Third, the book makes comments which strike me as completely wrong. Namely, that tournament victories are largely achieved by luck and that pot limit is bad for the game of poker. This leaves those of us who think tournaments are won by skill, or who like pot limit, out in the cold.

Finally, the book is quite dry. The lively annecdotes which can make other poker books fun to read are not here. This is dry stuff. If it were better stuff, that wouldn't matter so much, but it's not.

Clearly, given the rave reviews this book is getting, I'm in the minority here. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so. Still, if you're a limit player who likes to grind away, maybe this book is for you (although even then there are other authors I'd prefer) but if you like pot or no limit, don't bother.

Inside the Poker Mind is a good overall book that discusses many of the concepts in all of the above books but from a psychological perspective. Not a good first book or for the amateur, but a great read once you've got some experience under your belt. This book addresses some of the psychological discipline issues that impede our ability to play at our best at all times. We are all humans and poker is an emotional game. Learn to control your emotions and exploit the behavior of others (and perception of your behavior).

The book is a classic. It is great addition to any poker library. It deals with many important issues that affect poker players today. The controversial "AQ test" essay alone is worth the cover price.

It is written by the real deal, a pro player who understands the important complex interrelationships between emotions, tactics, and theory and puts it all together in one book.

See you at the tables. Im hoping you don't actually get this book.