Customer Reviews

The Intelligent Guide to Texas Hold'em Poker

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

 

 

This is a very useful book to have around as a reference. The tables and charts are handy, especially if you play online. If you travel, which I do a lot, having contact information for cardrooms all over the country is helpful. I like Braid's approach to poker strategy. He provides a consistent framework for understanding any kind of poker game. His comments on poker playing computer programs are thought provoking, even though I don't fully agree with them.

This book was written for newer players that want to develop and extend their game. It contains a section discussing the different types of games that you might run into. The examples and simple suggestions on how different styles affect the game are great for the new player.

The best part of the book is the tables that give you the correct pot odds for your bet. They are great to commit to memory until you can calculate the odds yourself. I found that expected value and calculating pot odds are important in lower limit games and having these tables helps your stack from shrinking.

This is one of the most readable books on Hold'em that I've encountered. It has clear logical explanations of Hold'em fundamentals. The mathematical tables are very useful, and the books is filled with valuable reference and resource information. I'd recommend this book to anyone getting started in the game as a good all around guide for Hold'em.

This is a good book if you are brand new to poker and to Texas Hold'Em...A sort of primer or overview. While there is useful information for the beginner, it's title is misleading. The "Intelligent Guide" hints that the content is going to be in-depth, which it isn't (it merely introduces very basic topics such as strategy, mathematical calculations, etc. in a very cursory way). Also, the cover advertises that the book "Includes detailed instructions for online poker", which is also a gross overstatement (only cursory information about playing online that could be obtained just as easily with a few hours of internet research).

Your money would be much better spent buying Lou Krieger's "Hold 'Em Excellence: From Beginner to Winner" for learning the game, and "Internet Texas Hold 'Em: Winning Strategies from an Internet Pro" for learning the ins and outs of playing the game online.

I picked this book up and leafed through quickly. I should have taken more time. I have about 6 or 7 poker books so I think I have a pretty good perspective on what is helpful and what looks like somebody trying to turn a quick buck.

Where do I begin. In a nutshell the author touches on most of the basics; pot odds, probabilities, starting hands and some strategies for turn and river play. But it's all cursory and even if you're a beginner and you should really be learning the basics of learning the difference between good starting hands and trash. Whereas every decent poker book will discuss at length which combination of starting hands should be played and which should not (as well as when) the author spends about 2 pages discussing maybe one of the most important considerations for a beginner.


The cover says "includes detailed instructions for Online Poker". Listen to me, you will not learn enough from this book to be successful at online poker. The online poker section is a bit of a joke really.

About 60 pages of this 175 page book are devoted to a glossary and a list of internet poker sites as well brick and mortar poker rooms.

If you already know the basics I would recommend any books by Sklansky, Malmuth or Kreiger. I especially like "Small Stakes Hold 'em" by Sklansky and Malmuth. I also liked Lou Krieger's "Hold 'Em Excellence"

Pass this one up. There are just too many good books out there than to waste your time with this.

The fact that the cover of this book has a chessboard on it shows that the author clearly has no understanding of either game. If you think I'm joking then just look--the pieces are in an illegal (and ridiculous) position! And wouldn't we all be big winners if royal flushes came as often as he'd have you believe.

Mr. Braids may have a PHD... well I think we all know what that stands for.

This was a very Enjoyable Book. It provided important and useful concepts about the game of Poker. I learned new concepts, which identified some leaks in my game. Leaks in your game can come from anywhere!!! Leaks can originate from lack of aggression, overcalling raises, misreading opponents and any other number of ways. So this book helps. Many people look at poker the wrong way. They think to win they need to do all of this super fancy plays and mindblowing stunts. Well folks...there are not that many options in poker...you fold, call or raise. So its really hard to do thinks that will just fool your opponents all the time. To win at poker it is mostly limiting your mistakes and getting all that you can from winning hands and minimizing losses on losing hands...that's it
Ive been playing for about 5 years now and love the game. Ive read many poker books and found this one to be very good. So I would suggest you buy this book and maybe a couple others and get to playing. There's really no excuse anymore - since anyone can access the internet...