Internet Poker: How to Play and Beat Online Poker Games [Paperback]

Lou Krieger (Author), Kathleen Keller Watterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 11, 2003

Playing Internet poker in real time against real opponents might just represent poker's brave new world. Whether for play-money or real money, it's an environment consisting of virtual tables, player icons representing you and your opponents, and specialized computer algorithms that randomly shuffle the "cards." It's a world where you can find a game day or night. Though it may be the wee hours of the morning in California, it's prime time in Europe, and someone, somewhere, is looking to play a little poker. But it's poker with a difference. The game is the same, to be sure, but technology does kick in -- sometimes in strange and unexpected ways. A reference as well as a tutorial, this book includes a CD with free poker software, and a special bonus chapter with 125 interactive hands to help you prepare to play the Internet games for fun or for profit.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...an extraordinary introduction to the whole world of internet poker. -- Lee Jones, Author, Winning Low-Limit Hold'em (from the cover)

This book is a gem. -- Doyle Brunson, Two-time World Champion of Poker (from the cover)

just what you need to play poker confidently at any Internet poker room. -- Linda Johnson, 1997 World Razz Champion, Card Player Cruise Partner, and former Publisher of Card Player Magazine (from the cover)

About the Author

Lou Krieger learned poker at the tender age of seven while standing at his father's side during the weekly Thursday night game held at the Krieger kitchen table in the blue-collar Brooklyn neighborhood where they lived.

Lou played poker throughout high school and college and managed to keep his head above water. This wasn't necessarily because he played well, but because his cronies played so poorly. It wasn't until his first visit to Las Vegas that he took poker seriously, buying into a low limit seven-card stud game in which he managed -- with more luck than skill -- to break even. "While playing stud," he recalls, "I noticed a game that looked more interesting. It was Texas hold'em."

"I watched the hold'em game for about 30 minutes. The pots were bigger, there was a lot more action, and the players seemed to be having a lot more fun. I got my courage up, asked for a game change, and sat down to play. One hour and $100 later, I was hooked. I didn't mind losing. It was the first time I played and I expected to lose. But I didn't like feeling like a dummy -- so after that day I bought and studied every poker book I could find."

"I studied; I played. I studied and played some more. Before long I was winning regularly, and I haven't had a losing year since I began keeping records." A few years later Lou discovered Omaha eight-or-better high-low split and seven-card stud eight-or-better high-low split -- which we'll mercifully abbreviate as Omaha/8 and 7-Stud/8 -- as well as games like Razz, Draw, Lowball, and Omaha high.

More recently, he discovered that "brick and mortar" casinos are not the only place one can belly up to the table uttering those magic words, "Deal me in." Lou now alternates between playing in casinos and playing online, where the two things he and his opponents have in common are a love for poker and Internet connectivity -- courtesy of modern technology -- to a virtual green felt table.

In the early 90's, Lou Krieger began writing a column called "On Strategy" for Card Player Magazine, which he continues to this day. He's also written three books about poker: Hold'em Excellence: From Beginner to Winner; MORE Hold'em Excellence: A Winner For Life; and Poker For Dummies, co-authored by Richard Harroch. Along with Harroch and Arthur Reber, Lou co-authored a book about casino gaming entitled Gambling For Dummies. He's also a columnist for Gambling Times, Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Western Player. In 2000, Lou was named one of the 100 best gaming writers of the past 100 years -- one of only five poker authors accorded that honor.

When not writing about poker, Lou -- who lives in Palm Springs -- can be found playing poker in either the card casinos of Southern California or in one of his favorite cyberspace haunts.

Kathleen Keller Watterson, a journalist who writes frequently about gaming and the Internet, has worked with Lou Krieger as a contributing author on two previous projects. She wrote Chapters 13 and 14: "The Computer: Your Shortcut to Poker Mastery" and "Internet Poker" for Poker for Dummies by Lou Krieger and Richard Harroch; and Chapter 15, "Internet Gambling: Uncharted Territory in the Virtual Beyond," for Gambling for Dummies by Lou Krieger, Richard Harroch, and Arthur Reber. A specialist in both technical writing and news editing, she holds a joint concentration degree from Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Journalism.

Kathy is also an accomplished poker player. After reading Big Deal by Anthony Holden, she spent 1997 doing her own version of Holden's yearlong sabbatical as a professional player by playing in both ring games and tournaments across the country. She garnered final table appearances in major events at the Four Queens, the Commerce Club, and Reno's Pot of Gold, among others.

This book is her first to be written as co-author with Lou Krieger."

Product Details

• Paperback: 202 pages
• Publisher: ConJelCo LLC; Book & CD edition (May 11, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886070172
• ISBN-13: 978-1886070172
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,604,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not much here..., August 2, 2004

By 

Catman (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Internet Poker: How to Play and Beat Online Poker Games (Paperback)

Signing up and playing for free at any online site will teach you 90% of what's in this book. I've played a little over two weeks online, and found nothing in this book that wasn't already obvious. The practice hands are a useful idea, but while I waited for this book to arrive, I've played hundreds and hundreds of hands and started reading books on poker.

I skimmed and understood everything in this book except the practice hands in a couple hours. It contains nothing that you would ever refer to once you know how to play.

If you want to learn poker and play online, buy a book about POKER, not online play. You can figure out the online play without much time or effort.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Save your money, October 11, 2004

By 

Tim Jacobsen "Tim J" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Internet Poker: How to Play and Beat Online Poker Games (Paperback)

I've purchased 5 poker books in the past few months and this is by far the poorest. It's Texas Holdem section doesnt go beyond pre-flop play - literally! No advice on what to do after flop, on turn, at river. It comes with a free CD which, from what I gathered, promotes an online poker site. My guess is that they are marketing the site. No real content in book.

(...)

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great for Beginners, but thats all, July 23, 2003

By 

"bismarckia" (Miami, Fl United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Internet Poker: How to Play and Beat Online Poker Games (Paperback)

I was slightly disappointed with this book. I have been playing online for a month or so and have learned 96% of the information in this book myself. If you are a new poker fan (a la Travel Channel Wednesday nights) looking to play online, then this is a good read. If you are familiar with the internet and have a basic understanding of poker this book will not help you much. I would suggest taking the money and just playing some games online.