How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed, and Won Millions-andYou Can Too [Paperback]

Annie Duke (Author), David Diamond (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 2006

Part poker strategy, part autobiography, How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed, and Won Millions—and You Can Too offers a fascinating, table-side view of the World Series of Poker from the top-ranked female poker player in the world, chronicling the exciting ups and downs Duke experiences while trying to win it all, and tells the riveting tale of her unlikely rise to poker’s inner circle.

Highlighting the strategy behind her unique style of play, and including a comprehensive poker primer and boxed tips throughout, this book is geared toward both the skilled player and the reader newly intrigued by the hottest game in town. BACKCOVER: “Not only is Annie Duke [quite possibly] the greatest female poker player ever, but she is poised to become one of the greatest poker players of our time.”
—Phil Hellmuth Jr., nine-time World Champion of Poker and author of Play Poker Like the Pros

“Thoroughly enjoyable.”
—Dan Harrington, 1995 World Series of Poker Champion, author of Harrington on Hold ’Em

“Duke, one of poker’s best female players, keeps things interesting by mixing autobiography, play-by-play, and tips.”
—The New York Times Book Review

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Not only is Annie Duke [quite possibly] the greatest female poker player ever, but she is poised to become one of the greatest poker players of our time."
—Phil Hellmuth Jr., nine-time World Champion of Poker and author of Play Poker Like the Pros

"Thoroughly enjoyable."
—Dan Harrington, 1995 World Series of Poker Champion, author of Harrington on Hold ’Em

"Duke, one of poker’s best female players, keeps things interesting by mixing autobiography, play-by-play, and tips."
—The New York Times Book Review

About the Author

ANNIE DUKE won $2 million in the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions and her first WSOP gold bracelet in 2004, becoming the only woman to ever win two major tournaments in one year. She is also a consultant for UltimateBet.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Plume (May 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452286484
• ISBN-13: 978-0452286481
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,676,599 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars By the Dutchess, April 1, 2010

By 

Northlander "Northlander" (Kansas City, MO USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed, and Won Millions-andYou Can Too (Paperback)

Easy read; moves right along. Annie wrote about a good part of her life and how she got started playing poker for a living. It's hard not to love Annie Duke! Her book shows her to be smart, down-to-earth; unpretentious. She writes about the good and bad, not just the glitz and glamour. Most impressed by: I got the impression her relationships with those she cares about, especially her children, are what matters most.
There are some good tips about playing poker, but this is NOT a how-to-win-at-poker book.
I highly recommend this one!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exploring the World of Poker, September 10, 2009

By 

Shirley Mills "firefly in MA" (Norton, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed, and Won Millions-and You Can Too (Paperback)

One evening bored out of my tree, I tuned into Celebrity Apprentice where I "met" Annie Duke. I had never heard of her but I found her intriguing; enough that I watched the entire series. I was curious about this person who was so attractive, so self-assured, and yet so sweetly and subversively manipulative. Of course eventually the other contestants and Donald Trump caught onto her and she lost, primarily because of her arrogance and abrasive ways. At the end no one liked her, which I think truly surprised her. After the TV series ended, I looked her up and bought this book.

You have to understand where I was coming from. I knew poker was a card game played by men and that it involved chips, money, and booze and that it was generally played in dark smoke-filled rooms. That's about it. After reading Annie's book I now know that I was slightly mistaken. The smoke is gone, the rooms are no longer hidden away in some dark den, and women can now play with the big boys. But the thrill of the game comes through loud and clear in Annie's writing. Her book tells why and how she advanced from an absolute novice to the highest paid female player in the world at the same time being married and having a family. The book is also a tutorial on how to play poker, hand by hand, pot by pot, scoping out your table mates looking for the slightest edge and how to use other's foibles to your advantage. Annie is very very good at what she does, and even though I skipped over some of the minute details of each game, the book is an informative, easy and interesting read. I have no intention of ever picking up a deck of cards to learn how to play poker, but I at least have a decent idea of what the attraction is.

If you want another book on poker, one written by someone whose love of the game got out of hand and almost caused a disaster, buy "Hats & Eyeglasses - A Family Love Affair with Gambling" by Martha Frankel. Her personality is the opposite of Annie. Annie is take-no-prisoners, gung-ho, full-speed-ahead, while Martha comes across as sweet and gentle but nevertheless she's the one who became obsessed with playing poker, day and night, win or lose.

Well, that's it. No more poker books for me. I've had enough exploring that world. Bottom line: I definitely recommend both books. Both are well written and give enlightenment in an enjoyable way.

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, interesting, and a fast read, November 3, 2010

By 

E. Lawrence "mauthedog" (Natick, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed, and Won Millions-andYou Can Too (Paperback)

I just read this last night [2-Nov-2010]. It was a quick and enjoyable read.
It offers a little bit for everyone.
If you like to generally read a famous person's biography, well, this has a quite a bit about Ms. Duke's life, growing up, and as an adult.
If you like to read how a poker pro plays some hands, there's a bit of that too.
If you like to know what drives a person to become a poker pro, there's a bit of that too.

For me, the most interesting parts are her descriptions of growing up in the Lederer household in Concord, NH.
I've been through that small city and thought it seemed like a nice place. Ms. Duke implies, by describing her mother's daily routine---crossword puzzles and drinking---that it's not the place for everyone.

Her marriage issues, her health issues, her poker successes and failures, and even her problems with another pro slandering her, are all mentioned [in varying depth].

My wife has no interest in poker, but likes to read biographies. I recommended this book to her, and I recommend it to you.

Finally, Ms. Duke's family issues reminded me of the following famous line:

"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
- Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, Chapter 1, first line