Shuffle Up and Deal: The Ultimate No Limit Texas Hold 'em Guide (World Poker Tour) [Paperback]

Mike Sexton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2005

A poker primer from the hosts and stars of the World Poker Tour, offering basic strategy, trivia, and an inside look at this runaway hit.

The World Poker Tour has revolutionized the game of poker by putting cameras under the table and raising awareness and enthusiasm to an international level. The World Poker Tour: Shuffle Up and Deal is aimed at the millions of passionate fans of the WPT, whether they're ambitious up–and–comers on the poker circuit, or casual players hoping to take the pot at their next Wednesday night game. Shuffle Up and Deal will be a solid poker primer, covering set–up, play, and basic poker strategy, along with many of the interactive elements of the WPT TV show: poker trivia, definitions of poker terms using examples from the show, profiles of WPT star players, insights into the world of professional poker, and an inside look at the show.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Created for the millions of World Poker Tour (WPT) fans itching to get in on the action, this book offers no-nonsense tips for playing like a pro. Sexton, a former poker champion and spokesman for the WPT TV Show, outlines the rules and winning strategies of No Limit Texas Hold'em, a game that guarantees thrills by allowing players to bet all of their chips at one time. Responding to the rise in popularity of poker in the past few years, from TV shows to online gambling, the book contends that anyone can become a master, and it details all the tricks of the trade, from learning how to read other players to knowing how much to raise the pot. Although the tips are sometimes too abstract to be helpful-like the section on following your instincts, which vaguely insists, "you must have enough heart to take risks based on your feel for the situation"-there is enough concrete advice to truly improve one's game. One especially insightful chapter, dedicated entirely to online play, outlines the unique strategies of winning in cyberspace. Dispersed throughout are profiles of former WPT champions and facts about poker's history, and a glossary of terms is included for those who want to master the lingo before settling down at the table. Fans of the WPT will savor the anecdotes of this behind-the-scenes guide and, whether they dream of becoming the next World Champion or simply enjoy casual poker nights with friends, readers will be better equipped to win their next game.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Not another how-to book on Texas Hold'em. Well, yes, but this particular volume raises the bar for all future poker manuals. Sexton, a former professional poker champion himself, is now host of the Travel Channel's weekly series, World Poker Tour, which jump-started the transformation of poker from a friendly neighborhood game to a spectator sport. The brainchild of Steve Lipscomb--a documentary filmmaker who contributes the introduction--the WPT often attracts more viewers than the NBA. The success of the WPT gives legs to Sexton's teachings, making him more than just another poker player passing along his insights. In fact, Sexton's approach is even more friendly than Hellmuth's Play Poker like the Pros (2003); rather than focus so much on the psychological elements--sure, a key to success but not something everyone can master--Sexton sticks with the play itself, including when to play conservatively or to go over the top (raise the raiser). An interesting tournament breakdown and helpful glossary round out this poker primer. Mary Frances Wilkens
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 197 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Pap/DVD edition (March 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060762519
• ISBN-13: 978-0060762513
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #390,483 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

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars If this is the only poker book you read, you will probably go broke., July 19, 2005

By 

Paul A. Broni (Alpharetta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shuffle Up and Deal: The Ultimate No Limit Texas Hold 'em Guide (World Poker Tour) (Paperback)

This book is a fair primer on poker on it most basic level, but chances are if you're buying the book, it's because you've been watching WPT and are already familiar with the game to some extent.

If you're really a beginner, this book is a fast read and will get you started, but please don't end your education here. There is very little in this book on theory, and important topics, if addressed at all, are not covered in depth. There are a few good stories, and there's plenty of advertising reminding us to watch WPT on TV and, of course, to play poker online at the site that Mr. Sexton endorses (and in which I believe he has some ownership). He reminds us over and over how GREAT it is to win! NO DUH!

If you really want to learn about poker and take your game to the next level(s), get your hands on anything by Sklansky. Read them all. Cover to cover. Twice. Then again. It will take a long time to absorb it all, but it will be worth it. When you do, you'll then have to decide what style of play is best for you. For example, I found it discouraging that Mr. Sexton advocates the "fit or fold" strategy on the flop, only to read Sklansky tell us that "fit or fold" is "terrible advice."

Buy this book if you must (it's a light read that you can knock out in an afternoon), but know going into it that you're not even scratching the surface of what poker is all about.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Overall, a poor showing., March 15, 2005

By 

David Edmonson (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shuffle Up and Deal: The Ultimate No Limit Texas Hold 'em Guide (World Poker Tour) (Paperback)

If this book were a pocket hand, it would be a 9-6 unsuited - not the worst, but far, far from the best.

If you take one thing from this book, it'll be the fact that the World Poker Tour (WPT) is on the Travel Channel every Wednesday night. Why? Because Sexton, one of the hosts of WPT, never ceases to remind the reader of this fact - to the point of it being annoying. While the book provides a decent overview of strategies for No Limit play, he covers key factors such as calculating the odds and pot-odds in as few as 2 1/2 pages. In all, that's what's frustrating - the book barely scratches the surface. It hints at other information that might prove helpful in No Limit, then tries to explain it away in 2 paragraphs.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good beginning book and look at WPT., March 15, 2005

By 

poker guru "aces full" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shuffle Up and Deal: The Ultimate No Limit Texas Hold 'em Guide (World Poker Tour) (Paperback)

This book gives all the fundamentals of poker and an inside look at what many pros do with certain hands. Sexton re-lives hands at tournaments from all over the world and gives good insight into decisions made during play. A nice book to start, with NO advanced principles, but well written and organized. Also, one chapter on online poker tournaments. You get a DVD to boot, good entertainment if you don't mind Lou Diamond Phillips.