Customer Reviews

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

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I am a huge fan of Mike Sexton and the World Poker Tour. Using the WPT name, this book was destined to be a huge seller. The exposure of WPT and the perception of many WPT fans that Mike Sexton is a poker genius leaves us with Shuffle up and Deal.
With the great opportunity to really have a great book in the hands of new players and poker enthusiasts, this book seems more like a rush to the shelf to make a quick buck type of product.
There are chapters on past WPT champions and discussions on the basics of poker. I thought this book could have truly been awsome, but it is just a fluff book with some basic hold'em information. For the price, you can get cheaper books and get a lot more information. Phil Hellmuth's new Texas Hold'em softcover book is under $5 and it covers NL and Limit hold'em decently, not that I was overly impressed, but for the price, it was well worth the insights of a champion player.
Beware of all of the poker books coming out and those already out. Anyone who has made a name in poker is writing one and poker players are not traditionally great writers or teachers.
Overall, Mike Sexton's effort here is good. I am not sure you will get better at poker from it, but as a WPT fan, I enjoyed it. Not sure it can be categorized as a classic poker strategy guide or necessary addition to your poker library, but if you like WPT and have a few bucks to spare, there is a few cool things written. If your looking to improve your game and get better, David Sklanksy (tough to read, best info), Tom McEvoy (smart and good writer) and TJ Cloutier(top-notch writer and player) all have informative books to make you a stronger player.

This is a good book, mainly for people above the raw beginner level, but still below the intermediate level. A lot of good observations about the differences between tournament poker and ring games. Probably a little "over the head" of raw beginners.

If you don't know the rules and are interested in poker, this book is for you. Even if you are experienced, it is a fun read. Just don't expect to learn anything new.

The extra dvd is very well put together and great for someone just starting out.

If you really want to learn poker though, pick one of the many other books considered "must-reads"

If you are a poker player, then this is a good book to read. It has everything you need to become successful. If the book doesn't do it for you, then there is a DVD that could really help your game.

How did they take something rarely televised and make it have more viewers than most basketball games? This book talks about the business plan, the financing, getting casinos to grant them exclusive rights to TV poker, how they mention the casino at least twice in each show, how they use the 16 cameras and graphics to make you feel like you are a player at the table. I loved learning that sometime they redo the commentary 3 times to make the show more exciting. There are bios of some of the early WPT veterans. There are inside stories about playing home games with stars in Hollywood. Did you know that Mike Sexton was able to be a pro poker player playing in cash games six nights a week in North Carolina? I always thought that poker pros had to be near a casino. I feel that these stories are worth the price of the book. This book is a good intro book for beginners, but more experienced players will not learn any poker strategies. However, you should consider reading this book for the stories and for the insights into starting an international sporting organization from scratch.

Mike Sexton's new book is great for two reasons. First of all, it is one of the few books that focuses on tournament poker and gives some great advice on how to play in tournaments as opposed to just cash games. Second of all, unlike so many poker books, it is actually a joy to read and includes some great stories and information not found in many of the other poker books out there. I would recommend this book if you actually play poker or just enjoy watching the WPT.

Sexton does a great job of explaining the ins and outs of Texas Hold em and also the finer points of poker in general. The guide to online gambling in the back of the book is awesome and informative. Definitely recommend!