Strategy in Poker, Business & War [Paperback]

John McDonald (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 17, 1996

Whether your primary interest is to improve your card game or put together a political coalition, here you will be enjoyably instructed in an approach to strategy that has caught the imagination of a generation of readers.

John McDonald looks at the elusive thread of opposition and conflict that runs through human interrelationships, from the striking of a bargain to the clash of war. He discusses poker; game theory, as it applies to games but mainly to business; the strategies of buyers and sellers; and finally military and other applications.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A classic introduction [to game theory] for the general reader. (Rob Norton - Fortune )

Remarkably fine. (John Kenneth Galbraith )

About the Author

John McDonald lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (July 17, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039331457X
• ISBN-13: 978-0393314571
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #830,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting topic but doesn't add value, June 22, 2001

By 

L (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strategy in Poker, Business & War (Paperback)

The article McDonald wrote was well written in Fortune magazine but unfortunately is not much more informative in the 100+ page book that follows. McDonald attempts to connect phenomena (games, economics, business, & war) to concepts in which he feels cross between disciplines. However, the writing style of his book swtiches back and forth between making assertions and stating examples that are so broad that at some point becomes unrelated to the whole point of the book. One example even tries to describe the chemistry of ideal gases and how it's related to pure competition! I was expecting that the book would dive into deeper aspects of how poker was related to investing as he described in the article but mainly talks about concepts already written in standard college textbooks. I suspect that McDonald tried to rush his writing of the book and grabbed straws to fill out the pages. My recommendation is to read the article and not the book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Original View of the Felt., July 29, 2005

By 

Bernard Chapin "Ora Et Labora!" (CHICAGO! USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Strategy in Poker, Business & War (Paperback)

The first thing that potential readers will probably want to know about this book is that it was actually written in 1950, but re-released in 1996. It definitely is dated as Hold'Em, the game most of us play, was not even a twinkle in a Texan's eye at the time it came out. Strategy is not a "how to" manual. It is philosophical in nature. In fact, some of the technical things he explains do not jive with our current perception of how poker should be played. He recommends playing conservative in a conservative game and loose in a loose game; although, every expert I've read says the opposite.

Other than its fifties feel (he talks about bridge quite a bit), it is an intriguing little book with some excellent ideas. The main subject is strategy, and how people arrive at the decisions they do. McDonald gives an overview of game theory which is perfect for those unfamiliar with it. We learn about "minimax" and the way in which games are played in general. Then game theory is examined in relation to poker, business, and the military. Concerning poker itself, America's new obsession is analyzed in the first 60 or so pages. The author clearly has some new things to say, and this is surprising considering that Strategy was written over half a century ago.

As a narrator, McDonald can be profound. The idea that gambling and capitalism are reflective of man's true nature is intriguing. Undoubtedly, such a belief is correct as it is the promise of fortune that creates societal innovation, enrichment, and millions of people spending dollars (that they don't have) on everything from The Lotto to poker. Another great point Thompson makes is that it is female curiosity undermines their capacity to excel in poker because curiosity about what your opponent holds can be deadly (for an example of female curiosity, think of Annie Duke illegally grabbing Johnny Chan's mucked cards last year in the WSOP). I liked the notion that poker embodies all the traits civilization discourages, and then the counter-notion that when we make use of these deceptive traits at the table it decreases our need to do so during life on the whole.

Strategy has much to offer, but I would not pay full price for it. It's no more than 100 pages of text, so you should check out the z shop price first. I got mine for about $2.00.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Strategy, good, but kind of unsatisfying, May 16, 2004

By 

Timothy Burger "timothyburger" (Lawrence, Kansas United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Strategy in Poker, Business & War (Paperback)

Okay, over all I like this book. I don't know exactly what I thought this book would provide. I think I was looking for a little more game theory than what this provided me. It is short, and pretty good, so I would have to say it is worth your time.