The Tao Of Poker: 285 Rules to Transform Your Game and Your Life [Paperback]

Larry W. Phillips (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2003

In this groundbreaking book, poker pro Larry W. Phillips reveals his secrets of poker mastery, and shows how they also apply to being a winner away from the gaming tables.

The author offers his unique "poker rules" and demonstrates how they can lead to successful poker play. Blending poker smarts with the wisdom of the Orient, the author proposes:

-- Don't dig yourself a hole when you first sit down.

-- Take the long view.

-- Navigate around obstacles.

-- If playing poker is thrilling, adventurous, and exciting, there's a good chance you may be playing it wrong.

-- Poker is like driving -- you have to merge with the flow.

Seamlessly lending the best game-playing techniques with ancient, powerful philosophies of Buddhism, The Tao of Poker offers card players new strategies to achieve success at home, at work, or anywhere else the stakes are high.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Larry Phillips is a professional - and successful - poker player, writer and journalist. He is author of five books, including the acclaimed Zen and the Art of Poker. He is a regular contributor to magazines, inc. Poker Digest.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Adams Media; First edition (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580628370
• ISBN-13: 978-1580628372
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Card Games > Poker
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Card Games > General
  • #69 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Poker

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for those who tilt easily, March 3, 2004

By 

Steven Weis (Marlboro, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tao Of Poker: 285 Rules to Transform Your Game and Your Life (Paperback)

I have read over a dozen books on poker which include those written by Sklansky, Ciaffone, Hellmuth, and Mike Caro, yet I found this book to be the best one in dealing with my emotional turmoil in the game of poker. If you want to read a book that deals with the finer skills of poker then I highly recommend one of Sklansky's books or Middle Limit Poker by Bob Ciaffone is excellent as well.

If you are an emotional player, one who doesn't take bad beats that easily and one who will go "on tilt" quite often then I HIGHLY recommend this book because it will teach you to control your emotions and to look at the game in a different light. Since reading this book my game has improved because my discipline and patience is at all new level to compliment my skills.

Overall, the book is an easy read(slightly longwinded), but should be reread if you feel that you are regressing back to your old ways. Hope this helps.

Good luck and skill.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read on Poker theory- applicable to life, February 17, 2004

By 

"optiontradingcoach" (Arlington, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tao Of Poker: 285 Rules to Transform Your Game and Your Life (Paperback)

I first heard of this book because it was quoted several times in an option trading book I was reading. The quotes focused on relating the skills of patience and game management to trading and they were very relevant and I thought quite insightful. Since I am also a big fan of poker I decided to purchase the book and read more. I was very pleased with my purchase.

The book discusses the philosophy and approach to bluffing, reading your opponents, managing your game, having discipline, managing your chips, playing your good and badhands, dealing with losing, how to develop strategies, etc... and I really enjoyed it. Although I play a lot of poker, the book pointed out so many wonderful ideas and philosophical appraoches I never thought of, it made me appreciate the game on a whole new level.

The rules are broken into different chapters and categories which are easy to follow. Although the rules become repetitive at times, it is better for reinforcement. Some interesting tidbits from the book include:

- ways to read your opponents and also disguise your own reactions
- the science and philosophy of bluffing
- how to play against experienced and bad players
- the art of patience
- learning when to fold and not play a hand
- how to better manage your chips so you do not end up giving all your winnings back to the pot
- dealing with fatigue or tiredness

This is not a specific strategy pick that says play this when your cards are that. It is the philosophy of the game. Once you learn the rules, it is time to learn the theory and this book is a great guide. I highly recommend that any poker player read this book in order to improve their skills in playing. The author says that poker is 90% luck and 10% skill and therefore you need to work on the 10% to distinguish yourself. The goal is not to teach you how to become rich playing poker. The author is very clear that this is not a how to make money book. It preaches enjoyment of the game. If you have the patience to adhere to the rules then over the long haul you cna make some money if you play in regular high stakes games but no promises are made here. Just a thoughtful treatise on strategy and ideals.

The book's information is also very transferable to other aspectsin life. The skills and mindset needed for succeeding in poker are no different than those needed to succeed in life Therefore, if you love poker but also like learning about yourself and ways to improve yourself, you get both with this book. I can apply a lot of the rules to my trading and therefore find the information universal.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deceptively Strong., January 22, 2006

By 

Bernard Chapin "Ora Et Labora!" (CHICAGO! USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tao Of Poker: 285 Rules to Transform Your Game and Your Life (Paperback)

I was vaguely aware of Larry Phillips and his "Tao" and "Zen" of poker before I decided to purchase them both a couple of weeks ago. As the reader probably knows, Steve Dannenman was carrying Tao around with him during the World Series this year. I will admit that this one isn't going to allow you to finish second out of a crowd of 5,000, but it is chock full of common sense which is exactly what one wants from an instructional guide. Phillips is no cardroom flunky, he is an erudite student who knows a little bit about everything; a renaissance man offering intimate insight on poker and human nature. I must say that several of the rules he offers are not consistent with conventional wisdom, but I agree with Phillips over the others. The notion that hot and cold streaks are the imagination of the individual player is often accepted, but Tao convincingly argues otherwise. Bad luck can last a few weeks no matter how many times you switch seats or tables. An example of his valuable perspective is evident in Rule 166 or the 75% rule. All he recommends here is that you book a win once you give back 25% of it. Those words are very wise and very accurate as greed is the death of every entrepreneur (which is the most charitable way of describing those of us joined at the felt to this glorious game). Phillips is a firm believer that emotions and the mental state of the player are a key variable in terms of who comes out a winner or a loser. Just about everything here is quietly valuable. Few of the things he says will make you exclaim "Wow!" but nearly all of them will make you a sounder player.