Why You Lose at Poker [Paperback]

Russell Fox (Author), Scott T. Harker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2006

Why do you lose at poker?

Before you answer that question, think about this. There is no magic key that unlocks the door to poker. You might be able to pinpoint a leak or two in your game, but you may be surprised to find that there are many more lurking under the surface.

This book shows you the sixteen most common errors in poker, and how to avoid them. You will learn the keys to finding the leaks in your game and plugging them for good.

Stepping away from the table and watching others play incorrectly is the best path to understanding your own mistakes. You’ll learn why these errors are so bad, and why they cost you money over and over. Recognizing these errors in your own game can be painful, but the rewards of revealing them are well worth it.

If you’re ready to admit that you’d like to lose less and win more, then you need this book!

"Of all the guys in poker you've never heard of, Russ and Scott are two of the smartest. They are long-time winning poker players, and have done a great job of putting that knowledge into this book to help you become a better player. I believe this book will help make anybody who is willing to work at his game into a winning player."

--Greg Raymer, Champion, 2004 World Series of Poker

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Conjelco; 1 edition (May 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886070261
• ISBN-13: 978-1886070264
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #978,532 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I'd look elsewhere for a poker book., February 5, 2007

By 

Thomas (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why You Lose at Poker (Paperback)

This is a very mediocre book. Okay for very weak players, but if you already know the basics and are looking for a book to help plug leaks in your game, this isn't it. The authors say that playing too many hands, cold calling raises when you should fold, and chasing draws are common problems. It also points out that you should try to maximize your wins and minimize your losses. If you need this kind of advice, get this book. I still had some hope of learning something in the final chapter which discusses 20 "real" hands. Unfortunately, it is awful. Many of the plays discussed are just silly, like re-raising an early raiser with 10-7 suited or calling 3 pre-flop raises with J-8 suited. And all the discussions are at a very superficial level. I'd look elsewhere.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You can only get better by reading this book, January 7, 2007

By 

E. A. Bujak "bbujak" (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Why You Lose at Poker (Paperback)

I have read dozens of books on Poker and none have revealed to me why I truly did not make it to the final table week after week.
I was not a particularly bad player and could consistantly hold my own, but I realized through this book many of the STUPID things I did on a regular basis - particularly when trying so hard to follow the advice of so many other authors.
I read this book about 5 months ago and have changed my rankings in a weekly poker league from the mid 20's to top 10 and regularly make the final table by following the simple advice given.
This book does a really good job of making you look at your own style of play and evaluating it better than anything else I have read.
I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone - unless you are going to be playing against me - in that case it sucks and you should not buy it!

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A timely and useful book, November 16, 2006

By 

L. Starkand "Dilletante" (NYC) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Why You Lose at Poker (Paperback)

Looking at the title of the book, I felt the same way that I did the first time I saw a For Dummies book on a topic in my field. Having said that, I would classify this as exactly that. A for dummies book for EXPERIENCED players.

If you are ready to get serious about your poker and become a winning player, I highly recommend this book. I can not count the number of times where I saw an obvious chapter title like, you play too many hands or you need to play position and would nod, yeah yeah. I would then get to the chapter and still be nodding my head, and then BAM - my jaw would drop open as they recounted a session that fit me to a T. Not just once, but over and over again. This book has helped me analyze my play and indentify some big holes I had thought I had overcome long before.

In todays internet poker age, there are a lot of decent ABC poker players as well as a lot of wild poker maniacs. This book goes a long way towards helping you analyze your own poker style as well as understand others on a much deeper level. I can not recommend it enough.