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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Book Review for WSOP, May 27, 2005
This review is from: Winning Secrets of Online Poker (Paperback)
This book has all the good qualities of a beginning poker book and then goes farther, introducing the reader to ways of analyzing their game never covered before, as far as I've seen.
The authors begin with a quick primer on the history and legality of online poker and then move on to the basics of how to set up an online account and get money into it so you can play away. (Go to a place like rec.gambling.poker for more in-depth discussions on how the rewards programs work.) After that, they go into a lot of detail about the games themselves, which makes this book not only an internet poker book but also a general poker book. A very strong point is that they talk about several different games: Hold `Em, Stud, Stud Hi-Lo, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo and Pineapple (a little). So many books concentrate on only one game. They get into the statistics a lot, noting that their statistical analyses showed you'll win a certain percentage of the money when you're in a given situation. They also go through the different ways the hands can win or lose depending on how the cards fall the rest of the way. In Omaha Hi-Lo, for example, they'll give you three a scenario in which three different hands are competing for the money. They describe how the best highs and lows can be made and how the situations change on the flop and the turn. Rest assured, though, they do cover Hold `Em extensively! This book does NOT cover pot-limit and no-limit poker, though.
The analysis section talks about how to use Excel and the Wilson Software packages to analyze your play. If you're serious about improving your game or are curious about how big a favorite or an underdog you are in a given situation or if you want to be able to play poker for free after buying the packages this seems like a good idea (I've never used the Wilson Software, I have to admit). But it would be interesting to see how a simulation would come out and by using something as simple as the chart wizard in Excel to cast an objective and unblinking eye on how well I play at certain times.
This book is really good and should be part of your poker library!
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Useful for Novices., August 21, 2005
This review is from: Winning Secrets of Online Poker (Paperback)
Perhaps a better title for this book would be, "A Thorough Introduction to Online Poker," as it excels in instructing readers about the basics of the game, but does not reveal many unknown secrets. It was published with neophytes in mind. Some of the topics, such as when the authors thoroughly discuss the legalities of online poker, are quite valuable; particularly when they quote from the federal court case illustrating the vagueness of the law in regards to contests. Further, there is a unique emphasis on the technological aspects of poker which is evident from the three chapters devoted to poker spreadsheets and software. The best of these programs are the ones which fit over the poker website like a template and record information automatically. The worst of them are the ones that make you record, with individual keystrokes, the results of your hands. It takes unusual dedication for the average player to do this, but I can see how it would immediately improve one's game.
Overall, with its stylish presentation and excellent organization, the manual is excellent for beginners, but I can't say that it offers much for those of us with a great deal of experience. Again, with few "secrets" shared, the title is rather misleading.
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1.0 out of 5 stars
Pass if you have options, April 18, 2008
This review is from: Winning Secrets of Online Poker (Paperback)
If you've played more than a few thousand hands this book is worthless. The title is deceiving, it doesn't really give you any winning secrets as much as it tells you the ABSOLUTE basics of how to play and navigate online poker. There are also a lot of errors in the examples, which is terrible considering it was co-authored and I'm sure proof read. I would definitely recommend a different book for any level player, even free online articles are better than this. DON'T BUY IT!
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