Sklansky on Poker (Paperback)

by David Sklansky (Author) "Poker is a game of skill..." (more)
Key Phrases: three good cards, initial limper, many low cards, The Theory of Poker, Las Vegas, Fundamental Theorem of Poker (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Sklansky on Poker combines Essays on Poker and Sklansky on Razz with new material plus a special section on tournament play. Many of the ideas in the essays section are not as sophisticated as some of the others that Sklansky has put into print, but they are still absolutely essential to winning play. This section contains chapters discussing such concepts as having a plan, choosing your game, playing according to your bankroll, the three levels of expert poker, middle-round strategy, what your opponent reads you for, the protected pot, saving the last bet, extra outs, how to play a tournament, and many others.

The razz section of the book will show you how the experts play this form of poker. Even if you never play razz, you should still read this text if you are serious about poker. This is because many concepts which are important to all forms of poker are most easily illustrated by this game.

About the Author
David Sklansky is generally considered the number one authority on gambling in the world today. Besides his ten books on the subject, David also has produced two videos and numerous writings for various gaming publications. His occasional poker seminars always receive an enthusiastic reception, including those given at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City and the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

More recently, David has been doing consulting work for casinos, Internet gaming sites, and gaming device companies. He has recently invented several games, soon to appear in casinos.

David attributes his standing in the gambling community to three things:

1. The fact that he presents his ideas as simply as possible (sometimes with Mason Malmuth) even though these ideas frequently involve concepts that are deep, subtle, and not to be found elsewhere.

2. The fact that the things he says and writes can be counted on to be accurate.

3. The fact that to this day a large portion of his income is still derived from gambling (usually poker, but occasionally blackjack, sports betting, horses, video games, casino promotions, or casino tournaments).

Thus, those who depend on David’s advice know that he still depends on it himself.

Product Details

• Paperback: 215 pages
• Publisher: Two Plus Two Pub.; 2nd edition (1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188068506X
• ISBN-13: 978-1880685068
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #65,499 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Buy This for the Razz Section Only, January 4, 2008

By	Venice10 - See all my reviews

The only purpose of buying this is for the razz section. If you have read a number of other Sklansky books, a good portion of the advice given on poker in general you have seen before.

There is extremely little published about razz that is available. This book, by far, is the most complete, even though the basic text is only about 60 pages after you subtract the problems and Q&A section. The discussion is more detailed and specific than what you'll read in the Michael Craig's FTP book interview with Ted Forrest and Huck Seed. It gives instruction on why and when to raise instead of call, as well as whether you should bet or check on each street.

Even so, there are a number of things to would improve this text. More statistics on the chances of making a hand under certain conditions would help re-enforce the unsupported advice. For example, it would be helpful to players to understand that if they start with a three cards 8 or below, there's less than 50% chance of making their hand even when the cards are moderately favorable. The reason you look to muck on third street with three cards 8 or below if a lot of the cards you need are exposed is that this completion rate can drop to under 40% to make your hand. That puts you at a significant disadvantage to players whose cards are live.

Information could be given on how to read hands. Yes, it is easier than in other games, but knowing the % chance of someone showing four cards 7 or below actually having a 7 high hand on sixth street is of value. A number of beginning players are unaware that the third highest card showing tells all of the other players what the best hand they could possibily have.

While razz isn't the most difficult game to play, I believe that a full volume could be written. An good text would encourage more people to try it. With the increasing popularity of HORSE, many more people are looking to improve their razz game and would be delighted to have a more detailed source of information.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative book, February 27, 2008

By	True Grinder - See all my reviews

The previous reviewer, Venice10, is right on target with a couple of statements. It IS surprising that there aren't some tables in the book which compare razz hands, according to the cards that are dead. Considering how math-based Sklansky's work is, it's strange that there aren't at least a couple of appendices at the end of the book for the more studious players. Still, this book is enough in itself to make you a winning razz player. In H.O.R.S.E. tournaments, this is a big advantage because you can pick up chips during the razz portion of the tournament from the clueless players. I like the Questions and Answers format, because it makes it easy for me to flashcard each concept and study it before bedtime every night. Like Venice10, I would like to see more good information on razz, but I don't think that'll happen since it's the Hold'em books that sell. Maybe it's best this way. One thing is for sure: if you understand the concepts in the book, you will make money at razz. The variance isn't too bad in this game, if you choose low-ante cash games. Today, there are a number of those to choose from online. As for razz tournaments, solid play will get you the money in the end. Sklansky's books will keep you from bleeding off money, unlike those players who don't read up on razz. And that's about 95% of them, I think.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Razz Poker, December 31, 2008

By	Lizzy J Borden "Lizzy" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

I bought this book strictly for the Razz section of the book. I wasn't disappointed. Before the book I only had a vague inkling of how to play the game. After reading the section I feel like I have made a vast improvement and cut a few years of the learning curve. I still have a long way to go, but at least I have a solid foundation to stand on now. From here on out it just learning the nuances of the game and playing a few thousand hands to really get a feel for the game.

I would like to play HORSE events in the future, and this is my first step.