Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.

Quantity:

More Buying Choices

44 used & new from $5.89

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Tell the Publisher! I�d like to read this book on Kindle Don�t have a Kindle? Get yours here.

Poker Essays (Paperback)

by Mason Malmuth (Author) "When I first began to play poker, I believed it would be easy..." (more)
Key Phrases: weak tight players, many bad players, required bankroll, Las Vegas, David Sklansky, Poker For Advanced Players (more...)

4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

List Price:	$24.95
Price:	$18.21 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save:	$6.74 (27%)
	Special Offers Available

In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 5 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Wednesday, July 15? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

17 new from $14.95 27 used from $5.89

Also Available in:	List Price:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Unknown Binding (1st)			Order it used!

Special Offers and Product Promotions

Purchase this entertainment book and get 12 issues to either Rolling Stone, Men's Journal or Us Weekly for $2.95 each. That's less than $0.25 an issue. Here's how (restrictions apply)

Frequently Bought Together

Price For All Three: $55.38

Show availability and shipping details

This item: Poker Essays by Mason Malmuth
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Poker Essays, Volume II by Mason Malmuth
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Poker Essays, Volume III by Mason Malmuth
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Poker Essays, Volume III

by Mason Malmuth

5.0 out of 5 stars (2) $18.96

Inside the Poker Mind: Essays on Hold 'em and General Poker Concepts

by John Feeney

4.3 out of 5 stars (19) $16.47

Every Hand Revealed

by Gus Hansen

4.5 out of 5 stars (93) $10.85

Harrington on Cash Games, Volume II: How to Play No-Limit Hold 'em Cash Games

by Dan Harrington

4.3 out of 5 stars (22) $23.07

The Theory of Poker

by David Sklansky

4.5 out of 5 stars (115) $19.77

› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
There's more to poker than the obvious matters of odds and bluffing, as poker master Mason Malmuth--himself a professional mathematician--discovered long ago. Now Malmuth shares his insights and expertise in a collection of bite-sized essays on every aspect of the game in its various forms. This is no book for beginners. It assumes you already have a firm grounding in poker. However, good players who want to become great players will find this an invaluable source of profitable wisdom covering general concepts, technical matters, structure of play, strategy, psychology of image, tournament play, and card room matters.

Product Description
Poker is an extremely complicated game. This is especially true if your form of poker is either Texas Hold'em or Seven Card Stud. In addition, the typical opponent that you will face has gotten tougher as the years have gone by. As a result, those of you who just play tight (also known as playing ABC) are unable to win more than just a small amount at the lower limits. As a result, to win at poker in today's modern game requires not only numerous skills, but also a lot of thinking about the game.

This text contains many of the author's current ideas on poker and related subjects. Topics covered include General Concepts, Technical Ideas, Structure, Strategic Ideas, Image, Tournament Notes, In the Cardrooms, and Poker Quizzes. In addition, advice is offered on jackpot games, handling pressure, why you lose, fluctuations, bankroll requirements, differences between stud and hold'em, too many bad players, limit versus no-limit, thinking fast, weak tight opponents, the best hold'em seat, playing short handed, playing loose or tight, appropriate image, being an alternate in tournaments, taking advantage of tight play in tournaments, behaving professionally, the future of poker, and much more.

The book is designed to make the reader do a great deal of thinking about the game. In fact, very few readers will agree with everything the text offers, but the information provided should help most people become better players.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Paperback: 262 pages
Publisher: Two Plus Two Pub.; 2 edition (November 1, 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1880685094
ISBN-13: 978-1880685099
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #466,937 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
"When I first began to play poker, I believed it would be easy." Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
weak tight players, many bad players, required bankroll, high win rate, chips change value, major cardrooms, rebuy period, most cardrooms, poker literature, bankroll requirements, jackpot games, scare cards, multiway pot, ante structure, marginal hands, implied odds, significant winner, poker world, suited cards, poker books, suited connectors, small bankroll, terrible players, poker tournaments, small tournaments

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Las Vegas, David Sklansky, Poker For Advanced Players, General Concepts, Good Great, Bicycle Club, Common Seven-Card Stud Errors, Los Angeles, World Series of Poker, Ray Zee, Cajun Cup

New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 23 books:

The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky on 5 pages
Seven-Card Stud for Advanced Players (Advance Player) by David Sklansky on 4 pages
Gambling Theory and Other Topics by Mason Malmuth on 4 pages
Getting the Best of It by David Sklansky in Front Matter, page 81, and Back Matter
The Psychology of Poker by Alan N. Schoonmaker in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)

See all 23 books this book cites

41 books cite this book:

Inside the Poker Mind: Essays on Hold 'em and General Poker Concepts by John Feeney on 8 pages
How to Make $100,000 a Year Gambling for a Living by David Sklansky on 5 pages
The Psychology of Poker by Alan N. Schoonmaker on 4 pages
Poker on the Internet, 2nd by Andrew Kinsman on page 31, page 77, and Back Matter
Gambling Theory and Other Topics by Mason Malmuth in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)

See all 41 books citing this book

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1 by Dan Harrington

Discusses:

Doyle Brunson's Super System by Doyle Brunson

Discusses:

Hold'Em Poker for Advanced Players by David Sklansky

Discusses:

Tournament Poker for Advanced Players by David Sklansky

Discusses:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	50% buy the item featured on this page: Poker Essays 4.1 out of 5 stars (7) $18.21
	19% buy Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 2: Endgame 4.9 out of 5 stars (84) $19.77
	11% buy Harrington on Hold 'em: Expert Strategies for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. III--The Workbook (Harrington on Hold'em) 4.6 out of 5 stars (59) $19.77
	10% buy Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Play 4.9 out of 5 stars (241) $19.77

Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

poker(5)

See all 2 tags...

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Relevant, direct and useful, October 14, 2000

By	Chris Constantine (Dalton, PA USA) - See all my reviews

Mason Malmuth in Poker Essays I and Poker Essays II provides the most direct and relevant general information on playing poker. Having played casino poker for a decade and having read and reread most of the poker literature I feel that Malmuth provides the most credible material. The information in both of these books is general, covering all aspects of poker. If you are interested in the world of poker then these books should be part of your global reference. (These books are a reedited collection of magazine columns.)

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still very much worth reading, October 9, 2006

By	Dennis Littrell (SoCal) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME) (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This is the first collection of Malmuth's essays, most of which were originally written for Card Player Magazine beginning in the eighties, and rewritten or at least touched up for this book which originally came out in 1996. For the professional poker player they are something close to a must read because of the range of Malmuth's interests and because of his thoroughly professional approach.

Malmuth does not pretend to be a world class player and most of his experience comes from middle level cash games prior to the rise of the tournament phenomenon. But make no mistake about it, Malmuth knows poker. Not only is he the author of perhaps a dozen books on the subject, but he is well known and respected among professionals. Typically he played $20-$40 Hold'em and Seven Card Stud games in Las Vegas for many years and perhaps still does. I must have played with him some time before that in the Gardena clubs, but I don't recall meeting him. I have talked to regulars who have played with him, and they allow that he is a good, if unspectacular player who will definitely be a drain on your win rate.

The essays here concern some topics that are no longer of anything but historical interest, such as lowball and draw poker, spread limits, the old jackpot games in the Los Angeles area, and in general the atmosphere and conditions that prevailed in California and Las Vegas ten to twenty years ago. However, most of the book is still surprisingly relevant and even topical. Malmuth spends some serious ink on delineating the differences between seven card stud and hold'em, which skills are better applied to which game, and which game is juicier and why. He also enters the debate about which game--limit hold'em or no limit hold'em-requires more skill to play well. He supports the minority opinion that it is limit hold'em and he makes some very good arguments for that somewhat surprising opinion. Personally I think it's clear the limit hold'em requires more technical skill and knowledge, but no limit requires more hand- and player-reading skills, and more "gut."

What sets Malmuth apart from almost all other poker writers is his willingness to write about the nuts and bolts of the poker world. He opines on cardroom management, on which games should be spread and why, on tipping the dealer, on cardroom behavior, and he loves to dispel and refute poker myths and misinformation. He likes to quote (anonymously of course) from would-be poker authorities and tell you why he thinks they're wrong. But, like David Sklansky, Malmuth especially likes to write about poker strategy.

Some of the best essays in the book include:

"Common Seven Card Stud Errors." He gives 23, and I have to say I agree with all of them, although a few are fairly trivial like "Checking blind on the end when you have an obvious flush draw"--few good players would do that except as a play.

"Differences between Stud and Hold'em." He gives eleven differences including #6, "It is often correct to chase in stud."

"The Effect of a Maniac," which gives some nice ideas on how having a wild player in your game might effect it, e.g., maniacs in the game make the game harder to play, although they should increase your expectation (and your variance!).

"What You Can Make Playing Poker." Of course this is dated and does not apply to either tournaments or the Internet, and is clearly approximate. Still it is good for comparisons, such as the fact that Malmuth thinks that the good $10/$20 stud player, for example, can expect to make about the same as the good $10/$20 hold'em player.

"Bankroll requirements." There are actually several essays on this subject. I think Malmuth effectively nails it and probably gives the average reader more information and rationale than desired, but for the professional, this is probably the definitive word.

Also good are the essays on short-handed play and whether to play tight or loose and when.

There are some curiosities. The essay, "Are Poker Tournaments Dying?" did not predict the tournament boom fueled by television "lipstick" cameras and the Internet; and of course Malmuth is hardly to be criticized for not predicting something so surprising.

As in his (and Sklanky's) other books there are quizzes pertaining to good and bad play. The four here are selected from hands Malmuth actually played. As usual with such quizzes, opinions can differ. In particular, concerning the first hand, I think his opponent could have had, according to the way the hand developed, A7o or 85s or even pocket nines (to name three hands that would make Malmuth's conclusion that he should raise the river bet with his three sevens faulty). In fact, this hand is the sort that defies an entirely correct analysis. The fact that (apparently) his opponent did have A9 and was beaten, is only a sampling of one in the universe of possible situations fitting the facts as Malmuth relates them. I would have just called since the combined probability that the wild man was bluffing or had a better hand was greater than his having a hand that I could beat that he would actually call my raise with.

Malmuth is one of the intellectuals of poker, the kind of guy who would also fit in perfectly as an officer in a Poker Player's Association (note his essay, "Suggestions for Professional Players": don't slow-roll, don't lecture opponents, don't throw your cards at the dealer, etc.). He is intelligent, rational, and very much the middle level professional.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book about poker and LIFE!, December 2, 2004

By	Real Poker Advice - See all my reviews

Poker Essays is a great collection of articles on life and poker. If you're looking to play for any serious amount of money, part-time income, or full-time playing like myself, this is great reading.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 7 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars You have to be kidding
This is a book that reflects the power of self-promotion.

As the author will (and repeatedly does) tell you, he is considered an expert on poker. Read more

Published 20 months ago by atakdoug

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic in the poker literature
Also see my longer review of volume III in this series.

This book is a collection of essays from Malmuth's columns in poker magazines, including the excellent Card Player. Read more

Published on September 19, 2003 by M. Grapenthien

3.0 out of 5 stars Just okay
I wasn't thrilled with this book. I know it's a compilation of articles published individually, but they didn't hold together well as a whole. Read more

Published on October 13, 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars Thumbs up
It was a great book and contained much informational essays.

Published on May 9, 2000

› See all 7 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; }

Customer Discussions

Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (0 discussions)

	Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
	No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight

Start a new discussion

Topic:

First post:

Receive e-mail when new posts are made

Prompts for sign-in

[Cancel]

Guidelines

The Poker community

Latest activity 3 days ago

1,104 customers have contributed 742 products, 10 discussions and more...

› Explore the community

Explore more

› See all Customer Communities

› Your communities

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

Listmania!

Great poker books: A list by Daniel J. Rosteck
"Top books to become a better poker player": A list by Ryan "Ryan S"
Amazon's Reviewers Choice Poker Books. Know when to hold'em.: A list by Mike Martin

Create a Listmania! list

So You'd Like to...

become a poker player: A guide by Santosh Joseph "?"
Make Money Playing Texas Hold 'Em: A guide by Card Player "Never Bluffs"
Beat Hellmuth? Be Moneymaker? I can help you with that....: A guide by Justin

Create a guide

Look for Similar Items by Category

Books > Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Card Games > Poker

Great Deals on Magazines

Visit our huge selection of magazine subscriptions often to see the latest special offers and bonuses. Check out magazines like The New Yorker, Wired, and Vanity Fair.