Reviews (26)

Question
All the poker pros write books, they don't read them.Play poker, develop your own style.

Great Book, w/room for minor improvements.
I own the previous 2 Harrington Volumes along with this and had read and enjoyed them thoroughly. Improved my game immensly.
Great Companion To Harrington I& II
Harrington on Hold 'em Volume III: The Workbook is a wonderful companion book to the 2 prior classics written by "Action" Dan.Providing 50 examples of real hands played by pros and online tournaments and sit n' gos, this book takes everything that you should have learned in the other 2 books and sees how well you have understood and applied the material that he has taught.The writing is just as smooth and easy to follow as in the precursor gems, quality being of the utmost concern.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Card Games - Poker    2. Gambling - General    3. Gambling - Table    4. Games    5. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    6. Games/Puzzles    7. Poker   

Reviews (26)

One of the best..
Will probably be heavy going for the beginner but for someone who has been playing a year or two and wants to take their game to the next level it is a must read.

Just OK
I guess I expected more from this book. It covers a lot of material others have covered, as well. The few items I found useful were reinforcements of my own experience. Lots of expected value calculations based on useless assumptions, particularly if you primarily play tournaments. Harrington's books were MUCH more useful.

A must-read for the no-limit player
This book is excellent. I should note that it is highly conceptual. Rather than offering "starting hand charts" or a detailed analysis of how to play different hands, it discusses the things a player should think about at a no-limit table. That being said, I do think the "Concepts" portion of the book offer an excellent bridge from the theory to the practical. As another reviewer wrote, some people may want to start with the Concepts portion and then later read the more theoretical portions of the book. It depends upon your own learning style. Of particular interest... the book again and again highlights the differences between limit vs. no-limit play. As an example, blind stealing is very important in limit play, but not as important in no limit when there are deep stacks still uncommitted. For anyone making a transistion from limit to no-limit, you absolutely must read this book to understand the subtle differences between the two games. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Card Games - Poker    2. Gambling - General    3. Gambling - Table    4. Games    5. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    6. Games/Puzzles    7. Poker   

Reviews (340)

Superb Read
This true story really takes you into the hair raising lifestyle of Vegas, and then propels you into the blackjack world and the realities of getting caught at counting cards.Hell of a read, makes me want to learn to count cards.

Novel-like
Bringing Down the House tells the story of Kevin Lewis and his teammates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who formed a team to win millions from Las Vegas by counting cards at blackjack.The story focuses on "Lewis" and chronicles how he is brought into the group and becomes entranced by the excitement and the money.
Bringing Down the House
When I read a half of the book, I can imagine the rest half.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Boston    4. Cardsharping    5. Gamblers    6. Gambling    7. Gambling - General    8. Gambling - Table    9. Games    10. Games/Puzzles    11. Indoor Games    12. Las Vegas    13. Massachusetts    14. Nevada    15. Other Miscellaneous Crimes    16. Personal Memoirs    17. Games / General   

Reviews (59)

Expert Advice for the Little Guys
Contrary to popular belief, most Hold'Em poker is not played for high stakes.In addition, most Hold'Em poker is not played in a tournament style.Indeed, quite a lot of Hold'Em poker is played for small stakes, such as $2-$4, $3-$6, and $4-$8--and this is exactly the type of poker for which this book provides expert advice.
The very best.
This is BY FAR the best book on limit hold 'em available. If you could only read one hold 'em poker book in your life then this truly would be all you need. Everything, and I mean everything is covered in this book. I can honestly say that this is the book that turned my game around and made me a winning player after I was badly mislead in my introduction to hold 'em by reading the IDIOCY of Phil Hellmuth. (Yeah, raise four or five players on a flop of AK9 with pocket sevens to "see where you're at").
My Favorite Book In My Collection So Far
I live not too far from Atlantic City.I was playing limit hold 'em online for quite awhile before I made the jump to playing live.If you want to not only survive playing the smaller stakes, but consistently win, you need to read and apply the information in this book.I have a friend who plays a much higher limit than me, and the strategies are NOT the same.This book targets the games where you have multiple people limping in to see the flop (6-8 people on average).Not a higher stakes game where most people will raise to come in, or fold.The same concepts work for loose passive games online also.Sklansky also covers what to do if things do tighten up a bit (4-6 on average to the flop).If you're starting at the smaller stakes games (as you should be), you should definitely read this book.Just stay away from my table afterwards lol. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Card Games - Poker    2. Gambling - General    3. Games    4. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    5. Games/Puzzles   

Reviews (11)

Great Book
Really comprehensive and precise, helped me a lot in my backgammon ( http://www.play65.com/index.html?did=13870&tag1=11 ) game. if you want to know a thing or two about the game - give this backgammon book a try!

Clear and comprehensive, with lots of positions
A great starting point for someone who wants to become a good Backgammon player.While the book is long, it doesn't drag, and the material is well presented.

Brilliant in its day but that day has passed
This book is amazingly clear and well written but several positions are wrong. As are 2 whole chapters. Get 'Backgammon Bootcamp' by Walter Trice for an excellent accurate book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Backgammon    2. Gambling - Table    3. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    4. Games/Puzzles    5. Performing arts   

Reviews (65)

Glitz and Glamour in Vegas.
If you can get past Barry Greensteins' peculiar writing style, then the depth of the fabulous life in Vegas will be yours.
Thin on poker
The book does have a few good examples and gives insight into thephilosophy and life of Mr. Greenstein.This gives nice insight into the world of professional poker.The book does not spend a lot of time on the specifics of thinking yourself through situations.

Insightful and articualate
I can't believe the reviews that pan this wonderful book. Barry gives us some hands to ponder the math and much much more. In addition on his website he includeds some information that was cut from the Book. I advise anyone who is seriously considering the life of a poker professional to read and take heed to this book. I found the book very informative about the world inside the ring. I think its a must read for anyone who has advanced beyond the level of maniac. There is no magic system, no holy grail and no greatest poker player. On any given day you could be the greatest player or a donk. Experienced players know the pot odds and the theory. This book provides good info and great advice. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Card Games - Poker    2. Gambling - Card Games    3. Gambling - General    4. Gambling - Table    5. Games    6. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    7. Games/Puzzles    8. General    9. Poker    10. Card games   

Reviews (5)

casino operations
Good overview of casino operations.It covers Indian gaming as well as Nevada and mentions where there are difference.I am the controller and I wish it had more accounting /finance.

Excelent operations overview
This book is a must read for everyone entering the casino business. It's a clear reference, and it shows derails some myths about gaming operations.

Great read
This books assumes you know nothing about Gaming Operations and goes from there, taking you on an in-depth exploration of the gaming industry, from it's beginnings through modern-day operations.This book was highly beneficial.I also read "The Gaming Industry: Introduction and Perspectives" from the UNLV International Gaming Institute, both of which I would strongly recommend.Well written and dives to the appropriate level of detail. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Casinos    5. Gambling - General    6. Industries - Hospitality, Travel & Tourism    7. Management    8. Business & Economics / Hospitality, Travel & Tourism    9. Gambling    10. Management & management techniques    11. Sport & leisure industries   

Reviews (4)

Everybody Respects Matthew.
At least all the players I know do. Matthew Hilger, as both a player and author, has been greatly admired since his very clear and excellently organized, Internet Texas Hold'em, came out in 2003. He also has a website that's very popular with a forum discussing all kinds of issues which arise in poker, gaming, and life. With this book on Odds and Probabilities, he has added to his stature as an advisor because he expands his focus by addressing limit hold'em, no limit hold'em cash games, and no limit hold'em tournaments. He actually fills in nicely for the (very few) areas King Yao does not cover in his book. Hilger's approach is ideal for beginners because he not only explains pot odds, implied pot odds, and effective implied pot odds, but also rudimentary concepts such as adding and multiplying fractions along with probability. These are the types of questions that many newbies swept into games by the poker popularity explosion may be too embarrassed to ask on their own. Hilger made a good decision by sticking with the same type of organization he had in his first book. Every idea is followed up with sections called Test Your Skills and Chapter Review. Most players, I have found, really improve by studying expert hand analysis which is something Hilger performs many times throughout these pages. Although for me, my favorite section was the one concerning probability of winning with particular hands. Overall, Odds and Probabilities was invaluable.

Finally I understand the math side of the game
I have been playing for a couple of years, managing small profits in NL cash games and sit-n-gos.I've read several books and understand the basics of pot odds and implied pot odds - but this book takes my understanding to a new level.In sit-n-gos, I found that i was folding way too often when short stacks went all-in.This book explains the process in analyzing these types of situations in detail.It also explains how to go about determining how much to bet to protect your hand - a concept which I really only applied by feel before reading this book.The title of the book makes it sound like you are in for a calculus class, but that is the opposite of what the book is about.Yes, you math guys will get plenty of explanations for how the calculations are done, but the real emphasis is on how odds affect strategy which is really all I was wanting.Finally, the charts rock!One chart showed the probability of a raiser holding a pocket pair which i didn't even know could be calculated.I see the light!excellent book!

Good as strategy book, poor on math
I gave it 2 out of 5 because the math is poorly explained and organized. And the applied probabilities do not cover all important gaming situations. Nice charts, but a lot of websites post them. I was expecting a more rigorous approach of Hold'em math and a larger coverage. I found Petriv's and Barboianu's books on this subject far superior on these counts. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Card Games - Poker    2. Gambling - General    3. Games    4. Games/Puzzles    5. Recreations & Games   

Editorial Review

Read more

Reviews (27)

Just be sure you know the keywords of the book: It's about the UNTOLD STORY, not FORMULA or SCIENTIFIC.
I found it very difficult to comment on this book. I can see different people with different expectations will have very different comments.
interesting but rambling read
the author ties together a number of disparate stories but the key takeaway from a practical perspective was: manage risk and do your homework.

The Ongoing Epic of the Kelly Criterion for Risk Management.
"Fortune's Formula" tells the story of the Kelly Criterion -through the experiments, ideas, wins, and losses of those who have espoused it and who have derided it, at race tracks, black jack tables, sports books, and, finally, on Wall Street. The Kelly Criterion is a risk management formula published in 1956 by Bell Labs information theorist John Kelly, Jr. that dictates how much of your bankroll you should bet based on your edge divided by the odds so that you will have zero risk of ruin no matter how bad your luck is, while increasing wealth faster than any other betting system. It does not address what bets you should make, which is another matter entirely. Instead of writing a simple analysis of the Kelly Criterion, author William Poundstone brings this story alive by relating the histories of key figures who have used, promoted, or criticized the Kelly Criterion: information theorists, economists, traders, gamblers, and gangsters. Some readers may find this approach unfocused and unnecessary. But I think the personalities lend "Fortune's Formula" an epic quality and place the Kelly Criterion firmly in the context of real life, with real consequences, as opposed to the realm of abstruse theories that never leave the halls of academe.
Read more

Subjects:  1. 1916-    2. Business/Economics    3. Gambling    4. Gambling - General    5. Games    6. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    7. Games/Puzzles    8. History    9. Investments & Securities - General    10. Investments & Securities - Stocks    11. Mathematical models    12. Personal Finance    13. Shannon, Claude Elwood,    14. Business & Economics / Investments & Securities   

Editorial Review

Semyon Dukach couldn't believe how easy the money was. In one weekend, the MIT math genius and his team of geeks had made $200,000 playing the blackjack tables in Las Vegas. They hadn't cheated. Instead, they had discovered one of humanity's greatest holy grails: a system to beat the casino. They had rendered obsolete the old saying that the house always wins. Dukach and his friends made millions during the 1990s playing blackjack in the world's top casinos, right under the noses of pit bosses and security consultants who thought they had seen it all. Dukach's story is told in author Ben Mezrich's vividly narrated book Read more

Reviews (34)

Entertaining enough...
Probably like most people, I picked this book up after having read "Bringing Down the House" by the same author.The previous work had sold better (by far) than anything else the author had written, so I'm sure it seemed prudent to try another "MIT geeks take Vegas' money" story.
A million little pieces
I read this book on a cruise ship with its own casino.Naturally I was hooked, and knocked it out in a couple of days.I've never read a Mezrich epic before (either fiction or non-) and didn't really spend much time trying to break the story down until well after I was finished.
It was okay but bringing down the house is better..
I bought this book cause after I read Bringing down the house by the same author, I loved it and I thought this one would be great too. The two stories looks pretty similar; MIT and Las Vegas are the main places. However I think Bringing Down the House is better than this one. I hope he write a better one next time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Cambridge    3. Cardsharping    4. Gamblers    5. Gambling    6. Gambling - General    7. Games    8. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    9. Games/Puzzles    10. Individual Institutions Of Higher Education    11. Las Vegas    12. Massachusetts    13. Nevada    14. Games / Gambling / General   

Reviews (1)

Please don't buy this book...it will make you a better opponent.
It just arrived & I am tearing through it.Already, I can see many of the mistakes I've been making at the LLNL (low-limit no-limit) tables now.There are lots of spots in the book where he says a certain action may be correct at a bigger buy-in game (which is the premise of most of the 35 other poker books I've read), but he deals with strictly small stakes ($1/2-$2/5 NL).There are certain hands you just can't push a low-limit fish off of, so you might as well sit back & let him hang themselves.This book will show you how.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Card Games - Poker    2. Gambling - General    3. Games    4. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    5. Games/Puzzles    6. Games / Gambling / General   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Art Criticism    4. Criticism    5. Expertising    6. Gambling - General    7. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    8. History - Renaissance    9. Individual Artist    10. Oversize books    11. Painting    12. Specimens    13. Art / General    14. Art; science    15. Individual artists    16. Portraits in art    17. Renaissance art   

Reviews (17)

Best in the "third" category of poker books
Consider that there are three categories of poker books; technical books such as those that Sklansky, Harrington, and Malmuth write, "tells" books such as Caros Book of Tells, and "head game" books.This is the best I've read in the "head games" category.
I threw this book away
It's true, I threw this book away because I foolishly highlighted it right from the beginning, otherwise I would have just taken it back to the bookstore-- I also took some of the quizzes right off the bat and therefor couldn't even sell it on ebay. Alan Schoomaker spends a lot of time telling you if you had any natural talent for the game you wouldn't need to read this book and he's right. This book was absolutely useless for me.
Badly written, light on content
I want to like Dr. Schoonmaker's book.He seems like a nice guy, and he clearly understands that for many of us, poker is still a fun game.A couple of pages are a refreshing change of pace from the macho, "everyone wants to be a pro," "poker is to win money and nothing else" approach of some pro-authored books.That said, his writing style is repetitive and dull.Despite his pleasant tone at times, his approach to instruction appears to be similar to that of an abusive high school football coach, only with milder language.Once you've read him telling you that you stink 18 times in the first 50 pages, you stop respecting his desire to clear your mind of delusions and start wondering if he's actually going to offer any help.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Card Games - Poker    2. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    3. Games/Puzzles   

Subjects:  1. Gambling    2. Gambling (Social Aspects)    3. Gambling - General    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Social History    8. History / Social History   

Reviews (7)

Waste of money
This book is a waste of money. Unless you are a total beginner for online poker, this book won't help you much. A lot of his strategy articles can be learned better from elsewhere. His examples are few and not very instructive at all. It seems that the author is holding back. He gives you ideas or hints where you should search or work you game to the next level. He provides a short chapter on essential tools to have for online poker. That is, Poker Tracker. Even his explanation on Poker Tracker is very little. This is a real disappointing book.

Very little "Pressure" in this book
I was pretty disappointed with this book.Much of it is fluff filler, guest authors, and introductions to online poker.There are very few hand examples, and frankly I didn't learn a thing about how to be a more aggressive No Limit poker player.Some sections include how to do chip tricks, how to build a poker table, the glory of 72 off suit, and other useless information.Mostly this book is a waste of time.

Everything but the kitchen sink!!
This has more infomation than any other book! It tells you the email addresses of what is a wealth of information most of which I had never heard of.It even tells you how to build your own poker table.Im amazed.Not only that, the poker logic and advice on how to play is outstanding.Anyone who plays hold'em, and especially those who like NL tournaments, well, this is a must buy.It is in the same class as the Harrington books and The Little Green Book ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gambling - General    2. Games    3. Games/Puzzles    4. Games / Gambling / General    5. Scott Gallant   

Reviews (40)

For Absolute Beginners
The boom in online poker has brought with it an equal boom in how-to handbooks for internet players. The problem is that they're all pretty useless, for the very simple reason that:
Boring
The book contians standard information, is written somewhat blandly, and doesn't reveal anything the myriad other poker books have already covered.
good book, even better starting chart
Teaches the ins and outs of poker and will help any beginer improve his game. The flop chart is the best asset,follow it and it will help eliminate alot of beginer mistakes. not for advanced readers, but if you are an advanced player Middle limit poker by ciaffane is the best book out i feel for the advanced. This book and the ciafane book are the only two poker books you need if you are beginer or play poker at all. Has turned around my bottom line dramatically ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computers / Entertainment & Games / General    2. Computers / Internet / General    3. Gambling - Card Games    4. Gambling - General    5. Games    6. Games / Card Games / General    7. Games / Gambling / Card Games    8. Games/Puzzles    9. Card Games - General    10. Computers    11. Entertainment & Games    12. Internet - General    13. Poker   

Reviews (54)

Best Slots Book I've Read--Needs an Update
I am not crazy about playing slots--but to get free room at the Venetian (LV) I need to put in hours each day, each visit. The Scoblete book is the most informative overall I've read so far on a subject where random chance is the rule. The chapter about which slots are loose was probably good advice--but people don't hear coins falling into the hopper any more--coins have been replaced with paper receipts.Paper payoffs also skew the advice in that excellent chapter on money management. These days most people deposit bills, not coins, into the slot machine and there is no bucket of coins to use or to reserve.Mr. Scoblete needs to revise this book.If he still gambles, I'm sure his well-thought 1994 guidelines would benefit from updating.I would be first on line to buy the new book.The organization and research of "One-Armed Bandit" are outstanding.

The Best Book on Slots
I have read just about every book on slots but I resisted buying this one because I thought the information would be old and stale. Now having read it I have to agree with other reviewers that just about all slot books "borrow" heavily from Scoblete's work and are nowhere near as comprehensive. The book is a masterpiece of research and it is well written and extremely fun to read. I recommend this as the first and only slot stop you'll need before you try your hand at the one-armed bandits.

Very funny, very enlightening, very good book
I laughed so hard at certain chapters in this book that my sides hurt. I also learned a great deal about how the slots work and their history. There are some excellent strategies in this book as well. Definitely a book worth buying. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gambling    2. Gambling - General    3. Games    4. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    5. Games/Puzzles    6. Slot machines    7. Dictionaries    8. Indoor games   

Reviews (121)

Not much changed from previous edition,binding issues
Overall I liked the book however I had the previous edition and there wasn't that much that was added for this edition, so if you have the previous edition of the book - you are good to go.The other problem I had was with the glue and the binding as the other reviewer stated.The pages are popping out of the binding.Otherwise, it still is a good book.

Book fell apart
After just a couple days of normal use, the pages began coming out. The book fell apart.
First book I read on Poker
I bought this book about a year and a half ago.Read it twice
Read more

Subjects:  1. Card Games - Poker    2. Gambling - Card Games    3. Games    4. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    5. Games/Puzzles    6. Poker   

Reviews (17)

American Casino Guide -- Yes
It's a win win book.Use just a coupon or two and you've paid for the book. There is much good information in there too.Can't afford not to have one.

Las Vegas bound
If you are going to Las Vegas, you get your money back and then some with the coupons in the back of the book.It helps if you are renting a car or driving, as many of the 2 for 1 offers are outside of the strip area. I have used this book for 3 years and told others about it - everyone likes it.

american casino guide 2006
Great book, helped me alot in vegas and saved me money. Great buy ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gambling - General    2. Games    3. Games/Puzzles    4. Museums, Tours, Points of Interest    5. Travel - United States    6. United States - General   

Reviews (12)

Bridge
Great book for novices and beginners.Very easy to understand and use as a reference.

Hard to go wrong with this one
BRIDGE FOR DUMMIES is a good and generous book and I have no trouble saying it excels over most similar beginners' books.
Ditto: Great approach to teaching a sophisticated game
I am also new to bridge, and have also tried several other books on the subject. The three that I tried previously started with covering hand evaluation and bidding. By the time I get to the sections on "Responding to Responses at No Trump", I was getting lost. Kanter's approach is just the opposite. He teaches the mechanics of playing the hand first, THEN teaches how to evaluate the hand and bid. This is a great approach because once you learn how the play should be done, you are in a much better position to understand WHY you should evaluate and bid the way a hand demands you should. I've only studied the first 65 pages or so, but can already see a dramatic improvement in my bidding and my play. I can't wait to continue to study this great book. Read more

Subjects:  1. Bridge (Game)    2. Card Games - Bridge    3. Contract bridge    4. Games    5. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    6. Games/Puzzles    7. Bridge    8. Games / Card Games / Bridge