SECRETS THE PROS WON'T TELL YOU ABOUT WINNING HOLD'EM POKER
by
Lou Krieger & Sheree Bykofsky

Well, the title sure is promising eh? Thats the only good thing I have to say about this book. The reason the pros won't tell you these things is because if you don't know them you have probably never played poker before.

This book is the non-strategic ultimate beginners guide. With headings like; Position is critical to winning, aggressive play can protect youre hand, and better players fold more frequently. Wow!!! Really guys thanks for that expert insight

I was expecting very advanced, drawn out, discussions on the merits of blind stealing, game and seat selection, isolation raises, and so on. What I got was a bunch of generalized 2-3 paragraph explanations on 100's of meaningless topics.

The advice for the most part is good, just incredibly basic. This could literally be the first poker you could read and the title has the words: secrets and pros in it

Overall I'll give this book an 8 out of 10 for a player just learning the game otherwise a 2 out of 10 since the advice is somewhat sound although highly generalized. Unfortunately, from the title to the back page blurb to the quotes on the cover it is very misleading and this really aggravated me. For instance the last line on the back page, isolated all by it's lonesome is, "Take that next step-armed with the secrets of the pros!" ThIS book will not help you take any steps. It should have been titled, A BEGINNERS COURSE FOR SURVIVING HOLD'EM POKER

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO POKER TELLS
by
Randy Burgess & Carl Baldassarre

This book is an updated version of Caro's Book Of Poker Tells. With more hold' em specific tells as well as dividing tells into categories -Player specific, generic poker tells, and body language- as well as touching on micro-tells.

There is also a section on avoiding tells, the importance of tells, and protecting yourself against angle shooting. The authors do not go overboard and say that tells are the be all end all of poker, they put them in their correct context as well as explaining their reliability.

All in all I liked this book, especially the body language and micro-tells parts. If I were to recommend a Tell book to someone this would be it. I'll give it a 7 out of 10, and a 10 out of 10 for tell specific books.

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dont mean to hijack or anything but anyone read daniel n's book or played stack yet?

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If there wern't luck involed i guess id win everyone

Krieger's book was fuckin' gay. What a disappointment from the "shaman." What a fuckin' joke. That's $13 I could've spent on a Mel Brooks movie. You were nice, Steve. That piece of shit is one of the most boring, master of the obvious reads I've ever read

Burgess and Baldasserre's book was a gem that I took a lot from. I enjoy that it wasn't a list of "this means this" piece of crap as most are. It's very practical is ways of avoiding tells and made me more observant in more of a human manner at the table than a poker way, if that makes sense to you guys.

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That is what I wanted to say

I just really hate how misleading it was, the title, blurb, and so-called experts remarks.

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Mos def. I have a ton of respect for the guy. He's one of my favorite Card Player writers and that's why I bought it. The only reason for someone who knows so much to write a book so elementary and have such a misleading title is to have a book for newbies and sucker others into buying it.

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That settles it, I will get the Ultimate Guide to Poker Tells. Thanks a bunch Steve-o.

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Lots of good rakeback options at http://www.raketherake.com/?refer=RTR25126

KRE8R probably has about seventy college funds in his NL5 roll.

I had the "Secrets the Pros Won't Tell You" on my amazon buy list . . . just before I submitted it I went to borders to check a couple of the more marginal ones out . . .

Let me just say that it took me all of 3 minutes to decide to delete that one. . . .

Almost finished with HoH3 (I haven't picked it up since Saturday . . . will finish this weekend) . . . will write a review when done. But in case you can't wait . . . you must buy this book . . . . even if you're just a cash game guru, it's probably the best post-flop books out there . . . Note that you don't need to have read the first 2 to get a lot of it.

Also, about 1/4 through Scott Fischman's book "Online Ace" . . . and I have to say it's looking like a complete waste of money. Will review it if I decide to spend any more time on it and finish it . . .

BTW - Daniel N's book doesn't come out until fall . . . have it on my advance purchase list (along with Phil Gordon's next book . . . )

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Jason75: Ok, you check and the button bets 400. Now what?
Beavis68: You play poker.
Jason75: Darn, I was really hoping for canasta. Maybe Gin.

What do you expect from krieger other than total beginners stuff? I have yet to find any of his works (please correct me) that is aimed towards a established poker mind

Wow, Randy Burgess was the name of my ex-fiances brother, and Carl Baldasare was a groomsman in my wedding.... weird.

How does it compare to Caro, that ancient tome that is still very applicable today? Does it supplement or compliment it?

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bad....ass

Marm,

I'd say that what I took the most that made this book a fruitful investment as opposed to an expense are the explanations behind the tells themselves. It's not as mechanical as Caro, though I like Caro (or Carlos, remember that?). It isn't X=Weak and Y=Strong. It tells you why the tells are occuring and that made the book practical because human behavior is described more in detail.

All in all , since the tells make sense on a human level, they're easier to spot and avoid.

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