New Book on Bluffing - Anyone Read it Yet?

Jason75 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-08-2005, 02:33 PM

Just ordered:

1. The Book of Bluffs : How to Bluff and Win at Poker
2. Professional Poker: The Essential Guide to Playing for a Living
3. Phil Gordon's Little Green Book : Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'em (based on Beavis's review).
4. Phil Gordon's Final Table Poker DVD (also based on Beav & others reviews)

According to Amazon, the publishing date of Book of Bluffs is Oct 27, 2005 - which must mean it just hit the shelves. Anyone read it yet? It had glowing reviews at Amazon - but I'm always wary that these aren't real people and are just from lackeys of the publisher. BTW, I was a little skeptical with this product description "THE BOOK OF BLUFFS shows players how to get their opponents to fold--no matter how strong a hand they've been dealt". I thought, yeah right, I'm really going to get someone to lay down quads or a straight flush.

Authors listed are Mike Caro and MATT LESSINGER (never heard of Matt or at least his name doesnt' come to mind). Caro's name put it over the top (along with the fact that it's only $11).

Steve-O · #2 (**permalink**) 11-08-2005, 02:38 PM

Lessinger writes for CardPlayer. Let me know how this book is I almost bought it last time I ordered. Caro's book of Tells is so overrated and gets such great reviews that I didn't even read the Amazon reviews. ESPECIALLY since the book wasn't even out yet!

Instead I bought Beyond Tells by James McKenna and Machevellian Poker by David Apostolico for psychology books.

Jason75 · #3 (**permalink**) 11-08-2005, 02:42 PM

Steve,

If you're saying you've never read Caro's book of tells, I'd highly recommend it - even if you think it's overhyped. It's not the end all be all, but it's definitely an important piece of the puzzle.

Steve-O · #4 (**permalink**) 11-08-2005, 02:48 PM

I own it, frankly it sucks in my opinion. Simply writing weak means strong strong means weak would have worked just as well.

The percentages and stuff are also assanine.

Jason75 · #5 (**permalink**) 11-08-2005, 02:53 PM

Ok, I guess we have divergent opinions on that one. LOL

Steve-O · #6 (**permalink**) 11-08-2005, 02:58 PM

Here is an example of why those %s don't work,

A typical ploy I use against obsevant opponents is to have an obvious tell (such as shuffling my cards continually when I want to fold). I then do it over and over and when I want them to bet into me I will then do it as well.

Result; someone bets into my nut hand as I say "man you keep pushing me around, I'm all-in". Whether they call or not doesn't matter, I win a decent pot because this person thinks they have picked up a tell on me which I am purposely doing and all of those other pots "they bet me off" don't matter because I had no hand in any of them.

TexArcher · #7 (**permalink**) 11-08-2005, 03:04 PM

I'm halfway through it now, Lessinger wrote the book, Caro just wrote the forward.

I can't say I've learned anything I didn't already know, but it's an extremely well-written book, it would be absolutely great for a beginning to intermediate player (I wish it had been out years ago when I would've gotten more out of it). But definitely a good read.

Hopefully it gets more in-depth in the second half...

Jason75 · #8 (**permalink**) 11-08-2005, 03:16 PM

I just ignored the %'s in Book of Tells - they never seemed to make much sense to me. And I also try and give off reverse tells.

For this reason I don't read tells cold on a player . . . I usually need to play a little while with them so I can pick up a feel for reading them or have a couple of things happen together. There are a handful I "always" use (looking away from the action PF, fumbled bet/correct fumbled bet with a weak player, etc.).

Steve-O · #9 (**permalink**) 11-08-2005, 03:28 PM

I've said this before,

New players or players who rarely play (say once a month or so) will have tells. Experienced players will have telegraphs.

Tells are subconcious movements where your natural reactions take over. BUT, over time you can override these natural impulses if you want to. Think of a boxer or martial artist who no longer flinches at a punch, he has overridden his natural reaction. A new player much like someone in their first fight will have a hard time controlling natuaral reactions and instincts.

A telegraph is a repetive act caused by constantly doing something. In this case think of a basketball players free throw ritual. Experienced players have telegraphs such as holding their cards a certain way when they plan on folding. it is not a natural reaction just a mechanical act that has been picked up through repetition.

Well thats a brief description of what I mean anyway

Jason75 · #10 (**permalink**) 11-08-2005, 04:00 PM

I agree, though I like to use the term "reading a player" myself. Tells are just a subgroup of reading (in this case reading weak or new players), and like you said "telegraphs" (I like this term, mind if I steal it?) - or repetive actions - on good ones.