Play Poker Like the Pros

March 1, 2003
Hellmuth is to poker players what Tiger Woods is to golfers. A seven-time World Series of Poker winner, he knows his craft and has now decided to pass a little of his wisdom on to less-skilled players. As the introduction stresses, this is not a book to be perused casually; rather, you read it like a textbook, a training manual for effective poker playing, at both beginning and advanced levels. As in Bellin's " Poker Nation" [BKL Mr 15 02], where the author explores the logic behind successful strategy, Hellmuth details card combinations and analyzes situations with the precision of a surgeon. And in both books the art of reading other players receives in-depth analysis. What's unique here is the breadth of coverage, focusing not only on traditional table play but also on online gaming, at which many high-end players now prosper. An extensive glossary makes for entertaining reading on its own, as does the impressive listing of Hellmuth's top-50 wins. A must for any gaming collection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)