Poker for Dummies

• #45 in Best Gambling Books
• #46 in Best Poker Books

26 Reviews

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At first, I felt a little sheepish putting this title between my copies of David Sklansky's "Theory of Poker" and Mike Caro's "Fundamentals of Winning Poker," but this is a very serious and very excellent poker title.

There are individual chapters on strategy for the most popular casino games (Texas Hold 'Em, Seven Stud, Seven Stud/8, Omaha/8), all of which were very clear and helpful. However, unlike any title I've seen before, this book is a COMPLETE reference, including chapters on poker tournaments, becoming a pro, Internet poker, and even video poker (which my mother found excessively useful).

Like all "Dummies" books, there are entertaining sidebars about great games, poker legends, etc. All in all, this is an entertaining book filled with invaulable information for all levels of play. Highly reccomended!

America has given the world Freedom, Bourbon, Hollywood, Baseball and Poker.

Unfortunately we've also given the world "How To" books. And their most recent obnoxious incarnations, the "Zen in the Art of---" and the "---For Dummies" series.

However this one's not bad at all. I wish some of the reviewers who disliked it could name a better beginner's book--though I concede that if you play for money against some pros following the instructions given you might conclude you should have bought "Poker for Morons" instead.

(Do not despair. The real morons are playing Baccarat following amazing systems that enable them to count to 9 )

If, after reading Lou, you decide to keep on and take the plunge might I also suggest Lee Jones 'Winning Low Limit Hold 'Em '--a book which gives strict advice on the most popular form of Poker nowdays and which cannot possibly work because everyone has read it and feels obliged to deviate from it because they know everyone else has read it too, consequently, it does work. (did you folow that?)

Also consider buying Slansky's 'The Theory of Poker' regarded as 'The Bible' especially if you're a math-geek who can already discourse on the difference between probability and odds.

Otherwise just consider it but don't buy it. Carson's 'The Complete Book of Hold 'Em Poker' should also keep you busy for a few months, as well as anything written by Ciaffone, and by then you should be ready to enter the World Series of Poker.

Well, soon enough, anyway.

Seriously, if you can break even after playing cardroom poker in your first year, you're doing great. (If you can get a bunch of rich dolts to come over to your place on Friday nights and play Anaconda or a sillier variation you're doing even better but don't count on it.)

Lou's book is a good overview and he does list up to date internet groups which provide links to discussions and articles which will keep you addicted forever.

Just remember that over the long run, it's all about skill, not hunches. Besides, it's bad luck to be superstitious.

This book has its strengths, and I'm not sorry I bought it, but a few days later I had to buy another, more straightforward one to clear up some basic questions. That is not a strong selling point for a "Dummies" book.

I have two main criticisms (aside from the fact that it barely mentions draw poker at all): First, a complete and easy to find glossary is a must in a book for beginners, and the one in this book is neither (you'll need it for chapter 2, where you are unexectedly thrown into the deep end of the jargon pool). Second, the examples were few and somewhat hard for me to follow. I need to be led by the hand for a few games, so I can apply that slowly but thoroughly acquired knowledge at my own pace. I don't feel that "Poker For Dummies" offers me that opportunity.

A very useful thing I did get from this book was their recommendation of wilsonsw.com, whose software (with free demos) allows you to participate in thousands of hands of certain variants of the game in a pretty realistic manner...not tutorial exactly, but very helpful.

I haven't really read that much of the book. I bought it at the same time I bought Phil Hellmuth's "Play Poker Like the Pros" and I haven't had much reason to refer to the Dummies book after I started readinng Hellmuth's.

The book sets itself out to be like a general encyclopedia of poker. While it certainly purports to cover many different games and many aspects of the game, I found that it did not go into much detail at all about how to actually play the games.

For example, in the Texas Holdem chapter I was expecting the author to compare many different ways of playing the game and the approaches of different professionals and the pros and cons of different strategies. Instead he lists the table of opening hands he says you should play in different positions and makes pretty much no comment on why you should do this except to say that the standards are somewhat loose. Then he writes 1.5 pages about how to play on the flop, turn, and river. Wow, after a lesson like that I'm ready for vegas.

The title is "For Dummies" and I have no clue about even the first step in a poker game, I didn't even know hand rankings, and I found it hard to follow. The author will often use slang that I don't understand in an attempt to explain a key concept.

The home poker chapter was especially bad. He listed about 7 games you can play on one page. I'll leave it to you to infer what depth of coverage you can expect on those games. He made no mention whatsoever of what hands you should expect to win on in baseball, excpet that really good hands are quite common. Gee, thanks. I've played baseball before buying the book and I know there's no way you're going to understand how to play it at home after just reading the 5-sentence paragraph he wrote about it.

The author is a poor writer too. Sometimes it's hard to tell what he's talking about.

I'm not good at poker, so maybe this book has some wisdom to impart to a more skilled player, but I doubt it since it has very shallow coverage. Like I said before, I didn't read the whole thing so I didn't give it a fair chance, but I had seen such good reviews on the internet that I thought I'd go ahead and buy it. That should tell you not to trust net reviews- the author of the book is probably writing them.

Hellmuth's book costs the same and it was much easier to follow and had more in-depth information. Plus Hellmuth won the world series 7 times so it's just cooler to own a book written by him. I've never read any other poker books, so there could very well be better books than Hellmuth's, but I don't see much reason to buy Poker for Dummies.

The only part I've used so far are the chapters where he tells you what books and software you can buy to learn. I'd suggest that you pick this thing up in the book store, find those chapters and buy one of those other books instead.

Before I read this great book, I had been playing poker a few times a week for about a year. I was pretty much gambling with little to no strategy. Like most beginners, I thought I knew what I was doing. After a few months of playing, poker quite honestly frustrated me. I would have some really lucky nights, and then a long streak of bad nights. I certainly lost more money than I put in. At this point, it was either give up, or get better.
I then found Poker for Dummies. Contrary to the opinions of others, I found this book to be the perfect beginners poker book. Much of the book shows how to play the most popular poker games, like stud, hold'em, Omaha, etc. There are also some sections for advanced strategies. I think any player can benefit from reading this. Was this book effective? Absolutely! After reading a few chapters, my game improved dramatically. Because of the easy reference format, I could find the specific areas I needed improving in. For example, if I needed some more info on starting hands, all I have to do is flip to the hold'em chapter and find the starting hands page. Since I have read this book, I have stopped gambling and started playing my odds. If you are tired of losing and want a good place to start improving your game, look no further.

This book failed to meet the criteria it was written for. In other words the whole point of the "for Dummies" collection is that a complete layman can pick up a book on any subject he/she is not familiar with and get a good idea about the whole thing. This is not the case with this book. Although it cover the basics it does not cover all the basics before going on to the next subject. A person with no idea about Poker and Poker variations would get confused - the book would leave too many open questions for an intelligent reader who knows nothing or very little about Poker.

I can not recommend it for beginners - which is who this book should be for.

As a relative newbie to the world of poker, I was looking for an easy-to-understand introductory text to the game. The book worked well in explaining the essentials (hand rankings, object of the game, rules for the variations of the game, etc.). The starting-hand tables were actually pretty good, too (especially for a beginner).

However, one must keep in mind that this book isn't meant to be the sole title in your poker library. The book touches on many, many topics (ranging from strategy to history to professional poker). But, it doesn't cover any of those topics completely (nor does it intend to).

If you understand the game and have some experience, you're probably pretty safe to move onto a more advanced title. However, if you're looking to get your feet wet, Poker for Dummies is a definitely worth checking out.

it's great that this book assumes that you know nothing about poker, because i knew nothing.

this book is great in helping you think of all the considerations in poker, what the odds are, the groupings of hands, what other players are playing etc, but with a bit of practise, you can make these decisions in a matter of seconds. and practise i did. when i found that lou krieger was host of royal vegas poker, i practised there.

the only aspect that put me off a bit, but was my own shortcoming, not the book's, was the issue of calculating the standard deviations, outs etc. being mathematically challenged, puts me at a disadvantage.

but this is a great book, which is comprehensively basic - as it should be. i'd recommend it to anyone.

The problem with this book is that it lacks a focus. A "Dummies" book
should instruct beginners on a specific subject. But here the subject
is too broad.

This book tries to address *all* of the following: casino poker, home
poker, online poker, strategy, tells, bluffing, money management, world
series of poker, poker personalities, tournaments, video poker, and more.
And being a reasonably short book, it doesn't cover any of these topic
satisfactorily.

There are some good bits in the book. However my advice is to determine
your objectives for reading a poker book and find one focused to that
objective.

This book is great for everyone who's new to poker, especially casino poker. It explains all kinds of poker in detal and gives general rules on how to win in poker. You certainly can learn all your basics from this book, but I don't think it's good for people who want to learn Hold'em in particular - for that I'd recommend "Hold'em Excellence: From Beginner to Winner" by Lou Krieger. It explains everything in detail. Krieger certainly knows what he's talking about and explains it in a simple, easy to read form.
Poker for Dummies doesn't deal very well with internet poker; it only gives some general advice and the info is somewhat outdated. If you're interested in online poker, it's definitely not for you.

I love "Dummies" books and usually start with one when I want to learn something completely new. I have played poker recreationally most of my life, and been a consistent winner--because my competition was even worse than I was. I even won in my sole foray into a card club--because I was lucky. I had never played Hold'em, however. I wanted to learn more than just the rules of the game and get an introduction to some of the theoretical poker concepts that I knew were out there. This is the wrong book for that.

This book is just too elementary for anyone but a total and complete novice. The only "take away" for me was an understanding of what playing tight pre-flop means for Hold'em. The commentary on post-flop play was way too simple-minded.

This book spends too much time explaining things like tournaments, the World Series of Poker, and the Internet. I am still looking for the book I want.

Poker for Dummies is very poorly written, because it's very hard to follow. There's also a lot of waste material (commonly known as "BS") that doesn't help your poker game at all, but is there to make the book thick. The core on better poke games is difficult to understand. I regret having bought this book.

If you're an average to good poker player, you won't get much out of this book. But if you're one of those poker posers that has sprung up over the last year, I'm sure you'll think this is the greatest book ever written. So if you suck, be sure to read this, so at least you'll be able to talk the talk while you're getting cleaned out at the tables. If you're good, spend your money on something else, or save it and buy in for 15 bucks more the next time you play. Am I the only person who hates the poker bandwagon jumpers? Well, at least they're easy to beat in the casinos. I'll let them hang around as long as I can take their money with ease.

This books is too broad in scope. I love the "Dummies" books, however this one misses its many marks. Until you see "Pot Limit Texas Hold'em for Dummies" or "9/6 Jacks or Better for Dummies", I'd pass on this one and find any of the other well written books that pertain to the certain subject for which you are looking.

I bought this book with "Fundamentals of Poker." This was a better buy for the information. As a true beginner, I wanted the biggest bang for the buck, and I got it here. For the beginner/novice, start here. A good read offering a sound foundation for the neophyte, I hope!

To give you an idea how much I like this book, I checked it out of the library first. Then, after I had read it -- and renewed it the maximum number of times allowed -- I bought it for myself as a Christmas present.

In keeping with the For Dummies format and emerging tradition, this book will provide meaningful assistance to all levels of Poker enthusiasts, from beginners (like myself) on up. It debunks a multitude of myths and gives extensive details one could not reasonably expect to find anywhere else (except perhaps the IRC Website, but PFD's materials are much better organized!).

More important than the poker details are the covert efforts at values clarification -- willingness to study, cultivation of patience and regulation of one's ego are just a few examples -- and the noble effort to portray members of Planet Earth's poker elite as both positive people and as talents deserving wider recognition.

Thanks to all the authors who participated in the writing of this book. Thanks to you, I have a new perspective on an old game and have plunged into my newest hobby. Once I am back on the West Coast in 3 or 4 years, I'll have plenty of ammunition with which to tackle Reno and Tahoe. Meanwhile, I have small but enthusiastic Council Bluffs, Iowa on which to cut my novice's teeth.

Its good for beginners but its too broad.....it covers a little bit on every poker game and teaches you about bluffing, helped me win Id reccomend it!

If you are a beginner or an experienced player, there is something in this book for you. Really great book!

I had never played poker in a casino before, just some nickel games with some friends while I was drinking. This book showed me how to play and showed me that if I'm willing to practice and willing to be patient I can be a competent player and maybe win some money. I've bought several books since then and played quite a few hours at nearby casinos and this is the book that I review on the way. If you know how to play well this is a handy reference if you aren't able to play frequently.

Besides teaching me the bare basics of winning poker, this book seriously jump-started my interest in Poker. I just picked up this book when I saw it and thought I might get an edge over the people in my poker group. Already I am cleaning out their pockets. Now I'm looking to get more advanced books so I can head up to the Taj for some Hold 'em action. I used to think all poker was bluffing like in the wild west... I never would have thought playing a computer could be valuable to my poker game. I couldn't have been more wrong. Get this book; it will improve your poker game if you've never read a poker book before.

Like most of the books in the "Dummies" series, I can guarantee that there is at least one thing in this book that you can use the very next time you sit down in your local card room, or around the dining room table with Aunt Minnie and the cousins for a "nickel-dime-quarter" game, no matter what your "poker I.Q." is before you read it. Easy to follow, fun, informative. A must-read before you read any of the "other" classics. Is "Poker for Dummies" a "classic"? Well, I don't know if I'd go that far....but it should be on your shelf along side Sklansky and Vorhaus, that's for sure!!

This book is a good introduction to playing poker for money. If you're only going to read one book on the subject, this is a good start. It won't make you an expert, but it should let you hold on to your bankroll a little longer.

"Poker for Dummies" is a reference primer that merits reading for the rube, but it's marred by embarrassing mistakes (their sample deal of Omaha/8 shows three cards of the same rank and suit), and some half-baked stratagems: would you play against someone who carried a game notepad, as they recommend?

Still, "Dummies" deconstructs money management myths, gives good advice re. when and why to keep or dump, and explains why calling is often worth the investment. Their take on bluffing was enlightening too, but watch it when playing your Wednesday night chums, a.k.a. people who don't know when they're beat.

It's a decent entryway with some good nuggets, but I'll refine them elsewhere.

Honestly, this book didn't do much for me. I never got interested in reading it, and just learned by playing and watching poker tournaments on TV.

very basic...dont waste your $$$...get something to give you an idea of proper strategy

Ah poker....America's favorite card game! I've played the game since I was a child but have only recently become interested in learning the many strategies involved. I never played enough to increase my skills so I was a casual player for years. I played only when the urge bit me or when I was invited to a game.

Lately, I have been spending more time in Casinos and my love for poker has been rekindled. I'm a little too intimidated to play at the tables, so for the mean time, I've stuck to video poker. I'm a decent player and usually break even on the game. (I can make $20 last for hours on the quarter machines.) I was pleasantly surprised to see that this book offers a small section on video poker! Specifically on Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild. Well, curious to see if this strategy worked, I practiced on the video game called High Rollers Casino for PlayStation 2(IMO best casino game for PS2). Low and behold, the strategy seemed to work. My hands seemed to be better. However, the mechanics of a PlayStation game and an actual Video Poker machine differ in many ways! So, within a couple of weeks, I took this new strategy to a local Casino and won over $200 on the quarter machines! I played for about 3 hours and nothing could wipe the grin off of my face!

Curious as to whether the rest of the book was just as good, I took the Texas Hold'em and basic poker strategies to the internet. Once again, the advice I received proved to be useful and once again, I came out ahead. Of course, I still lost a few hands BUT the winnings more than made up for it!

I will eventually step up to a table game and play for all I'm worth - but for now, I feel as if I've gone from a novice to a decent intermediate player in very little time! I've never played poker to win before. I simply played poker for the sake of playing poker and merely HOPED to win. Now, I can walk up to any (internet) table or video poker machine with confidence, knowing that I'll either walk away with extra cash, or at the very least - breaking even!

I won't recommend this book to anyone who's already intermediate or expert, as I'm sure there is nothing in this book they wouldn't already know. But for beginners or casual players who wish to increase their odds and brush up their skills - this is the perfect book to do just that.

My many thanks to the authors of this fabulous book! I never knew that playing to win could be so much fun and profitable!