Card Games Books

This a beautifully produced, pricey paperback covering the poker games that Chan plays. Of course, he doesn't just play, he wins big. By my count, he's won ten WSOP events.

The book is something of a scrapbook of poker photos, with strategies on many poker games: basically stud, omaha, both high and high low, as well as limit and no-limit Texas hold'em. He describes his thinking as a hold'em hand progresses -- very useful.

By the way, there is little math in book, so if you're looking for the clearest expression of pot odds, implied odds, look elswhere. (For a book that leads you safely through the odds jungle, see Weighing the Odds in Hold'em Poker by King Yao.)

Remember the list price is $30. The qualiy paper and color photos cost more. In fact, even the hands are shown in color photographs.

This is a worthwhile book with insights from a successful player, covering too many kinds of poker to be the ultimate in-depth guide to any one of them. Yet it scores in readability way above the serious classics by Sklansky, Malmuth and others.

It's not the best first book on poker as it's too advanced for a beginner, but it may well be the best second one.

This is the best beginner/intermediate book that I have seen. It covers all the popular poker games of the day plus general tips on all the games and how to play at a Casino. John also discusses some of the great players he has played against. I must mention the paper is excellent (no cheap stuff here) and the illustrations (photos?) of the cards make it very easy to use. Highly recommended

This book cover the basic rules and strategies of different poker games. Personally, I did not find this book very useful partially due to my participation in many tournaments and cash games weekly.

All in all this book is nice to read, great for beginners, and printed on nice material, but I would not recommend for intermediate poker players. However, if you are often beat in cash games or tournaments then this book may be useful.

A solid "how-to" guide co-written by the highly-regarded poker player Johnny Chan, whose titles include 2002 WSOP Match Play NLH Champion and 2003 WSOP No Limit Hold-em Champion among many others, Play Poker Like Johnny Chan: Book One Casino Poker is a simple guide to poker basics for players who are out to win. Chapters discuss general poker concepts for the uninitiated, and the rules and favorable versus unfavorable situations for many poker variants including Limit Hold-em, Seven Card Stud, Eight Or Better Stud, Omaha High, Omaha Hi-Low, and No-Limit Hold-em. Some background information on tournaments and internet poker is included, as is general (and very sound) strategy advice for the would-be career poker player, as well as a mentions of famous and skilled individuals Chan has played with. Notably absent from Play Poker Like Johnny Chan is any in-depth discussion of card-counting or related mathematical methodology; it is primarily an introductory guide to give the reader a hands-on understanding of game mechanics as well as the importance of the professional mindset. Chan's key rules - keep playing when you are winning, stop when you are losing, stay to an environment where you feel comfortable, take a vacation from poker when you need it (never try to win the money needed for a vacation from poker when you need one, that's a certain way to burnout), and discipline yourself to move back down to smaller tables when you're losing at big tables - are vital and should be taken to heart by all prospective professional poker players. Full-color photographs illustrate this handy primer, which is printed on glossy paper.

Saw this book on amazon.com and figured, what the hell, I'll buy it and see what happens. Got it a week later, read the section on limit hold em first, since that's about the only game I play well, and was surprised my gameplay was very different to what was mentioned. After reading it and trying out the different techniques, I was pleasantly surprised to see my profits increasing. Well worth the price and the time to read. Have since read through the other sections and am finding myself getting some good earnings in Omaha and 5 card stud as well, although 5 card stud is a bit tricky.
I definitely believe this book is good for beginners and advanced players alike. Well written, easy to read, clear illustrations and excellent presentation overall.

Just like the title for this review. No more, no less.

This book is a really good source if you want to know how much your pokemon cards are worth. This book has the values of rares, commons, and uncommons. And it even has the values of japanese cards. If you want to get a pokemon price guide, i suggest you buy this one.

I am pleased to say that this excellent guide has brought much information about the incredibly popular Pokémon trading card game, and much knowledge about the Pokémon merchandise. Checkerbee Publishing has made a incredible value guide, considering that they included transalations for the Japanese poket monster trading card game, pictures of the cards, and such information is included in American Pokémon card game which is also featured in this book. Though this book has it's pros, it also has cons. No estimated prices are given about the American Fossil Cards, and few people are sure that the Japanese transalations are 100% accurate. Though, that should not stop you from buying this stupendous guide. I am very sure this will satisfy thous who are in need of Pokémon information.

i bought this book because it looked cool. but i read some of it there was alot of misprints!

IF you can't under stand you japanies cards fear no more. This book tells you what it says.

A very clear and concise look at public speaking. There are multiple pointers that help with building confidence in the area of public speaking.
Elaine Littau
Author of "Nan's Journey"

Very informative and well written. This book definately had some good tips and advice on how to improve your public speaking. I highly recommend it.

This book was well........ I'm not sure cause I haven't read it yet. Personally though I love Public Speaking and this book is required for a course I'm taking. For those of you who think you'll never be able to do Public Speaking, I assure you, you can!

I do a fair amount of public speaking and have found this book very helpful in many respects. It does an excellent job of covering the basics, includes some great tips that you might not think of on your own and also introduces some advanced topics without overwhelming you with lots of detail.

Like most of the "For Dummies" series, the book has an encouraging tone and is written in a humorous or light manner. It's an easy and pleasurable read and I believe everyone interested in public speaking would pick up something useful from it.

While I am not a huge fan of buying a book advertised as being for "dummies," I find the "...for Dummies" series to be very helpful for those of us unfamiliar with a certain topic. Needless to say, I am very unfamiliar with public speaking, unless you count the class I had in high school ten years ago, which I barely remember.

I am grateful for Kushner for taking a complex topic and making it easy to understand. Even though I am naturally outgoing and like to talk to groups, I wanted to learn an effective method of public speaking. I picked up the book because some friends and I have started an internet broadcast (called a podcast) and I wanted tips and suggestions on how to improve my speaking ability and organizational skills. I eventually want to branch out and do public speaking.

Generally, I liked the book, and even read it in a single day. I especially enjoyed the chapters about speech organization and the ones about voice and body language. I am going to practice his techniques during my spare time before either the mirror or a camera, to try to make them come more naturally. I am also going to thoroughly prepare for any speech I make, using the methods outlined in this book. He gives plenty of tips on how to start a speech, how to end one, and how to fill the speeches with humor and other interesting elements. Even though the book is an overview, putting his many suggestions into practice will keep anyone busy for awhile.

The only drawback to this book is that being a "...for Dummies" book, I feel like I need to read another more advanced book to actually get the best handle possible on public speaking. While I am glad this book is for complete beginners, some of the material is more about basic time management skills and common-sense psychology than public speaking. Also, I expected to read something about how to record myself and then how to evaluate/correct any mistakes I made. I didn't read anything about this. Webcams and microphones are so cheap these days that it only makes sense to suggest recording yourself speaking, and then watch it and evaluate it. I know that just editing my own (and others') podcast talks has helped me see how often I use "um," trail off, and ramble.

Overall, this is a very helpful and easy-to-read introduction to public speaking, with many advanced suggestions thrown in. I would suggest that anyone interested in public speaking read this book, and then get out and practice, practice, practice. That is what I plan to do.

This game is fun and entertaining. Don't get caught up in how big the rule book is. (In my experience, a long rule book is *usually* a good sign anyway.) It looks hard to learn, but it isn't. And once you get it down, you'll have a lot of fun taking over the Adult Movie Industry with Fast Food Chains or the Fast Food Chains with the Boy Sprouts. It's hillarious, but not without substance. You still have to play the game, and the winner race gets quite close at times. Try it. You'll love it.

I thought this game was fun and interesting. The rules take a bit to get down, but they are thorough, so you don't have to interpret them.

I bought this because I thought it'd be a fun gift for someone who's into conspiracy theories. It was a fun gift, but it'll probably never be used. We tried to play it with a group of people, but we gave up within about an hour. Its 16 or so pages of rules are extraordinarily complex. This would be a good game for someone who has a group of friends with whom he or she regularly plays board games--a group of friends who like complex rules and strategy. This is not a party game.

I've played both the new and the old versions of Illuminati, and I can say that this version is an improvement over the old one. My main problem with the game, though, is that, when I've played, it devolves into long sessions of slap-around-the-leader. ( I'd use stronger language, but this is an Amazon review. )

Every time one player gets near winning, all the other players procede to, more or less, destroy his power structure and his chance at winning. While a strong Illumanati will fend off two or three attacks, after eight or nine, you just don't have anything left to resist with. So, you're back to nearly square one and, while you're trying to rebuild, you're helping everyone else do the same thing to whomever else might be nearing the win. Games can last three or four hours until someone manages to squeak out a victory.

Now, if you like that kind of game, that's fine, but that gets a little long for me.

Also, and this is another minor issue, I have never seen any player manage to win by the standard victory conditions. For those who've never played, a standard victory is controlling a certain number of groups, with the number depending on the number of players. For a five player game, for example, I think it's somewhere around a dozen groups.

Each Illuminati, though, also has its own victory condition: The Gnomes of Zurich need to collect a certain amount of money, The Assassins need a certain number of Violent groups, The Discordian Society need a certain number of Weird groups, and so on.

Since I've never seen a standard victory, everything can depend on the right groups becoming available for each group. If you're the Discordians, and no Weird groups come up, you've got no chance at winning, in my experience.

Don't let me discourage you from buying this game, I'm not trying to. I am saying, though, that it can be so irritating that you'll throw it on the shelf and never look at it again.

I've played this game for well over ten years now and it's still fun. The basic premise behind it is conspiracy theory. Each player tries to take control of people and organizations until he achieves the victory condition. This can be a certain number of cards for everyone, the specific Illuminati he is playing, or my favorite 'secret victory conditions'.

Initially this game can take a little time to get used to, but once you have the hang of it you'll soon realize how fun and well designed the game is. In 95% of the games, I've played 2 or 3 players all could have won the game on the same turn! That's the sign of a well designed and balanced game.

There is 1 deck of cards that all players use to draw from and a set of dice with the game. It's playable from 2-8 players. My only complaint with the game would be playing it in a 2 or 3 player match. It's simply not as much fun with less than 4 players and can be quite entertaining with 4-8.

It's a must have for the board game collection!

I am a proffessional psychic for a very reputable company and quaility is essential to me. Your company was fast in delivery and the quailty and price were unbeatable. Thank you again!!!

This was my first tarot deck, purchased about 20 years ago, and it remains my one and only. I've tried several decks over the years, but this one works best for me, and I've used it for hundreds of readings. I love Art Nouveau and Alphonse Mucha, and these cards are very similar to that style. Yes, the deck can seem melancholy, but that suits my temperament. And it is heavy on the muted grays and purples, but I happen to love grays and purples, like twilight. Yes, it has a lot of wide open space and is spare in its symbolism. But this is good, because it allows me to receive feelings and images on my own rather than to simply interpret the printed symbols. I have to say that I prefer my solid blue reverse sides, though. Last time I looked at the new printings of this deck, it had a busy white design over the blue background on the back of each card, which doesn't really fit the spirit of these cards, being as they are wide open and good for scrying (seeing or getting psychic images, as people do with crystals or mirrors or polished surfaces).

This was the deck I choose from many a selection of Tarot card decks..I like the softness of the muted colors and they feel kind and compassionate to me....The Waite-Rider deck has bright, primary colors which make me cringe....I find that deck over powering and crusty, but mostly annoying. The Aquarian deck talks Tarot to me and I find the answers I need without too much struggle. In keeping with the calmness of the colors, the answers come to me with the same smooth aura.....This deck uses the Kings, Queens, Knights and Pages, four Aces and the minor cards sport the Rods, Cups,
Swords and Pentacles. If you prefer less chaos seen through your soul, I'd recommend this one. It is still my favorite.

This was actually my first deck. I used it about 3 times before putting it in the closet. The cards itself seem to lack colour which is why I had trouble trying to interpret it. The style is very simplistic and medieval like. I wouldn't recommend this to a beginner as they might have trouble grasping at interpreting them. The Instant Tarot is a much better choice for beginners.

Many years ago. I had this deck when I was first in college, and at the time, I'd have to admit, it didn't quite strike my fancy. Part of that though was that I just didn't like the backs :)
Over the years, looking at different decks, this has always been one of my favorites. Traditional images in a non-traditional style. The simplicity, the faces that waited for you to fill them with your own, and at the same time the utter clarity of the meanings that the deck can evoke due to it's open nature. It has the traditional stories on the cards, something that due to it's lack has turned me away from many beautifully designed decks.
I lost this deck when moving four times in three months, and was very happy when I found it again.

Still not the Thoth deck though :)

The Hidden Secrets must have been left out of my copy of the book.

Mr. Pappadopoulos' first book allowed me to enjoy Black Jack as a table experience. It gave me the confidence I needed and some extra spending money.

This book broadens the experience to include the whole casino and take advantage of its perks ("comps" in casino jargon).

Definitely worth much, much more than the cost of the book.

His easy writing style make his insights and experiences easy to grasp and internalize.

By using george's philosophy,I not only have made a lot of extra money for myself,but I am amazed by what I can get out of the casino for free.Most times they come to me and ask me if I need anything.I get free cigarettes,drinks,rooms,shows,money to spend in gift shop,etc.The system is wonderful,everyone should try it,it works.

Ever since I first stepped into a casino, I always thought it would be useful to find a book or a guide that would provide an inside peek into the hidden and understated apsects of the casino world. George Pappadopoulos has written such a book. And in one pleasant read, anyone interested in really playing the casino game will find themselves winning - at all levels- very quickly.

I love Blackjack, but I hate trying to learn how to count cards. Besides if I got any good at counting cards, the Casinos would just throw me out anyway. These 2 books introduced me a new, simple, system that so far has been successful. It took a day or two to master, but after that, I have been a winner more times than a loser.

Most importantly, I learned how to know when to quit for the day and actually leave with my winnings. An easy read and easy to understand. Book II helped me know how to get some of the amazing freebies the Casinos lavish on players.

Being an old dog, I was around for much of the late 70's, early 80's history that Victor alludes to. It was great to take this look down memory lane, as well as find a lot of new information. The disc trading guide has already proved itself helpful. I strongly recommend this book for any flying disc enthusiast.

I love this book! It's the only one I have as a reference as to the history of Frisbee/Frisbies. I admit, the prices in my edition (1998) are out of date--they continue to go up!
I refer to this book all the time and each time I pick up something new. It's loaded with tons of great photos. It's a MUST for any Frisbee/flying disc lover.
I'm disappointed in the direction Wham-o has taken lately and the quality of the product they are now producing, but the history of Frisbees and the people involved along the way make this book a must-have!
One will have a much greater appreciation for those little flying discs (no matter what they're called or whose name is on them) once they have read this book.

This book is a must for anyone associated with or interested in Frisbees, golf discs and Frisbie Pie Tins. Not only does it provide a guide for determining value of many highly collectible discs, it's entertaining, well-written, and well-designed. A collector's item in its own right and I highly recommend.

From a Frisbee professional, and the author of "I'm Living Your Dream Life," and "The Things I Wish I'd Said," McKenna Publishing Group

If you're buying this book as a priceguide to old or collectable frisbees, you should know this. Since the advent of online auctioning after 1998, many more frisbees have come out of the closet. Therefore, the priceguide part of the book is woefully out of date. Most collectable Frisbee prices as stated in the book are overvalued by 30-60%. I hope a revision of this book is printed soon.

Don't be fooled by the title, this is not the complete book of frisbee. Ultimate only rates a couple of pages, for starters. There is nothing to speak of on throwing technique. It is not particularly well edited, either - many assertions and heresay have slipped through the net. Lots of nice pictures of collectable discs, if that's what you're into. A bit of a disappointment given the dearth of books-in-print about throwing technique and ultimate.

just exactly what I wanted. Really beautiful art work by Susan.s.Boulet.
Great description on back about the goddess. Well described and beautifully presented.thank you. helen

I thought these were a great idea. I found them in a used bookstore for $5.

The good: The goddess cards cover a pretty wide range of pantheons. The descriptive text on the back is well-written and high quality. The artwork is imaginative.

The less-than-good: Overall, it seems the artist has one female face that she uses as a template for her art: full lips, long face, peaceful yet somewhat vacant eyes. In a deck like this, I would have desired perhaps some more differences among the goddesses in order to highlight the natures of the deities depicted, especially the more feral or darker aspects, which this deck seems to shy away from. It has a very warm/fuzzy/positive feel, and seems to avoid or gloss over some of the darker archetypes.

After browsing through the deck again, it almost seems like she might have used the same model for many of the pieces. Despite that complaint, this is still a solid product for which i would have paid full price.

Susan Seddon Boulet is an inspired artist, which astonishing work make us dive into the deep realm of the unconscious. The images of Godesses touch the archetipal feminine and resonates those possibilities in each of us. I contemplate them as part of my inner work and in my work as an art therapist in Brazil.

Boulet was a very gifted artist, whose work is extremely inspiring on a deeply spiritual level. These cards portray her art splendidly, along with wonderful descriptions of the goddesses on the reverse side. The Goddess Knowledge Cards can be used as a divination tool, for daily inspiration and guidance, or simply for the enjoyment of Art. Boulet included many of the lesser-known goddesses in this deck, such as Rhiannon (my personal favorite, as this is also my granddaughter's name). The cards are beautifully printed on heavy, high-gloss cardstock. The artwork is undeniably remarkable. They cards will be appreciated by many.

I really enjoy this deck- it provides a way to meditate on the goddesses and gives an image to incorporate into ritual or meditations as well. The little descriptions on the back give enough information to build on, and definitely are written in such a way that doesn't detract from the beautiful images. Love it!

Whit this book, I improved my skills on cash games, and learnt how to avoid mistakes. Recommended reading for beginners.

In my opinion the turn and River are the most difficult and misplayed parts in No-Limit Poker. This is why I got this book, to improve these areas of my game.
The things I love about this book are the hand examples and analysis. After playing no-limit Texas for a couple of years I have often either gone bust or not maximised my winnings on these streets because I'd reach a situation where I didn't know what to do.
Some hand examples tell you what you should do or not do after you've made your continuation bet, or called/raised one. This may vary on who your up against and any reads you might have on a particular opponent.
Other examples compose of some difficult situations you might face where you are holding medium strength hands and your stuck between checking, betting, raising etc.
Whilest others analyse how to get the maximum when you flop a set or a big hand.
The turn and river are the most profitable or expensive streets on poker. This is why this book is great value.
There is also some extra info in this book such as beating low-limit games, bankroll and tilt management.

DAN HARRINGTON IS A VERY SMART MAN WHO HAS DONE FOR DEEP STACK CASH GAME PLAYERS WHAT HE ALREADY DID EARLIER FOR TOURNAMENT PLAYERS. THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR WINNERS.

Harrington señala, con mucho tino, las diferencias necesarias e imprescindibles que separan al juego exitoso en torneos y mesas de efectivo. Es claro, directo y sencillo de entender. Quizás haga demasiado hincapié en las cuestiones estadísticas y matemáticas. Pero, el jugador despierto entenderá que son la matriz de inicio que separa al jugador desordenado y con destino incierto del que intenta desempeñarse con claridad.
No se puede dejar pasar por alto.

This volume completes the series. I play only on-line. The whole section on tells is about betting patterns. On-line thats all you have to go on. So this works great for me. Combine that with the board reading skills I picked up in the first volume and my NL cash game has improved a whole lot. I think anyone that has some basic skills in poker and is a break even or loosing player will improve to a winning player after a couple of reads.

I am relatively new to the tarot so i can't tell you about the accuracy of readings and such,but i can tell you these cards are fantastic looking this is up there in the top 5 of medieval style of decks ,along with Nigel Jackson's Medieval Enchantment Deck(Out of print),The Golden Tarot By Kat Black, the Gilded Tarot and the Old English Tarot along with this one is your top five medieval decks.Hudes deck though may not be for some do to its melancholy nature along with the subtle colors and lack of uber happy people but thats what makes it medieval.So if you like very happy fluff decks this one may not be for you also disregard one other reviewer who called it a "too cute deck" its not that kind of deck at all as i described it earlier.The cards themselfs are well coated so they will be around for a long haul but are a little slick,a small little problem i had with is the size they are a little small i always feel that 3x5 is a perfect size for tarot not to big where you cant handle them or to small they feel like ordinary playing cards in your hand these cards are slighty smaller than the perfect 3x5 so they do have that playing card feel but its no big deal,all and all these cards are great for any level tarot card reader and a must have in a collection.

Really wonderful deck. It`s just perfect...the art is well done, soft,beautiful and meaningful colors. It feels good to the eyes of the mind. I`ve learned that the best Tarot decks are those that keeps simple, because the unconscious approaches symbols and images more directly in this way. This deck has a perfect balance, not too busy with the art, but lot of symbols and beautiful artistic design.
Also,there are many connections between the cards, this is the most important when I`m making a spread. When I`m reading I try to find connections in symbols, textures, colors,movement, backgrounds, figures positioning...etc...This deck is as good as the Ryder Waite, but more earthy and heart warming. I own about a dozen good decks, but this one is outstanding...
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This deck has lovely artwork, and its symbolic imagery should be readily accessible to most people. However, the included "instructional booklet" (pub. U.S. Games) contains standard divinatory explanations that sometimes don't seem to "jibe" with the images on some of the cards, creating either uncertainty of meaning, or opportunity for extra interprative creativity and intuitive bond with this specific deck on the part of the reader, whichever way you look at it. This can be a good beginning deck, with outside resources such as teachers and other tarot books. It's my first deck, and I am enjoying getting to know it. It may not be a good choice, though, for new readers who want easy answers and hard-and-fast card meanings, although it's easier on the eyes, and has less complicated symbolism than the Rider-Waite deck. If only Hudes had produced a companion book herself, it would be a godsend.

I am currently re-immersing myself in the Tarot after some years away from it, and have purchased three new decks, of which this is one. I've not worked with it extensively yet it's true, but I have got the feel of it being probably a great intuitive deck, even though it isn't layered in symbolism, it has what it needs to take you deeper. It isn't my perfect deck, but I may never find that, still I will say I can tell I will probably work with this one personally and professionally quite a lot. Her use of color is masterful, though the images are of uneven quality in terms of the art, those that are great are "suitable for framing".

"The beauty of medieval art and symbolic nature of mythology serve as the inspiration for the creation of this tarot deck...Themes of alchemy and astrology suggest the magical nature of medieval thought, the same ideas that initiated the art of tarot reading." - From the Little White Book

When I saw the Death card from the Hudes Tarot online, I knew this was a must-have deck. It is truly one of the most beautiful Death cards that I've ever seen, incorporating an unfurled butterfly juxtaposed against the pelvic area of the skeleton--an area symbolizing conception, gestation and birth. Creative, transformative regeneration--a concept not always integrated in Death card imagery.

Susan Hudes created her namesake Tarot by combining luminous watercolors with antique maps, constellation charts and marbled paper, which adds a decidedly three-dimensional feel to this seamlessly collaged deck.

From the sky-clad lemniscate above the Magician's head to the smooth, cool marbled face of the Moon, Ms. Hudes' compositions are inviting and intriguing. I love some of the unusual perspectives, such as the bird's eye view of the boat in the 6 of Swords where we get to peek down at a man about to row while six swords lay scattered in the water.

In the Cups suit, the Court Cards show figures holding golden goblets filled with not water, but aquatic representations from maps. And the rich, raspberry-colored discs in the Pentacles suit are simple, but striking.

The cards from the Hudes Tarot measure approximately 4 ¾ x 2 ¾ inches, and while the design on the backs is attractive, it is not reversible. The suits of this deck are Cups, Swords, Wands and Pentacles while the Courts follow the Page, Knight, Queen and King ordering.

The Little White Book for this deck is unusually brief, offering only a few upright meanings for the cards, which were gleaned from Wisdom in the Cards by A.L. Samul--a commentary on the Hudes Tarot.

If you prefer well-crafted collage decks, especially ones that employ cheery hues and flowing watercolors, the Hudes Tarot will more than meet your expectations. It is a very readable deck, so it's an excellent choice for those new to Tarot. Experienced readers who favor Rider-Waite-Smith imagery will likely make fast friends with this deck, as well. Absent of nudity or darker imagery, this deck is also well suited to readings for children or those spooked by traditional renderings.

(To see 12 card images from the Hudes Tarot, visit the Reviews--Decks section at JanetBoyer.com)

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)