Gambling Books

Well presented book first published in 1980 by someone who knows what they are writing about.

... but yes, I wrote the book. Back when I did it, online poker was legal (and you can still do it if you know how to get around the law), and will be legal again soon ... or so I hope. Anyway, if you ever wanted to learn how to play online poker, this could be the book for you.

I wrote this to be easy to understand. It explains how to find legit sites, how to set up accounts, basic bankroll tips and more. And if enough people like this, I'll submit my fiction to the publisher and have a go with that.

If you buy it, I thank you ahead of time. And if you want to see more from me, drop me a line.

See you at the tables.

This second collection of Malmuth's essays was also first published in book form in 1996, which means some of the material is definitely dated; nonetheless this book is still very much worth reading mainly because of Malmuth's expertise and thoroughly professional approach to all things poker.

Just for the fun of it I will take a more critical approach in this review than I did in my review of his first collection.

In an essay entitled, "Is It Better to Be Lucky or Good?" Malmuth ventures that he would rather be lucky. This recalls the old rounder's dictum, usually voiced after a bad run of cards, "I'd rather be lucky than good." Of course the rounders always said that because they figured they already WERE good. Malmuth's somewhat quizzical take is really an excuse to comment on variance and short term luck in poker. The statement "...if you are lucky, you will probably win, and if you are unlucky, the probability is high that you will lose" (p. 33) is actually something of a tautology in that the very concept of being lucky implies winning, while being unlucky implies losing. Malmuth's main point is luck is always a statement about past events. Since each poker hand is an independent event, there is no way of knowing whether one will be "lucky" in the next hand. Lucky people HAVE BEEN lucky. Whether they will continue to be lucky is an open question.

It's good here to recall another old rounder's dictum, "I play results." What this means is that when a player has been winning and there is a question as to whether that player has been lucky or good, and you don't have enough evidence to be sure, the judicious course is to assume that the player is good--that is, to base your evaluation of the player on his or her results, not the possible prejudicial reports from other players. Many losers whine about their luck, which means that they often think that the players beating them are just lucky when in fact the losers are getting outplayed.

In the essay, "Is a Point Count Worthwhile?" Malmuth argues rather convincingly that such schemes are questionable in hold'em, highly questionable in stud, and possibly of some very limited value in Omaha. The main point he makes is that because point counts don't take into consideration position or the tendencies of the other players, or in stud, information from exposed cards, they can be misleading because the value of your hand changes with the changing circumstances. As Malmuth explains, K9o is a better hand on the button than say T9s if nobody has entered the pot, but not as good if there are several callers already in. By most point count systems they would be about equal in ranking.

I developed a point count system many years ago. What I learned (and I think this is something that both Sklansky and Malmuth have missed) is that a point count system can help the beginning player as a guide and as a study aide. Sklansky arranged starting hold'em hands into groups as a guide. Sklansky's system required the player to commit to memory which hands to open or raise with in which position. I believe a point count system would make the learning curve less steep. A simple one for hold'em is A = 13, K = 12...etc; suited = 4; connected no gap = 5, one gap = 3, etc; pair = 14. Thus AKs = 39; T9o = 22, and so on. (My system was a little more sophisticated, but not much more valuable than this.)

Some differences between this and Malmuth's first collection include more essays on Omaha and Omaha eight or better, and more essays on "great players" and what makes them great or not so great. Similarities include the continuing discussion of which game is more difficult, seven card stud or hold'em, and why Malmuth believes that limit hold'em is more complex than no limit hold'em.

There are the usual quizzes and well-meaning lectures to poker room staff, dealers and professionals for which Malmuth is well known and appreciated.

I want to close with a couple of quibbles on the quizzes (if you will):

Malmuth writes, "If hold'em was not played with community cards, that is, if everyone received their own flop independent of everyone else, then it would be correct to play almost every hand." (p. 245) This is obviously false (and probably just careless phrasing by Malmuth). This would be similar to seven card stud with a bet before third street. Again obviously playing any two cards would not be wise just as playing any two cards in antiquated five card stud would not be wise.

On page 247 he writes that "a small pair...in a many-handed pot...will not win as often as a random two cards." This is also incorrect. Even 22 is more likely to win than a random set of two cards, the average of which is something like the "computer hand" of Q7o.

Finally, I was surprised to read that Malmuth's "guess" is that AA will win in low limit games "approximately one-third of the time." Trust me, I have the stats: pocket rockets in any game--even micro limits--will win more than fifty percent of the time. If you raise with them every time I can promise that at the 2/4 to the 30/60 level they will win at least 70% of the time, and if you go to the river and call every bet regardless of the action, they will win at least 75% of the time! A cold computer simulation of simply dealing out the cards verses nine players will show AA winning about a third of the time, which is what I imagine Malmuth had in mind.

Bottom line: again a must for the professional player and a pleasure to read for all serious players.

Mike Caro,aka the mad genius of poker, has written a book about both poker and life. Caro teaches women how to take advandage of the way men treat women. These lessions go beyond the poker table into all areas of life.

Caro teaches the fundmentals of all the popular games of poker.

With so many women now playing poker men should also read this book to advoid tipical mistakes men make with women

I use these jokes at the game now and love this little collection. Poker players take being drawn out on way too seriously as it is. Rib a loser in West Texas , they may shoot you but, hey, laughter is the best medicine.

Love this book. If you play, whether it's a friendly or a smoker, this book can help your game with its insights from the players with the biggest stones. Those guys (gender agnostic) are legends and yet seemingly accessible - if only. Dunnett has done it. Even though I recommend it, I'm tempted to keep to myself and use it for the potential ill-gotten gains from less informed competitors.

There is very little here for players with any experience, and the word "Pro" in the title is completely inaccurate. Now if you are pretty new to the game and want a very approachable read, then this will do the job. It's almost like a condensed, dumbed down, super system 1, which most self-respecting players have read. I have been playing for about 7 years, so this was pretty much worthless to me, but it might be of great value to someone just learning the game. May you pocket aces not get cracked!

If you're serious about wanting to learn how to play Texas hold'em, this book is an ideal place to start. Krieger and Bykofsky examine the game from just about every angle --- from basic strategy to some of the more advanced concepts and plays, as well as game selection, money management, dealing with tilt, shifting gears, and so much more. All throughout the book their "amateur alerts" warn the reader to avoid some of the most common, and costly, poker mistakes. And it's all put across in an easy, conversational style that's always a pleasure to read. Highly recommended!

A concise, colorful history of the first 120 winners of America's most famous horse race. A short page story accompanies each lovingly done portrait. This lady knows how to draw horses--she doesn't pretty them up, she shows them how they are, beautiful enough without having to add any artificial ingredients. The stories are fascinating if you are a racing fan or like to read biographies of people and animals. The book is relatively inexpensive for art and history of this quality

People who know where the big money is play Keno. In this book you will learn all the secrets of the great bets that win thousands, and tens of thousands of dollars -- and even millions -- while paying for themselves along the way.

Known in casino jargon as Big Board Keno, this is a game that's almost like a lottery -- except that you have many more options and choices than with any lottery. If you have ever played any Lottery, then you know how you can win big for little cost. But Lotteries are hard to win, and the betting options are none. In a Lottery, all you can do is mark your numbers and that's it. Then you have to wait several days to see if you won.

In Keno, you can wager in a variety of ways, and that's the operative word -- "Ways." You see, smart players who know how to exploit this game for big money, know that to play the game well you must learn how to play "way tickets." And not just any such ticket -- specific tickets marked in very special ways that no casino will ever tell you about, and no one except the regular players know about. Until now, that is, because now you have this great book to show you how.

There are sample tickets in this book, and actual pictures of what these tickets are and how they win, and why, and how little they cost. There are playing instructions and strategy principles that most people don't even know are possible for this game. Keno has had a bad rap among casino players and writers for a long time. But it is a serious game, and one where huge wins are possible. And the best thing is -- you don't have to wait a week to see if you won a Lottery. Each game is played about every 5-10 minutes, and if you know what you learn in this book, you will be able to play for very little, last a long time, and play tickets that pay for themselves along the way.

Also included is a chapter on Nevada Numbers, which is a progressive jackpot throughout Nevada casinos, and is similar to a lottery. This is a 5-number game, and the jackpot starts at $5 million!

The second half of this terrific book is about Video Keno. Most people don't know just how good Video Keno is as a playing option. It is a game that may look odd, but the jackpots are enormous, and playing is easy. Here in this book the Author shows you the actual pictures of the machines and their game screens, shows you what they pay and how and why, and tells you how to make the most from your playing dollar. He also shows you why Video Keno is a better game than many others, and how it can be exploited not only for great casino fun, but also for large wins.

It is a great book, with great stories, loads of very important information, and something that has long been overdue. The "secrets" of successful Keno game, previously used by old-time players and professionals, are now available for everyone. And yes, most important, Royer also shows you how and why some of the current "myths" about Keno and Video Keno are wrong, and why.

Finally, there are charts that show paybacks, and also a listing of which casinos have the best games. With what you learn here, you too will enjoy Keno, and just one small win will pay for this book many times over. It's worth the read, for sure!

I originally was reading Kim Isaac Greenblatt's books on fiction and I saw that he writes non-fiction. I don't play poker but I tried playing craps in the past. I didn't get it. The book explains in a no-nonsense way how craps works and how different systems all lead to losing. His section on dice setting explains that a person can set up their own experiments and track them on their own without having to spend thousands of dollars to conmen to teach you to win at a negative expectation game. I have read other books on craps in the past and they have all sorts of money management systems and basically it is all luck. Kim Isaac Greenblatt at least reminds us that if you are lucky, great, if not, remember that the odds are stacked against you. There isn't anything groundbreaking in the book but he is refreshingly honest and simplifies how to approach playing the game. He also donates part of the proceeds from his book to Rett Syndrome research.