Omaha Books

Having just returned from the Normandy beaches, I found that this book is essential for anyone who visits the battlefield, either by actually walking the ground, or even vicariously by reading in the comfort of your own home. The author, Tim Kilvert-Jones, provides concise, but essential, background material on the strategic setting in 1944, German defensive plans and organization, Allied invasion plans, and the Allied air and naval operations that preceded the invasion. Of particular note is the key role played in Allied planning by intelligence, terrain analysis, weather, and deception operations. The core of the book is a tour of the three main sections of Omaha Beach: Pointe du Hoc and the tactical sectors of the 29th and 1st Infantry Divisions. For each area, Kilvert-Jones has selected excellent vantage points that allow one to view the terrain. The instructions for reaching each vantage point and for driving about the battlefield are clear and accurate. For each vantage point, the author provides detailed descriptions of the actions that occurred there; the narrative is exciting and fast-paced. The tour of each part of the battlefield is supported by excellent maps and photos. This book should appeal to veterans, military professionals, and anyone interested in getting a close-up view of this historically significant battleground.

Writing a tour guide and historical synopsis of the US landing at Omaha Beach on 6 June 1944 is a daunting task, but one well executed by Sandhurst graduate Tim Kilvert-Jones in this Battleground Europe volume. Like other volumes in this series on the D-Day landings, Omaha Beach only focuses on the actions that occurred on and around that particular landing site. Overall, Omaha Beach is an excellent summary of the US V Corps landings on D-Day, as well as a decent tour-guide of the contemporary battlefield.

Omaha Beach consists of seven chapters, beginning with a strategic overview and a full chapter on the Overlord plan relating to Omaha and Pointe du Hoc. The third chapter covers the loading and sea passage. The three main chapters cover the Ranger assault at Pointe du Hoc, the 29th Division landing and the 1st Division landing. An epilogue chapter covers events following D-Day, primarily the Allied logistical build-up on Omaha. There are also six appendices but no order of battle for either side. As usual in Battleground Europe titles, numerous excellent photographs complement the text, but the maps are not as good in this volume as in other volumes in the series.

While Kilvert-Jones does utilize and synthesize information from other accounts, such as Joseph Balkoski's excellent Beyond the Beachhead and Robert J Kershaw's D-Day Piercing the Atlantic Wall, he offers value-added material in terms of his expertise as a retired regular army officer. This book is designed as a professional learning tool for young officers on a staff ride of the Normandy battlefields - a tool I wish that I had as a captain when I made such a staff ride in 1989 - and as such, it offers many useful insights for those who wish to study the art of war as related to Omaha Beach. The author effectively addresses the mission, the enemy, the troops available, the weather and the operational time line.

There are two areas where the author does come up short in his military analysis, in my opinion. First, is the issue of terrain. While the author correctly identifies the draws leading off the beach as key terrain he fails to complete the equation. The fact is that both the Germans and Americans had identified the draws as key terrain and acted upon it, is one of the key reasons for the heavy casualties on Omaha. The Germans could only man the defenses on Omaha with a reinforced battalion at any one time, and they chose to concentrate their defenses on resistance nests covering each of the four draws. Only a few snipers and obstacles were left to cover the area between draws, and this area comprised dead space to the heavy weapons sited in most of the resistance nests. Thus, the main German engagement areas were in front of the draws, which is precisely where the Americans landed. The Americans headed strait for the draws because they optimistically assumed that the preliminary air and naval bombardment would smash the resistance nests and obstacles, allowing the landing troops to move rapidly off the beach through these defiles. Thanks to Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, many Americans are now convinced that all of Omaha Beach was a slaughterhouse. Not true. As Kilvert-Jones notes, some troops landing inadvertently in the dead space between the draws and they were able to reach the bluffs virtually unscathed. The failure of the Americans to appreciate the significance of dead space (since virtually all the German bunkers were identified before the landing) on Omaha Beach was as serious defect in terrain analysis as their failure to anticipate the defensive value of bocage. Had the US troops landed between the draws, hundreds of lives would have been saved.

The second issue that Kilvert-Jones skirts around is that of senior American generalship and planning. There is no doubt that the troops in the 1st and 29th Divisions were well-served by the superior combat leadership of men like BGN Cota and COL Taylor on D-Day, but these were not the men who planned the landings on Omaha. Rather, the inferior leadership and lack of imagination of General Bradley and General Eisenhower are the issue. Whenever one studies Overlord, it is difficult not to be impressed by the incredible logistic planning that went into moving thousands of troops across the sea, as well as technical marvels like PLUTO and MULBERRY and the incredibly successful deception plan. On the strategic level, Overlord was a masterpiece. Yet at the tactical level, particularly at Omaha, Overlord seems to have been planned by men who ignored every lesson of the last thirty years. Bradley rejected British offers of armored "funnies" from the 79th Armored that were far superior at obstacle removal under fire than dismounted engineers - who suffered 41% casualties on Omaha. Nor would Bradley consider using Underwater Demolition Teams or amphibious tractors as used in Pacific invasions. Bradley never really thought about how troops could cross 300-400 meters of open sand under fire from interlocking machinegun nests - a basic lesson learned from the First World War. The fire support plan for Omaha ignored the use of smoke, which would have greatly reduced the accuracy of German fire. Although often described as an excellent tactician, Bradley clearly was not. Indeed, the divisional leaders in the 1st and 29th Divisions questioned the landing plan, but were over-ruled by Bradley who didn't want a plan complicated by gadgets or fancy tactics. Kilvert-Jones mentions the irony of Bradley considering a withdrawal as his troops were actually getting off the beach and Eisenhower was planning a mass air strike to demonstrate how out-of-touch these "leaders" were. After the battle, Eisenhower blamed the "intelligence failure" in detecting the German 352nd Division at Omaha as the primary reason for the heavy casualties. In fact, the American GIs triumphed at Omaha in spite of, not because of, their senior leadership.

This short 30 page account of the D-Day invasion with first hand
narrative is unique in that it contains reproductions of various items associated with the invasion. There are personal items such as notebooks and Bibles and operational items such as orders
and after-action reports. All in all this is an interesting look into the history of D-Day made more so by the inclusion of historical artifacts. I recommend it to you, inspite of its brevity and price.

Despite its brevity, this book is both informative and revealing. Bowden gives a good overview of what preceded and led up to D-Day. He describes Operation Overlord and the German defenses on the French coast, as well as the air and land assault plans.

Especially interesting are the authentic photos and artifacts from the collection of the D-Day Museum in New Orleans, founded by the late Stephen Ambrose. These artifacts include a soldiers' diary, the front page of the New York Times, a letter from Roosevelt, and an inspirational message from Eisenhower. All are able to be pulled out and looked at by the reader.

One of the artifacts, "A Pocket Guide to France" was given to the military and is included in this book as a pull out. It was simple and patriotic as it explained the military mission in France, the history of the conflict, and told the soldiers how to behave while in France.

Bowden also writes of the possible pitfalls in the plan, including dropping soldiers at night and the unpredictability of the weather. He concisely relates the events of D-Day, the airborne efforts, the invasion of Utah Beach, and the action of the armada, all interspersed with the words of those who were there.

Following this is a section about the Allied advance through France and into Germany...and less than a year later, the Reich was in ruins and Hitler was dead.

I liked this book most of all for its simplicity and authenticity.

A story about a couple's struggle to make their marriage work despite their difficult, abusive pasts. I felt like crying every time one kept the other at arm's length. They both want so badly to just be normal, to love and be loved, but their heartbreaking histories almost overwhelm them. Not only did I believe these characters, but I also believed in them. A wonderful book.

books arise from the soul, and Ms. Love must have a powerful surviver's soul. I recommend you read this book.

Ok folks, up front this is not a how to book. Actually there is very little information in this book about starting hands, semi bluffing ect. This book is more about Power Plays. It is about using betting to lure in the action, controlling the pot, and most of all: understanding a great players use of logic rather than pure aggression. Rolf goes through hand scenerios that he has been in, in specific types of games.

For Example: He tells of his time playing in a loose aggressive game in Vienna and how he was able to develop a systematic approach in beating this particular game. P.S. It is fascinating to read.

His style is very erradic but once you read a few of his "Tales from the Felt" (as I call it) you begin to comprehend why he plays these hands a certain way in one game and completely different in another type of game.

If you are an intermediate player I would still say you should read: Jeff Hwangs, Pot Limit Omaha book first and then read this one. Because the concepts in this book are advanced and you must have a clear understanding of the game to fully grasp the ideas and plays in this book. If you don't you will loose alot of money attempting these Power Plays.

On a Personal Note:

I play Omaha hi/lo Ring Games at my local casino and there are moments when I can understand these plays and incorporate them into my game and they have helped me get that extra value for my hand that I could not get before.

Hope this helps!

- George Johnson

A fresh view on pot-limit omaha, a must read for everyone seriously interested in the game. Helps you understand the strategy of shortstack play perfectly.

this dude talks about hands he has played throughout the entire book, quite possibly the worst book ever written

Having read these reviews, I thought I'd better give my sad opinion too, since most of the reviews miss the biggest point.

Unless you are an advanced Omaha player, this book is not for you. If you don't have an exceptional understanding of the game, the stuff Rolf writes will go right over your head. God help you (and your bankroll) if you try using it in money games.

One reviewer is right in saying to read Hwang first. Ciaffone would be another good choice.

If you buy into cash games for the minimum and want to reduce your risk, while raking in large pots, this book is for you. Rolf has written a unique approach that is really quite informative. It takes a real commitment to his strategy for it to work, but in the long run I am sure it works well. Even if you don't use this specific strategy, the book is worth it because it covers a lot of groundbreaking areas that other Omaha books haven't touched and it is well written. I haven't pulled the trigger yet on his strategy, but I learned a lot about the reasons behind a successful Omaha strategy. Well done Rolf.

Omaha is rising a lot in popularity. Good Omaha players can benefit a lot from the recent influx of Hold Em players. Most general poker books have a chapter or two on Omaha but this book in particular will really help you improve your Omaha skills, be it Limit, PLO or Hi-Lo. It will show you how to defeat weak Hold Em players who overplay their aces and by proving hom important the old saying is: Tight is Right, Tighter is Better. This is not a book for the beginning poker player but those who have played for a few years and want to learn to play at a higher level will benefit from this book, I can definately recommend it.

I've been playing poker for sixty years but had never played Omaha. After reading this book I went online (Ultimate Bet)and was amazed. If you like Omaha online buy this book!

The ideas are good and clear.
Will improve your Omaha game.

Highly recommended.

There is very little information available about the games of Omaha and Omaha high-low-split-eight-or-better (O8 for short) so this book is a rare find. The content is very straightforward and to the point, covering different forms of Omaha well. But it is not just a dry reference book, it was very entertaining. Which is good, it helps to keep you interested, focused and learning. I recommend this book to anyone looking to learn the game, or even just to improve their game.

This book is perfect for the experienced poker players who want to refine their skills. Not recommended for beginners.

Take it from multiple-pro-tournament winners T.J. Cloutier and Tom McEvoy: Starting hand selection and flop reading are the two most important skills to develop for becoming a good Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo Eight-or-Better player.

They give you lots of example hands and flops, and explain what to avoid ("danglers") and what to seek out ("Acey-deucey").

A little jargony, but the detailed information as well as Cloutier's hilarious old-school stories make up for that.

It really helped me understand the various incarnations of Omaha and gave me a fighting chance against my buddies on poker night!

This is a dated product. You might be able to pick out a few pieces of interesting (and still applicable) insight. But the bulk of this is either old news, or about Omaha limit, which no one plays. Good omaha books are hard to find!

If you have experience in holdem and know the rules of omaha, you'll find this book is really an introduction. After discounting the "about the anuthor", "history of omaha" and the other space-filler pages, only about 90 page remains... I wish I'd spend the reading time on-line with g..gle and then throw the price on a poker site where I can practice. I'd have learned more with this way.

The book was written in fairly easy to read format. The book did a very good job of explaing PLO and I would recomened this to anyone who is looking for a good book on PLO.

There was not much technical writing in the book so it was nice to read.

If you are going to play Pot-Limit Omaha Poker (PLO), then this is probably the best book to learn with. it covers starting hands, how to play in different situations and so forth.

Bob Ciaffone's classic is a must-read for any player serious about learning to play Omaha proficiently. If the book seems a little light at first glance, just remember that it was originally written over two decades ago, and its place in poker literature is secure. I think the strength of the content will also surprise you a bit at times, as even seemingly mundane topics such as "Community Card Poker" and "Betting and Blind Structure" have surprising value.

Frankly, everything the man writes is golden. And coming from hold'em, this was the book that really changed the way I thought about Omaha and got me on the right track. For those familiar with my work, I should note that it was Bob's original section on the straight draws that I built upon.

For players new to Omaha, Bob Ciaffone's Omaha Poker is as good a place as any to start.

-- Jeff Hwang

Popular Futurism in the vein of Alvin Toffler, but even more journalistic and accessible. The title is the theme of the book as well as its own powerful metaphor of what is happening in the globalized world. His thesis is encapsulated in the subtitle of the book: "The Bigger the World Economy, The More Powerful Its Smallest Players". The ever-increasing speed of change provides ever smaller economic entities - businesses and countries - with greater opportunities given the flexibility inherent in being smaller. Pink talks about this in "Free Agent Nation". Naisbitt relates it to countries. It was this idea that inspired me (in my book "The Optimistic Jew") to think of Israel as a disproportionate (to its size) driving force in the world economy and to aspire to the highest median income in the world by 2030.

1. The European Community will not adopt a common currency-not in this century and beyond-because our money, both paper and coin, which we imprint with national symbols and national heroes, is the one thing that distinguishes us from others.
2. World trends point overwhelmingly toward political independence and self rule and economic alliances
3. The bigger the world economy, the more powerful its smaller players: virtual corporations, smaller the components, communication interconnection, global commerce, the demise of the nation-state, and self-rule of individuals are transforming corporations and countries. The entrepreneur will emerge as the powerhouse of global productivity. Over 50 percent of global GDP is produced by small entrepreneurs with less than 19 employees or fewer employees. The entrepreneur is the most important player in the building of the global economy.
4. Downsizing, reengineering, creating networking organizations, virtual corporation's results in dismantling bureaucracies to survive. Economies of scale are giving way to economies of scope, finding the right size for synergy, market flexibility, and not above all, speed. Jack Welch says, "What we are trying relentlessly to do is to get that small-company soul-and small company speed-inside our big company." With following results: employee reduction of 100,000 over 11 years to 268,000; sales have gone from $27 billion to $62 billion and income from $1.5 to $4.7 billion. "We are trying to get the small-company benefits of quickness in time to market, decision-making and the elimination of bureaucratic activities."
5. As the world integrates economically, the component parts are becoming more numerous and smaller and more important. The bigger and more open the world economy, the more small and middle size companies will dominate. The more choice, the more discrimination in choice, the more appetite for additional options and the more we integrate the more we differentiate.
6. Tribes have returned. Democracy greatly magnifies and multiples the assertiveness of tribes. Email is a tribe-maker. Electronics makes us more tribal at the same time it globalizes us. Think locally and act globally. In the future most armed conflict will be ethnically or tribally motivated, rather than politically or economically motivated.
7. Asians are learning to become affluent: Ferragamo-designed shirts, Rolex, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, BMW, Giorgio Armani, Christian Dior, Nia Ricci, Estee Lauder, Bruno Magli, Tiffiny, and Sony. Paris-based Cartier opened its first China outlet with annual sales of $1.5 billion. Vietnam's most popular band sings Bruce Springsteen songs. At any time the top 10 films in any major city in the world are American made; the American movie industry has $4 billion trade balance, and earns more than 40 percent of its revenues from abroad.
8. China has 56 different nationalities and five of China's 30 provinces are autonomous.
9. Kenichi Ohmae has proposed breaking up homogeneous Japan into nine or ten autonomous regions. Ichiro Ozawa advocates breaking Japan into 300 autonomous regions, "Plans to rebuild Japan"
10. Computers allow us to organize and keep track of complexity, the complexity of having many small units-for companies and for the world. The breakup of countries into national or tribal entities is surely as beneficial as breakup of companies. It eliminates duplication and waste, reduces bureaucracy and promotes motivation and accountability, and results in self-rule. If the world is going to be a single-market world, the parts have to be smaller. The shift will be from 200 to 600 countries to million hosts of networks that are all tied together.
11. The 88 republics and regions in Russia are semi-autonomous.
12. Many people of the new tribalism want self-rule. The nation-state is dead. The revolution in telecommunication move towards self-rule. Modern telecommunication encourages extraordinary cooperation among people, companies, and countries. The world today is about the individual and not the state. Companies that endure over the next few decades will exist to meet the communications needs of individuals.
13. Individuals decide the value of currency. Approximately 22,000 currency trader determine relative value of their countries currency and buy and sell millions of dollars with their clients money and their money.
14. 2001 there were 1.5 billion internet users in the world.
15. Politics will reemerge as the engine of individualism.
16. People are less afraid to travel; many have been unable to travel because of oppressive government and with their new found freedom, they want to travel; in the US the population of people over 55 will rise from 21 to 27 percent by 2010 and their impact on travel will be greater than their numbers; this group will be well-educated and well traveled and relatively prosperious and will be looking for greater travel experiences.
17. Between 1985 and 1990, travel from America to Europe grew by 25 percent. By 1985, 27 percent of American travelers had traveled to more than three European countries.
18. In 1992, an estimated 1.5 million Americans spent close to $100 million to plunge from an extended crane or bridge overhang only to bounce back up in the air. Adventure travels has increased. "Many people feel their lives are out of control, and they turn to recreation because it something they can exert control over. Their recreation choices are a way for them to make statements about who they are. If a person is underemployed and bored on the job, he or she may have a greater tendency to engage in reckless activities as a way to compensate for what they are not achieving professionally." "There is increasing demand for tourism in which visitors are permitted to observe and participate in local events and life-styles in a non artificial manner" (Ectotourism).
19. People throughout the world want the Americanized experience, they want the image of being American, and they want the recreation brands made by Americans.
20. In 1991, tourism earned developing countries $312 billion in foreign currency. Americans want to visit Russia, China, India and eventually Iraq and Iran.
21. One in six jobs in the Caribbean is related to travel and tourism, 15.8 percent of all jobs. By 1994, the WTTC reports that travel and tourism is expected to reach 24.5 percent to the economies of the Caribbean.
22. The cruise industry into the US sector has experienced increases in both passengers and number of sales. The fastest growing sector is for passengers between the age of 25 to 40. Families with children booked 28 percent of all cruise vacations. The Caribbean remains the most popular cruise and Mexico and Alaska run as second. By the year 2000, 10 million people will cruise annually. There are 160 ships that represent the world's cruise fleet.
23. In Australia, where tourism accounts for 12.5 percent of the countries employment, 987,000 workers and $11.6 billion in tax revenues rapid development of roads is under construction.
24. We now face new era of greatly increased international communications, more freedom to travel, more international trade, and more investing across international borders. "Suddenly, there are 430 million, mostly well-educated citizens of Eastern Europe and old Soviet Union, who are now free to travel after having been locked up from more than 50 years."
25. The switch from centralized economies to free-market economies in China and India will be big, these economies account for 38 percent of the world's population. The removal of border controls between the 12 nations of the European Community; the creation of the world's largest free-trade area of Canada, Mexico, and the United States encompasses 370 million consumers having a total output of $7 trillion. Travel is now considered a basic human right.
26. Between 1978 and 1992, the yuan feel from 1.7 to the dollar to 5.5 to the dollar.
27. By using PPP, the IMF found China had produced $1.7 trillion in goods and services.
28. China boasts a million millionaires, almost all of whom come from the ranks of its 18 million entrepreneurs. China's goal is to grow 10 percent a year for the rest of the century, doubling every seven years. China's foreign trade grew to around $170 billion by 1992. In the first six years of economic reform, China raised half out of poverty.
29. In 1978, China, approximately 700 products passed through the central planning system. By 1991, the number had dropped to 20. By 1992, the market distributed almost 60 percent of coal, 55 percent of steel, and 90 percent of cement. In 1992, the government approved the establishment of 47,000 new enterprises based on foreign investment, investing $57.5 billion.
30. China wants to have 100 million telephone lines by 2000. China 1986-1990 wants increase power capacity by 35,000 megawatts. America Express has 3,000 establishments in 130 cities and the amount charged has been increasing by an average of 40 percent a year since 1988.
31. Foreign investors start with a small investment, learn the market, develop relationships with Chinese partners, let each experience make them a little stronger.

Narrative is indeed the most salient feature of this book, and apparently there is nothing too exciting about it-- in any rate, that was the my impression when I first read it some ten years ago.

This time, it really amazed me: the predictions made some ten years ago are so correct, particularly the part concerning Asia and China where I live. Furthermore, when the author quoted, he epitomized.... I don't know much about Futurism, but I am not sure if analysis or theories could contribute much in a book of this nature. Anyway, had I paid better attention to this book, I could have an extra edge in my investment portfolio particularly in Greater China... And so, I will waste no time in checking out his other books.

Paradoxes surround us in the big/little, global/local, corporate/personal, and public/private contexts. You can find here insights for the emergence of the post-industrial global culture and economy. Because of the global integration, small businesses have even more hope of becoming successful in the future. Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
--A famous paradox in architecture that has served the profession well is "Less is more," meaning that the less you clutter a building with embellishments, the more elegant it can be, the greater a work of architecture it can be.
--The entrepreneur is also the most important player in the building of the global economy. So much so that big companies are decentralizing and reconstituting themselves as networks of entrepreneurs.
--The principle of the global paradox--the bigger the world economy, the more powerful its smallest players--applies especially to business. Huge companies like IBM, Philips, and GM must break up to become confederations of small, autonomous, entrepreneurial companies if they are to survive. Big companies and "economies of scale" succeeded in the comparatively slow-moving world of the four decades to the mid-1980s. But now, only small and medium-sized companies--or big companies that have restyled themselves as networks of entrepreneurs--will survive to be viable when we turn the corner o f the next century. Already 50 percent of U.S. exports are created by companies with 19 or fewer employees; the same is true of Germany. --Economies of scale are giving way to economies of scope, finding the right size for synergy, market flexibility, and above all, speed. ...What is going on in American corporations today is the "ODD effect" : outsourcing, de-layering, and deconstruction.
--In the years ahead all big companies will find it increasingly difficult to compete with--and in general will perform more poorly than--smaller, speedier, more innovative companies.

Create a niche brand for yourself, and win!

Naisbitt has happened upon an important topic which could have been explored by a stronger intellect to make an important contribution to academics, policy makers, and managers understanding the emerging world structure. Unfortunately, Naisbitt lacks the intellectual firepower and personal gravitas to pull it off. As a previous reviewers suggests, he substitutes trite anecdotes in place of even the simplist forms of empiricism. His thinking is simplistic and demonstrates a profound lack of understanding of the true complexity of globalization, the working of international trade, and the development of intellectual property. This work is 'People' magazine journalism trying unsuccessfully to masquerade as public intellectualism. Obviously, I am advising against reading this book if your interest in the future of globalization is at all serious.

If you've read very many books on Hold'em you are probably familiar with Lou Krieger and his "Hold'em Excellence" books. Well, Krieger has done it again - this time with Omaha/8.

There are other books that cover Omaha/8, but none that I think do it quite as well for the inexperienced player. After reading Tenner and Krieger and putting their advice into action you'll probably want to check out Ray Zee and other authors of Omaha/8 books.

The book contains introductory chapters dealing with how Omaha/8 is played, basic elements of strategy and basic poker etiquette. Then a chapter introduces the basics of counting outs and calculating odds as needed in Omaha/8 with a table on page 72 giving percentage probability of hitting your hand for four to twenty outs. If the effort required for memorizing this table is a turnoff (it is for me) you'll find that you can accurately calculate the probability of hitting your card on the turn or river by multiplying the outs by four then subtracting the outs in excess of ten.

The next chapter discusses starting hands and I think this may be one of the most valuable sections of the book for many players. Most authors of hold'em books give an easy to remember list of starting hands, but most writers on Omaha/8 are more vague. This is probably in large part because of the number of possible hands in Omaha. Omaha/8 is a high-low game and the hands you want to play will be either high or low. Tenner and Krieger give a brief set of principle-based rules for starting hands that should make sense of the almost infinite possibilities.

Other chapters deal with playing on the flop, playing hands with two aces, playing from the blinds, kill pots, playing flops with a pair, bankroll requirements, playing online, and much more.

If you aspire to become a capable Omaha/8 player this book will get you off to a good start.

After reading the book, I can see why I have a hard time winning in the on line games. Since I have read the book, I have been holding my own, but using the author's information on starting hands, I sure sit on the sidelines watching a lot of the action.

Little is published on this game, so if you are into omaha 8 you should buy it all. My main objection to this book is the writing style. I like a less conversational approach; 'just the facts' and if it's important put a star by it.
This book gives organized guidelines on flop play(page 106-107) that are quite helpful to a new player that wants specific advice, and any points of play considered important are emphasized.
I would be wary of reviewers that praise this book above all others. They tend to be new players. There are great insights in books by Zee, Cappelletti, Ciaffone, Slotboom, Brunson, etc. If advice contradicts try to reason out why and you'll probably become a better player.
For a new fixed limit player this is a good start but I would also get Zee's book. Also just go online and get what you can from websites.
Then get experience and be a nit. lol

I am a novice at Omaha/8, so I write from that perspective. I have Zee's book and Cloutier's book. Neither of them come close to offering the material Tenner and Krieger present in "Winning Omaha 8" for the beginning player. I think Zee and Cloutier believe you already know this stuff; Tenner and Krieger make no such supposition and start from scratch.

I am one of those players (and a pretty good one) coming from Hold 'em to Omaha/8. Over and over and over, Tenner and Krieger tell me Omaha/8 is NOT Hold 'em, and give example after example. They tell me to often muck pocket aces. What? Muck pocket aces? Yeah right! So I go to Zee's book and find one sentence: muck weak pocket aces. Tenner and Krieger devote a whole chapter to properly playing aces. Guess which book is more informative to the novice. Ever so slowly it dawns on me just how good their advice is. Ever so slowly I go from being a big loser to a small winner at the tables.

Over and over and over, they say Omaha/8 is a game of scoops, not of splits. For at least a month I think they are crazy. Why would I not play the nut high straight even if I had to split the pot? But they say it so often, it gets in my head like a song you can't get rid of. And I go from being a small winner to a much bigger winner.

The book is packed with facts. It has to be read, underlined, reread, reunderlined. I recall the chapter on Playing the Flop. I remember praying to God to please let this chapter come to an end. And yet it is the best chapter in the book, even if it has to be practically memorized word for word.

One small criticism. While the book is most certainly complete enough for the novice (and the intermediate and maybe even the expert who writes the other review and pans the book), it is missing a few paragraphs. It fails to say anything about playing Pot Limit Omaha/8. Maybe the casinos don't spread Pot Limit Omaha/8, I don't know. But the Internet poker sites most certainly do big time! I would have wanted even a little advice on how to adjust playing the game to pot limit.

I think this is the first book I've given 5 stars. I wrote this review in answer to those who criticized it. Please don't buy it if you might end up at my table.

There is very little material out there on this game. If you follow Mark's advice you will win in the low to middle limit games. The style is tight and somewhat boring but it works.

Egardo Vega Yunque is like a straight Puero Rican William S. Burroughs in terms of effect surrealistic imagery. But the book has a strong story line, great characters, and its funny. There's quite a bit of philosophy in it, but the main thing is you're alway wondering what's going to come next. If sexual imagery offends you then don't get this book. What at first may seem like racial stereotypes turn out be valid statements about how ancient parts of our respective cultures are very much a part of us.

The novel is dead, postmodernism was a fun ride that's been over pretty much since the 80's (when you were too short to ride anyhow), and you haven't looked back on Manhattan since it became overrun with extraordinarily able young women from Montclair and Chapel Hill and Bucks County in Banana Republic suits and $40 blowouts. But you find yourself riding the T with nostalgia and occasionally even wake up from a blackout to find yourself in, um, a bookstore. Browsing though, er, a novel. It's not like you have anything better to do on a Thursday night in whatever pseudocity lured you away fom Metropolis.

I like this one. The lamentable journey is self-conscious, but not painfully so, and I keep getting the feeling that Vega feels something similar for the novel that I do--it's that predictable ex-lover you keep going back to partly because you hope something new will finally happen and partly because you know that it won't. The book reads easily, it's a lot of fun, it makes you feel very clever to recognize Vega's allegories/references, and it won't leave you with that not-so-fresh-feeling. What more can you ask for?

Take a trip with White Bread Omaha into the far reaches of the barrio in this laugh-a-minute exploration of life. Ed Vega has a remarkable talent for capturing the multicultural flavor of language as it exists on the mean, and not-so-mean streets of the city. Although occasionally purient, this hilarious social commentary is well-worth the read, and is certain to appeal to the college crowd. Mixing his frank examination of barrio life with just a little bit of magic, Vega Yunque pulls the reader into a story not soon forgotten.

Don't be daunted by the title, the author's prose is tight and straight up; his examination of life is as diverse and exciting as the characters who carry this tale.

This is an unusual book because of the interaction of the author and his characters and the digressions he makes for explanations or to express a viewpoint. One such expression is that Americans never know the geography of a country until they bomb it. He declares that few Americans know the geography of Puerto Rico (his native land) and asks the United States to please don't bomb Puerto Rico merely to learn the geography. This digression is hilarious, as are most of these. Even when being serious he's funny.

The theme of the novel is that a New York City born underage Puerto Rican heritage witch falls in love with a middle America born, now a bum, white guy with a small penis. She agrees to enlarge him, but it comes with a price: he must remain faithful to her. Okay, we now know what's going to happen. Hey! I've read Shakespeare and Greek Tragedy and know the consequences of anything given in return for a promise. If I learned nothing from Shakes and the Greeks I certainly learned by buying cars on time.

What one senses as he reads further into the work is the digressions don't occasionally interrupt the story; the story occasionally interrupts the digressions. Read it for these; it's worth your while.

I recommend it.

A brilliantly written book, spoilt by what can only be described as a worrisomely incontinent urge to intervene and pass comment on contemporary events. If only Ed Vega could pack the bite of, say, a Jonathan Swift in his political satires, this Omaha Bigelow could have been regarded as a great - or near-great - offering from the pen of the best thing out of Puerto Rico since, since ... I forget! When Vega Yunque learns to control the preening vanity, we might get something worthy of his excellent talents; but until he does so, we must admire his flawed genius and reflect how near we got to a classic. Only time will tell if Ed Vega can write like Marquez, Fuentes, Borges, or just stand all the time in his own way, casting a heavy shadow over an as yet underplayed brilliance. However, the book remains successful, and packs a magical-realism punch to-die-for (before you really do die at the authorial interventions!!!) More art, less Ed, if you please.

In Omaha's Old Market, Ashley Allyson teaches an erotic writing workshop while her husband Troy edits an alternative weekly newspaper The Omaha Street. Ashley believes her relationship with Troy is one of trust and bliss as they raise their teenage son Lee. However she is ignorant of the fact that he is having an affair with one of her students, twentyish Peach, who manages along with her twin the bookstore, Mermaids Singing. Her sister Plum is attracted to l photographer Tucker the dwarf. Ashley's friend Deedee Millwood runs the Sweet Shop where she sells sexy items and provides sexual advice to her customers. Her teenage daughter Naomi is attracted to Lee although he is gay. Finally someone stalks African-American artist Vivian Dailey.

Life in the Old Market never changes until email between Peach and Troy is sent to the wrong person. Now all these neighbors will meet as their bohemian lifestyles seem suddenly hypocritical when immoral acts are exposed, yet sex orgies remain the only party in town.

Timothy Schaffert cleverly satires the bohemian lifestyle on the Plains with his deep look at the residents of Old Market. The story line is energetic due to the strong ensemble cast of which each of the prime nine players are fully developed and unique. Though the stalker seems an unnecessary intruder to a fine plot, readers will appreciate the gathering of the artsy DEVILS IN THE SUGAR SHOP.

Harriet Klausner

This book is so fun you'll not want to put it down. You'll read it twice I promise!

In a frothy mélange of characters, particularly the females whose angst is stirred by the pre-Valentine's chill of Omaha, the small dramas of marriages in flux and the newly-divorced play out. The confusion of life on life's terms is reflected by the almost-grown children of couples near forty (who barely feel the threat of age), reminding their parents that there are consequences for every action. Newly moneyed by a thriving sex toy party business, Deedee has just persuaded best friend Ashley to host a party for their intellectual, artistic friends. Recently divorced, Deedee has not yet acclimated to her new role, drawn back to the easy comfort of ex-Zeke. Ashley is for the most part content with her station, although worried about the intense Lee, who, at seventeen, has just come out and his frequently sulky older sister, Peyton, both young adults acting out the bored ennui of their generation. The third member of this trio, who meet every Saturday for Happy Hour, is Vivienne, a successful local artist engaged in a mild flirtation with Zeke.

Slightly sophisticated, slightly urbane, the three friends navigate a comfortable social milieu, their assumptions unchallenged, save the occasionally raucous novelty sex parties of prim Omaha housewives. But like any city, anywhere, reality lurks just beneath the surface. Unfaithful husbands, an anonymous stalker who creates erotic collages of carefully chosen victims, habits of deception, general paranoia and an active gay community (complete wit colorful drag queens) belie the quiet façade of propriety. By the end of her sex toy party, Ashley comes face to face with the threat of a husband's affair, unable for once to deceive herself that her marriage is perfect. And Viv is wracked with guilt when she realizes Deedee isn't finished with Zeke; even the eccentric twenty-something twins, Peach and Plum, who own an eclectic bookstore, mermaid Singing, become a vital part of the night's turmoil as the entire cast collides at a swinger's party.

Filled with the uncertainties of modern life as the years eat away at the magic of youthful ideals, these unique characters, none of them mean-spirited or ill-intentioned, come to terms with the challenges they face, putting aside their cherished fairytale pretensions, succumbing to the practical demands of maturity. Written with a light hand and a subtle sense of humor by an author who sees deeply into the dark recesses of failed dreams, Devils in the Sugar Shop celebrates the absurdities of the human condition on a very personal scale, the capacity for forgiveness and the willingness to endure for the sake of those we love. While not every complaint or sorrow is resolved, the spirit of hope prevails, even in Omaha. Luan Gaines/2007.