Gambling Book Reviews

Raymond Clarke shares his experiences and strategies for playing video poker and enjoying time spent in the casino in his new book, 'Your Winning Strategy to Video Poker: The Alternative to Slots' (now available through AuthorHouse).

Barry Shulman, the publisher of Card Player Magazine, has released a new book of tips for winning No-Limit Texas Hold'em. Covering a broad range of topics, the book is receiving high marks from other professionals.

As the never-ending march of poker books for advanced players and absolute beginners continues, two more titles trying to fill an informational space have arrived at Gambler's Book Shop.

For a while it was quiet. A new book on the Mob turned up here or there but overall, interest had waned. With John Gotti dead and many an ex-Mafioso in the witness protection program or dead, who had anything to say in a book? Then, suddenly as 2006 moves to an end, four new titles arrive at Gambler's Book Shop; organized crime is a hot topic again.

College basketball is just around the corner, and poker remains number one in the hearts and minds of millions—so it's a perfect 1-2 punch when two terrific books arrive at Gambler's Book Shop the same week. The two hot titles are Phil Gordon's Little Blue Book and the 2006-07 edition of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.

Sometimes when it rains, it pours and when you're in the desert, you appreciate the downpour. At Gambler's Book Shop, we get to appreciate it in two ways -- first for the welcomed moisture and second for the gambling-related titles that show up at an unprecedented rate.

Peter Thomas Fornatale, a very talented writer with a skill for interviewing the best in poker, has a new book on the game, while Brandon Adams adds a fresh view of the game in a novel. These are two worthy additions to your poker library, and here's a look at each work.

'Championship Satellite Strategy' is a respectable effort focusing on satellite poker tournaments. On balance, McEvoy and Dougherty provide information that someone who hasn't given these sorts of events and structures a great deal of thought will find useful.

If you are looking for a one-stop shop approach to winning Texas Hold'em online, Matthew Hilgers 'Interent Texas Hold'em' is a solid choice.

There are a number of new books whose subject is the language of poker. If it all sounds like Greek to you, check out the selections Howard Schwartz reviews this week.

The world of poker is getting larger and doesn't seem to be close to the end of its growth spurt. More people are playing, more states and nations are in action and it seems more people are writing about the game now than they did at any time in history. So--what's new? This month it’s two new books which detail the characters, places, attitudes, strategies and lifestyles of players and what brings them to the table again and again.

Chris Ferguson says Scott Fischman is the perfect person to teach online poker, that he is a guy who, in fact, can train you for anything -- from your local home game to the world's richest events. Fischman's new book, 'Online Ace' is a dandy piece of work for millions who are potential players and for those looking for ways to improve their games.

Beyond Tells is one of the better books Nick has read on the subject of the psychology of poker players. Information in the book will help some poker players better understand themselves and most poker players better understand their opponents.

Matthew Hilger, a Georgia native, wrote Internet Texas Hold'em three years ago and it became an immediate hit. His newest work is timed perfectly to fit the needs of the new high-flying generation of players searching for the answers to the question of when to call, raise, fold and figure their 'outs.'

Serious sports bettors get their minds in gear long before the season begins. That's why Howard Schwartz is alerting all you football bettors to the books that will make your 2006 season a winning one.

Throughout history (and perhaps even more today), chance, coincidence and luck have fascinated both professional and recreational gamblers. In recent months, a group of new titles that analyze the phenomenon of luck and coincidence have hit the bookshelves. Howard Schwartz reviews some of the titles.

Harrington and Robertie, Miller and Sklansky are poker writing teams whose works are eagerly anticipated. The wait is over as both teams have released new Hold'em poker strategy books.

Andy Bloch was one of the masterminds behind the MIT Team that took Vegas for millions of dollars. He has recently released a DVD that lays out his strategies for winning at blackjack. Here, Bill Rini gives us his opinion on this new product.

Legends of poker strategy release new books to quench thirst for knowledge in the poker community. Dan Harrington adds the third volume to his Hold'em series, and David Sklansky, with Ed Miller, has released his No-Limit Hold'Em Theory and Practice.

One of the more fascinating areas related to gambling is the role of organized crime in creating an atmosphere or environment where people could play--legally or illegally. Here are five books that cover the topic of gambling and gangsters.

Humble's World's Greatest Blackjack Book provides a complete description of the Hi-Opt 1 card counting strategy. If you ignore the out of date data on the casinos, ignore the hyperbole about dealer cheating, and realize that the Hi-Opt 1 is a good system, but not as good as the authors make it out to be, this is an excellent book.

Cloutier, who has won about five dozen major tournaments, stimulates potential tournament players with chapters analyzing what separates the great players from the good players

As serious video poker players know, the most important thing when you go out to play is where to find the right machines. Bringing this information to the public has been one of Skip Hughes' goals for over seven years, and he continues to do an admirable job with his Video Poker Player monthly newsletter.

In Aces and Kings, Michael Kaplan and Brad Reagan provide some biographical background on about twenty highly successful poker champions in a collection of fifteen stories. 'Aces and Kings' is worthwhile as entertainment for just about any poker audience.

While written, ostensibly, to enlighten casino executives, there's a wealth of information for the players. The introduction alone, which describes an incredibly creative blackjack play in Atlantic City, is worth the price of the book.