Poker Book Review The Illustrated Guide To Texas Holdem

At a time when new poker books are pouring onto store shelves, Dennis Purdy is the first author to offer a unique approach to learning poker with The Illustrated Guide to Texas HoldEm. The former gambling pro uses a visual problem-solving approach rather than a textual approach at teaching poker strategy.The cover indicates that this guide may make a winner out of an advanced player but this book was really designed to captivate those unlikely readers that shy away from the other poker books already published. The introduction warns that this book is not targeted towards sophisticated and knowledgeable players, and I would agree. Advanced players will find too many examples stating the obvious like situation #2: folding 27 offsuit before the flop.The visual representation of each of the poker situations is by far this books greatest asset. I personally know readers to have picked up this book after ignoring the other acclaimed texts on the premise of its simple and fun-looking learning method. Another quality point is that no commitment is needed as the reader can easily review a couple pages and put the book back down again without losing the value of the material. The teaching pattern also follows through with its ideas, enabling the reader to encounter the same notions and strategies in various problems throughout the book (for example, each of situations #17, #38 & #148 address folding small pocket pairs in early position before the flop).

Due to the popular nature of problem solving game books, this style of teaching poker is expected to appeal to many players and will most likely be adopted in more books to come. Like many books of its nature, The Illustrated guide to Texas HoldEm is not recommended as the only book to teach you sound poker strategy, but as a visual practice supplement for those players not interested in studying the more technical texts. Readers that insist on keeping the fun and excitement first and foremost in their poker education will appreciate this chance to learn without being bogged down with abstract concepts or complicated terminology.

Poker Strategy Tips for Playing Texas Hold’em

Although you may get swept up in the excitement of the game when playing Texas Hold’Em in Italy, you should always keep your poker strategy tips uppermost in your mind. The pot is the prize at the end of each round and at the end of the game, but when you do get what you feel are winning cards, you should keep your excitement to yourself so that the other players don’t catch on that you have a winning hand. Italian player always remember the basics of the game and that is that the two cards you are dealt are the ones that you have to focus on. All of the cards that the dealer turns face up are community cards and the other players also use these to make a poker hand.

It is important that you evaluate the cards you receive to determine whether or not you should play them or fold when your turn comes at the table. When you look at your cards, you have to try to maintain a poker face, which means not to use any expressions that will alert the other Italian players that you think you have a winning combination of cards. Even if your cards are no good, your facial expression will give you away and they will use this to their advantage when you don’t use any expression when you get good cards.

How do you know if you have good cards? This is the first question beginning poker players ask. The general rule of thumb used by most Italian professional poker players is that if you don’t have any picture cards, cards of the same suit or cards that are not of the same suit or a number less than 10, you should consider folding before the flop. An aggressive player may consider staying in the game, but a conservative player will certainly fold.

When it is your turn to pay the big blind, you have to make the decision to stay in the game right away because you will be the first one to make a bet. If the blind is not a large one, which usually happens at the beginning of a game, you could take a chance on your cards and stay in the play. It may be worthwhile to pay the money just to see the three cards that the dealer turns over on the flop and then decide whether or not you have a chance at winning. After you see the flop, don’t be afraid to fold at this point. It is better to lose a small amount of money than stay in the game and continue betting when you don’t think you are going to win the pot.

When playing poker, you will lose some hands and win some. This is the risk of playing the game in Italy or anywhere, so you have to be prepared to take it if you want to become better as a player. The more you play, the more experience and skill you will develop.

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