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It seems like
everyone is playing poker these days, so it should come as no surprise
that the people behind the Dummies line of books would put out a guide
for playing cards. Now formatted for your DVD player, the Poker for
Dummies guide is perfect for those just starting out or for those novice
home players who want to increase their odds of finally beating their
drinking buddies. For those who’ve been around, however, there might not
be that many tips you don’t already know, but it most certainly would
work as a refresher that might point out a few errors you’ve been prone
to making.
Hosted by Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 World
Series of Poker champion, and Barry Shulman, publisher of Card Player
magazine, the 50-minute Poker for Dummies feature walks you through the
key points of playing poker with a strong emphasis on Texas Hold ‘Em.
Unlike those ab routines that promise you a firmer stomach overnight,
Poker for Dummies won’t supply you with the secret formula for winning
millions of dollars on your next trip to Las Vegas. However, it does
deliver enough information to help amateurs improve their methods.
The feature consists of seven key sections:
Poker Basics, Texas Hold ‘Em, Essential Strategies, The Bluff, Tells,
World Series Secrets, and Home Games.
Poker Basics
You won’t learn anything new here unless
you’ve never played cards before. This section is a very basic tutorial
on suits, card rankings, poker chips, how to bet, how to win, etc. The
key here is that it does highlight some key terms that come into play in
the other sections.
Texas HoldEm
Shulman and Moneymaker describe the rules of
the popular game through several example hands. With the help of a few
players and a dealer, you’ll learn about the game’s structure and the
basic rules for betting. This section continues the trend of covering
the basics but the rules detailed here are essential for anyone who has
never played the game. Plus, it sets the groundwork for the next lesson.
Essential Strategies
Here’s the section that helped me the most.
Shulman walks you through the key strategies for winning at Texas Hold
‘Em. He describes why the late position at the table is key and explains
how all good players have starting standards that help regulate their
betting strategies. Without these, you’ll be counting on luck to see you
through, and that’s not a good thing. He also explains how to play the
flop, turn, or river to your advantage. Shulman details the rarity of
certain hands, too, which helps tie everything together. In essence,
this section explains the keys to building a solid foundation for your
future in poker.
The Bluff
This lesson isn’t as in depth as I was
hoping it would be. Moneymaker basically shares his top ten tips for
bluffing, which is a deception to keep the other players off balance.
While these tips are insightful, the lack of walk through examples makes
them less powerful. I needed to see them in action for the tips to
really sink in. However, many of these tips will certainly help players
who like to bluff discover what’s holding them back in their game.
Tells
This one is a bit more explanatory than the
previous section in that Shulman explains the intentional and
subconscious tells while a player acts them out. Doing so helps the
learning experience (at least for me). I for one have fallen into the
trap for many of these tells. With Shulman’s explanations, I now can not
only see these tells in other players, but I can at least try to change
my style of play to stop myself from performing some of the more obvious
ones.
World Series Secrets
Here, Moneymaker explains his secrets for
being a poker champion. These aren’t really tips and may not help your
game, but some may help you enjoy the game more, regardless of whether
you’re winning or not.
Home Games
In this lesson, you’ll get a guided tour
through the basic rules of Omaha High, 7 Card Stud, and 5 Card draw. You
won’t get any major strategy points here, but beginners should like the
easy-to-follow explanation of the rules. |
