Rating:  Summary: A legend In His On Mind Review: There is nothing new here in this book. Mostly play tight and raise often. Spends more time telling us about how great he is and less time giving any real insite into how to "PLAY LIKE THE PROS". He jumps back and forth too much and even forgets what situation he is refering to on occasions. In one part of his examples, Phil has you playing poker on the internet with a pair of jacks in the hole. His opponent, Jerry,checks. But, if Jerry does bet, then you must,"look for body language that might show confidence or fear". How can I check for body language when I`m playing over the net? Phil spends too much time having you develop your instincts rather than giving sound poker advice. A waste of money!!
Rating:  Summary: A legend In His On Mind Review: There is nothing new here in this book. Mostly play tight and raise often. Spends more time telling us about how great he is and less time giving any real insite into how to "PLAY LIKE THE PROS". He jumps back and forth too much and even forgets what situation he is refering to on occasions. In one part of his examples, Phil has you playing poker on the internet with a pair of jacks in the hole. His opponent, Jerry,checks. But, if Jerry does bet, then you must,"look for body language that might show confidence or fear". How can I check for body language when I`m playing over the net? Phil spends too much time having you develop your instincts rather than giving sound poker advice. You`re better off reading any of Lou Krieger`s books, "Hold`em Excellence or More Hold`em Excellence" or any of Ken Warrens Texas Holdem book instead of this book which tells you very little other than how you can never be as good as Phil is. Come on Phil. You haven`t discovered the cure for cancer here. You`re just a poker player.
Rating:  Summary: A great book for beginners seeking the next level Review: I wish I had read this before the vastly more complicated books on Texas Hold Em by Ken Warren and (especially) Mr. Slansky. For anyone wanting to fully understand the basics first then build upon them without being overwhelmed, this is the way to go. Hardly condescending (though his table image is well-known for that), Hellmuth's text is inviting and fun to read. The examples of various situations are more educational and are deeper than one might expect from such an approachable presentation. I am learning things here I have read nowhere else. The lessons are broken into levels of play, beginner, intermediate, etc. The lessons only build steam as you go. But don't expect to read this in one sitting. It is by no means a fast read...it is chock full of analysis and details so a deliberate approach is best. More than exceeded my expectations. And a great value, to boot. And the book covers more than Hold Em...which will be enticing to those seeking education on other games. The war stories are fun as well.
Rating:  Summary: Brilliant Review: I've read most of the popular poker books on the market, and this one beats them all. Phil delves deep into this thought processes, and teaches you to think like a pro.I would recommend this over anything written by any of the other "experts" out there, without hesitation. But be prepared, you will be required to THINK!
Rating:  Summary: Disappointed Review: I was really looking forward to this book and have to say I have been rather disapointed with it. There is little that is new, interesting of even accurate in this book. The player types are well known to all experienced players, just named after animals in this case. He does introduce a new type, the "eagle" or expert, which did intrigue me but says "Learning to play like an eagle ... is beyond the scope of this book" (Page 35). Thanks a lot. The chapter on online play is mostly devoted to promoting his website and that of his sponsor, UltimateBet.com. The reason he likes "UB" so much, besides the fact they pay him big bucks? "UB's game is the only one that will let me concentrate." What the heck does that mean, really slow software perhaps? The only good thing about this book is that I might get to play against players following his maniacal advice. See you online.
Rating:  Summary: Disappointing Review: Mr. Hellmuth having won so many tournaments must surely know his game. The problem is, is he sharing it with us? I must admit that I only read the holdem sections, he has very little to say about position accept to mention a couple of times that it's always nice to have! Very little at all about odds. Overall his tone is very condescending, as tho he and fellow pros are great poker players, you're a wannabe so it's ok to give you partial information. Wouldn't want to burden a small mind with more than it can handle. At one point he talks about cards that help a player to win the pot and goes on to say, "pros call these cards outs". Instead of telling us how "pros" talk wouldn't it be better to tell us how to figure outs? Before I say why I gave 2 stars instead of 1, I have one more gripe and it may be nitpicking . To further set the tone as if he were talking to third graders, where most writers refer to player types as rock, calling station, maniac, solid player etc, Mr. Hellmuth prefers that we learn: mouse, elephant, jackal, lion and eagle, I have no idea why. Eagles by the way are the super pros like him, you can't hope to be that good. Having said all that, the strategies are still likely to make for winning poker sessions. Even though he doesn't stress position his play is so tight and agressive that it is unlikely that you'll be playing out of position very often. Good book for beginners not much for intermediate to advanced.
Rating:  Summary: Not Really ... Review: While Phil Hellmuth has a spectacular tournament record and is doubtless one of the very best, this book is NOT going to make you either a good player or a winning player at a casino. It is simplistic, and the "rules" are far too simple to be applied. If interested in Hold'em, a much more useful book, thoughtful and detailed, is "Middle Limit Holdem Poker by Ciaffone and Brier -- that's really the good stuff.
Rating:  Summary: Takes away the guesswork!!!! Review: I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this book, and it was well worth the wait. I am an intermediate Hold'em player playing mostly online and after reading just the first 3 chapters have seen a NOTICEABLE increase in my winnings and success rate. The book is laid out perfectly, in an easy to read and follow fashion. Thanks for the book Phil, I'll be looking for you on the WPT!!!
Rating:  Summary: Best book on Poker I have ever read! Review: This is definitely a must have book for all Poker players. It is by far and away the very best book on Poker I have ever read (and I have read more than a few). Phil's writing style is very "easy to read" and the many strategies he speaks about are very straightforward and concise - no BS in this book. A great book by one of the best (if not THE best) Poker players in the World. Highly recommended!
Rating:  Summary: a mixture of hellmuth's personal expierence/advice on poker Review: This book is not a "how-to" in any sense of the word. Its not a book like "winning low-limit holdem'" or "Holdem' for the advanced player". Phil gives a certain approach (His own personal approach, for the most part) and gives sound advice on playing the hand from there. He explains tells, slowplaying, and even bluffing in a basic way that any level of poker player can understand. He even has a section on No Limit Poker, which I personally liked the best. He tells the reader about some hands that he played himself to either victory or defeat. You basically cannot go wrong if you buy this book, it's both informative and entertaining.
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