Rating: 
Summary: Under-rated Book
Review: By under-rated, I don't mean the number of stars Amazon reviewers have given it--instead I mean the limited number of references given to it by other authors. Ciaffone's book gives the reader poker problem after poker problem, arranged by themes. There are tons of problems and Ciaffone does a great job explaining the nuances.
One of his first (p. 67) was this one: the flop is Kh, 7c, and 5s -- what is your action with each of these hands Ad,7d; 8d,7d; Qh,5d; 6c, 5d; 8c, 4d; and 9h, 2c. Or two hands with middle pair, two hands with bottom pair, and one gutshot straight dra and one abomination. Ciaffone argues that the same action is correct with all these hands--you try to steal the flop since there are not too many opponents and you only have to win one out of three to break even.
The 2+2 books are great for theory, but poker players need to see plenty of examples of theory in practice. Ciaffone's book gives you plenty of problems. It's one of the few poker books I think could give a guarantee it WILL improve your play. Perhaps if it was entitled "Think Like a Poker Pro" (taking a page from a chess classic by Kotov), it would get more attention. That's fine. The fewer people that read it, the better perhaps!
Rating:
Summary: Best Hold'em Book on the Market.
Review: I have built a library of every Texas Hold'em poker book in print, and have read all of them. This is one of, if not, the best books out there on improving your game. Note that it is not for beginners.
The whole book is filled with hundreds of examples and analyses that help you to see what the correct action for a specific situation would be and, most importantly, why?.
Buy it. You won't be disappointed.
If you're a beginner, this book is not for you just yet. You're better off buying one of Ken Warren's books.
Rating:
Summary: Solid Plays, Good Reasoning.
Review: I recommend this book only after the reader gets a moderate amount of time on the table. The reason for this is that the book teaches by example and it would probably be difficult for a reader who hasn't played before to get the most out of it since he won't be able to relate to the situations given. However, this is what makes this book so strong. Oftentimes, you read a poker book full of concepts, but few examples, and you're left wondering how those concepts would be applied to the situation at hand. The hands given in this book are excellent and very representative of common situations on the poker table. Each example is given with the popular opinion, his opinion (which I usually agree with), and if applicable, a reason why he believes his way is the correct way. Great book to get you thinking and to fill the practical gaps that other poker books have left their readers with. Best in its class!
Rating:
Summary: Learning how to think thru a poker hand
Review: I've been studying hold'em for about eight months and have worked my way thru a half-dozen of the recommended books. What I particularly like about this book is that it doesn't waste your time with a lot of very basic stuff. The crux of the book is over 400 examples of situations (your UTG, came in with a raise with JhJc, re-raised by the button, four people saw a flop of As,Ts,9s) followed by the author's recommendation (e.g., raise,check,fold) and his thought processes to arrive at his decision. I've always found that regardless of the subject, after getting thru the basics the best way to learn is to understand the thought processes of a pro. I thought the organization and presentation of the material was well thought out.
Rating:
Summary: Learning how to think thru a poker hand
Review: I've been studying hold'em for about eight months and have worked my way thru a half-dozen of the recommended books. What I particularly like about this book is that it doesn't waste your time with a lot of very basic stuff. The crux of the book is over 400 examples of situations (your UTG, came in with a raise with JhJc, re-raised by the button, four people saw a flop of As,Ts,9s) followed by the author's recommendation (e.g., raise,check,fold) and his thought processes to arrive at his decision. I've always found that regardless of the subject, after getting thru the basics the best way to learn is to understand the thought processes of a pro. I thought the organization and presentation of the material was well thought out.
Rating:
Summary: Great middle limit book!
Review: If your game is 9-18, 20-40, 30-60, or even 40-80, the strategies and perspective in this book will help your game. Mason claims that Ciaffone is a little too weak-tight, and I also agree based on my own middle and high-limit play. Having said that, the process by which this book takes the reader through thinking about each hand and each situation is invaluable!! Whether you are an experienced or average holdem player, reading through this book will allow you to critically examine how you analyze your own game. You may not agree with all of Bob's moves, but the key is by going through the process you'll be able to identify where you disagree -- from this point you can improve your game!
Rating:
Summary: A Solid Addition to Your Poker Library
Review: In a genre typified by poor, sensationalized, even bombastic prose, this book stands out. I have read (and learned from) Ken Warren and Sklansky & Malmuth and think that they are good authors. However, I think that this book is a gem and better than anything I have yet read...I am surprised that it only has a few reviews and am eager to add my own. No one should limit his poker collection to just one book, but this should definitely be added.
Why is this book so good? In the first place, BC devotes a lot of space to the discussion of flopping two overcards, overpair/top pair, or an OK draw. Properly tackling these unromantic but common situations, in the long run, separates the good players from the mediocre.
Second, BC uses a ton of hand scenarios to illustrate his points. And they're good ones. Not a unique approach, of course, but the difference here is that you begin to get a sense of how even a slight variation in your hand, your position, or the flop can change the right play in one situation to the wrong play in one almost exactly the same.
Third, BC shows an uncommon (at least in poker books) amount of depth to his writing. Sure, by now everyone knows about the value of deception and looks forward to showing the monster hand to his bewildered opponent. BC talks about deception, but also discusses how deception can work against you --i.e. that it comes with a cost.
Lastly, I get the sense that BC is professional gambler who is also a good writer. Do you ever get the feeling that your poker/gambling book was dictated into a tape recorder and then transcribed into print, all over the period of a couple of hours? Not here, the writing is smart and solid.
I rate this a must-have for your poker collection.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book
Review: It is my humble opinion that this book is the best one out there on limit holdem.The book is very well organized, with each chapter starting with some general information on a topic [e.g., "Overcards", "Drawing Hands", etc.] followed by providing numerous real world examples. Each example has a detailed situation presented to the reader as a question, followed by the author's answer and explanation. Taken together, the examples cover the vast majority of situations a typical holdem player will face. I must admit it fixed a few "leaks" in my game. Giving it five stars doesn't do it justice -- highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book
Review: It is my humble opinion that this book is the best one out there on limit holdem. The book is very well organized, with each chapter starting with some general information on a topic [e.g., "Overcards", "Drawing Hands", etc.] followed by providing numerous real world examples. Each example has a detailed situation presented to the reader as a question, followed by the author's answer and explanation. Taken together, the examples cover the vast majority of situations a typical holdem player will face. I must admit it fixed a few "leaks" in my game. Giving it five stars doesn't do it justice -- highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: I wish you couldn't find this book here
Review: Of the dozen or so poker books I've bought in the last two years, this one has gotten by far the most repeated use. The writing is clear and logical, and the quiz/explanation format is perfect when I'm wondering whether I played a hand correctly. In the last four months I have gone from someone who was terrified of hold'em to a consistently winning player, thanks in large part to repeated study of this book. I think most people will find it much more useful than Sklansky and Malmuth, simply because the practical examples are such an ideal teaching tool.
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