Real Poker Night: Taking Your Home Game to a New Level

Rating:
Summary: OK for the right people
Review: As a poker skills book this is a good one. But, it carries a heavy and repeated message that only classic tournament poker games have any value, not games in which chance plays a bigger role, which are disparingly called "kiddie poker". Games with multiple or changeable wild cards are a prime example. Basically that means only hold-'em, Omaha, razz, and straight five card draw or seven card stud are worthwhile games.

This ignores two facts. Believe it or not, many people actually like to play these games and have no desire to change. And, in many home games, there are players of lower skill who simply would stop playing if they didn't have enough chances to get lucky; and people want to keep these players in for social reasons. They don't mind playing the wildcard games sometimes to do so.

So, if you play for mostly social reasons and/or like poker games with multiple or changeable wildcards (or "Chicago" or...), this book is not for you. It's a lecture on how wrong you are. If you don't play those games, or shudder every time the dealer calls them and want advice on how to change the nature of the poker game you're in, it's a winner.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Poker Book for Novices or Advanced Players Alike
Review: Just finished reading this informative and entertaining poker book, and its one of the best. The author skillfully weaves deft poker strategy along with a insightful and often surprising look at the history of the game. For the beginner, the book gives you all you'll need to set up the perfect home game. Discussions of rules for all the major poker games(NOT KIDDIE POKER) are included, so you and your friends can really look and play like those WPT and World Series players. For the advanced player, the book offers in depth discussion of pot odds and implied odds and explains it in a very simple way. The book also offers help for internet players, tournament players, and anyone who would enjoy reading about the history of this great and uniquely American pastime. You'll make the cost of the book back very quickly(and much more) learing the tips Mr. Stephenson offers.

Great Book