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New Books on My Bookshelf - A Book Review

Poker has experienced a popularity boom never before seen, and is becoming part of the mainstream in a big way. Attendant with this, poker terminology is rapidly making its way into the English language.

by Mark Gregorich |  Published: Oct 04, 2005

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Like all things related to poker, the sheer volume of poker books on the market seems to have increased exponentially in the past year or two. In the past, I scooped up each new book as soon as it came on the market. However, I couldn't do that now even if I wanted. I did get a chance to read several new books this summer, though. In my next few columns, I will provide a bit of info on the three that made the strongest impressions on me.



The Making of a Poker Player, by Matt Matros

While reading Matt's book, I was reminded a bit of the days when I read and reread Anthony Holden's Big Deal. This was back before I moved to Vegas and before Internet poker, so quite often the closest I could get to a poker game was to read the book and live vicariously through Holden's experiences.



Since that time, I have waited for the day when another, more up-to-date, book would appear on the market to offer a similar experience to its readers. After reading Matros' new book, I can safely say that Big Deal is now officially obsolete.



Matros takes readers on his own personal poker journey, from penny-ante beginnings to the final table of the World Poker Tour (WPT) championship. Along the way, he shares some valuable strategic insights and advice. Although the book is not a strategy guide in the traditional sense, I must say that it forced me to think hard about the way I play poker, something that not all strategy books accomplish. In particular, Matt discusses the dynamics and relevance of game theory in poker, a topic rarely touched upon in the poker literature.



What makes this book great, though, is Matros' engaging writing style, which drew me in as a good suspense novel would. Matt paints a vivid picture of his poker experiences, such that I wanted to stay home and finish the book rather than go out to play poker myself. He also relates several amusing anecdotes about his rookie experiences with well-known poker personalities, including Phil Hellmuth and Mike Sexton.



Although I think just about anyone would enjoy and benefit from The Making of a Poker Player, I would particularly recommend it to young players who have been playing for only a couple of years or less. Matt was in your shoes, and is willing to talk about how he grew and developed as a player. Most successful players are either unwilling or unable to do this. This book offers its readers a unique opportunity to grow along with a budding professional player, who also happens to be a great writer. Take advantage of it.



In the next issue, I'll take a look at Barry Greenstein's new book, Ace on the River.



One last thing: I've been having difficulty receiving e-mail through Card Player, so I've set up a new account. If you have comments or questions, please e-mail me at [email protected].