Poker Books: To Educate, Inform, and Entertain

If you're at all serious about playing poker, your poker library no doubt contains Doyle Brunson's Super System or Super System II (Cardoza Publishing; $29.95 and $34.95, respectively), David Sklansky's Theory of Poker (Two Plus Two Publishing; $29.95), and Dan Harrington's two-book set Harrington on Hold'em (Two Plus Two Publishing; $29.95 each). But that short list of essential how-to titles only hints at the breadth and depth of poker publishing. Poker offers a range of subjects and genres for authors, from biographies like the fascinating portrayal of legendary player Stu Ungar (One of a Kind by Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson; Atria Books; $25), nonfiction narratives like the classic account of the 1981 World Series of Poker The Biggest Game In Town by A. Alvarez (Chronicle Books; $15.95), and even novels with poker settings, such as King of a Small World by Rick Bennet (Arcade; $13.95). And new titles are appearing fast; in yet another testament of the game's explosion, more than 100 poker-related titles have been or will be published in 2005, and more are sure to follow.



This new feature in Card Player will survey the "literature" of poker to help you decide which books will help you become a better player; which books will keep you up-to-date on the poker world; which books will entertain you; which books, in short, are worth your time and money. I also hope to offer the occasional author interview and take a look at some of the classics of the genre.



I've been reading and writing about books far longer than I've been playing poker, but I play regularly in low-limit hold'em and no-limit hold'em tournaments near my home in Berkeley, California, and occasionally in Las Vegas. Naturally, it's more fun to play poker than to read about it, but the best "how-to" books are crucial to amateurs like me. I learn from them – or try to – but even when I can't apply their expertise to my own game, it's fascinating to see how a really great player thinks about the game. And it's always thrilling to encounter any book, instructional or otherwise, that captures the complex drama played out on the felt or on the computer screen.



Know of a good poker-related book? Disagree with my assessment? Are you an author or publisher with a new book on poker coming out? Let me know by e-mailing me at [email protected].



He Wrote the Book on Bluffing

I remember my first successful bluff, years ago in a home game dominated by crazy versions of poker. It was a high-low stud game with a declaration; $2 betting with three raises per round, with a chance to buy a replacement card for $5 before the declaration and a final pot-limit bet (I told you it was crazy). I had a made high hand, but had a flash of inspiration when I realized that buying a replacement card might convince my competitor I was on a draw. I put $5 in the pot, drew a meaningless card, and took down half the pot with my full house. I was so proud of the move, I couldn't resist telling the victim about it on the way home. His admiration was easily worth more to me than the chips in the pot (though I did not, of course, give the money back).



According to the excellent new book by San Francisco-area poker pro Matt Lessinger, The Book of Bluffs: How to Bluff and Win at Poker, my bluff succeeded for two of his "Twelve Bluffing Proverbs": "A good bluff should be misleading, not confusing," and, "A good bluff tells the victim a story he believes and understands." (In a generous footnote, Lessinger credits this phrase to poker author Jim Brier.) That replacement card misled my victim into thinking I was on a draw; my willingness to spend $5 helped him believe the story my action was telling him.



I wish I could say that was the first of many successful bluffs, but when I started playing in cardrooms, I realized how little I actually understood this crucial element of the game. Of course, poker strategy books discuss it, but no writer has approached the subject with Lessinger's comprehensive insight or his admiration of the bluff. "Bluffing is a form of artistry," he writes, "and as far as I'm concerned, it's the most beautiful thing about poker." His book purports to be the first to deal exclusively with the bluff, one of the most fascinating – and least understood (particularly by amateurs) – strategies of the game.



The Book of Bluffs begins with the story of Chris Moneymaker's famous 2003 World Series of Poker main event bluff against Sammy Farha (and analyzes the bluff in much greater detail in the last chapter). But the real point of his book is not to teach you how to pull off outrageous, big-money bluffs like Moneymaker's; it's to incorporate bluffing into your overall strategy and every game you play, from hold'em to stud to Omaha. Lessinger says, "My goal is to get you thinking constantly about bluffing."



Most players understand the rationale for bluffing (it gives you two ways to win, it builds pots when you have strong hands, and it creates a gutsy, aggressive table image). But Lessinger shows you the how as well as the why behind bluffing; he articulates both the theory and practice of the strategy that most amateur players either employ too little or deploy in the wrong situations.



Theory comes in the form of the "Twelve Bluffing Proverbs" mentioned above, several of which are deceptively simple, and an overview of the subject. More valuable to most players, however, are his 49 example bluffs – real-world applications of theory accompanied by his well-reasoned analyses of why each succeeded or failed. Chapter Three covers some of the most basic bluffs for hold'em and stud. Chapters Four and Five are devoted to attacking weakness (for example, straight and flush draws; a particularly useful example is "Bluff #19. From Gutshot to Glory," a textbook case of how to make another player fold a superior hand). You'll learn about representing strength, reraising a cold-caller, "the implied threat of future bets" when you show strength before the river card, bluffing online (typically more difficult than bluffing at a real-world poker table), and a number of what he calls "unusual bluffs" and "bail-out bluffs."



One of the most interesting chapters is the final one, in which Lessinger analyzes five huge bluffs (all occurred in WSOP events) and interviews the participants in a couple of them; the effect is like being inside the mind of a great player. The insight into the specifics is valuable, but there's a larger strategic point to it: the difficulty of playing against a bluff. "It's one thing to suspect a bluff," he writes. "It's quite another to stake your tournament life … on that suspicion."



If you aspire to be a poker player, you simply must read this book. Well-written, well-thought-out, and consistently engaging, the book will teach you about recognizing bluffing opportunities and the factors to consider before acting on those opportunities. And you'll be reminded, over and over, of the critical importance of a part of poker that takes intelligence, creativity, and guts to master – and is ultimately essential for success.

Interview With Matt Lessinger

Author, The Book of Bluffs (to be published in October by Warner Books; $13.95 in paperback) In his first book, Matt Lessinger, a 30-year-old professional poker player who lives in Alamo, California, articulates the theory and practice of bluffing (he's also a columnist for Card Player). A prop player at the Oaks Club in Emeryville, California, Matt plays mostly $15-$30 and $30-$60 hold'em, and he came in fourth place in the 2004 World Series of Poker casino employees tournament.

Tim Peters: How long have you been playing poker, and when did you start writing about the game?

Matt Lessinger: I've been playing for 10 years, professionally for six. Back in 2000, when I won a tournament at Harrah's, a poker magazine interviewed me, and I asked if they needed any columnists. That's how I started writing about poker.



TP: What led you to the topic of bluffing?

ML: If poker were just about the cards – deal them out and whoever has the best cards wins – the game would be entirely about luck. It also would be pretty boring. So for me, bluffing is the thing that really makes poker interesting. And as the poker books started to come out, I couldn't believe there wasn't one devoted to bluffing. So, I talked to Greg Dinkin [an agent with Venture Literary] about the idea. He helped me put together a proposal and sold the book to Colin Fox at Warner Books.



TP: How did you choose the example/analysis format for the book?

ML: I definitely believe you learn by example, and too many poker books focus on theory. You have to have some theory, but I tried to get it out of the way in the first couple of chapters and then concentrate on examples. In fact, I explicitly modeled my book on Caro's Book of Poker Tells (Cardoza Publishing; $24.95).



TP: What other poker books do you admire?

ML: Besides Caro's book, I think Alan Schoonmaker's The Psychology of Poker (Two Plus Two Publishing; $24.95) is the best poker psychology book out there.



TP: What kind of games represent good opportunities for bluffing?

ML: Low-limit games are very difficult to bluff in; the players are just too loose. High-limit games are also difficult, because players are so smart. But middle-limit games, like $10-$20 or $15-$30, offer great chances to run successful bluffs.



TP: What's your favorite bluff?

ML: One of the best situations is in no-limit hold'em tournaments, when a loose, aggressive player raises preflop, one person calls, and you come over the top of both of them because you suspect the initial raiser is out of line and the caller is trying to keep him honest.



TP: Like "Bluff #20: Harrington Shocks the TV Audience" in your book?

ML: Exactly. This is a situation where knowledge from Caro's Book of Poker Tells complements my book. Caro can teach you how to determine if the raiser's hand is strong or weak, and that can help you make the decision to bluff.



TP: What's a good opportunity for a beginner to try a bluff?

ML: Here are two easy ones: First, in a hand in which everybody checks to you twice, you bet; or, in stud, when you have four cards to a flush showing. It's extremely unlikely that you're going to get called in situations like these.



TP: Finally, why is bluffing so inherently compelling?

ML: Anyone can learn to be a selective, intelligent poker player, with high starting-hand requirements and patience. But it's boring to just wait for good cards and pray they hold up. To run a successful bluff takes real skill; the most difficult part of the game is to get someone to fold a winning hand. That's why bluffing is the most skillful, most interesting tactic in poker.