Excerpt from: The Intelligent Guide to Texas Hold'em Poker

It has been six years since the publication of the first edition of this book. At that time, I was absolutely amazed by the demand for the book and the enthusiastic and positive letters I received from readers. When I first conceived of the book in the year 2000, Texas Hold’em was actually an obscure game. Relatively few books on poker, let alone Texas Hold’em, were available. I saw the need for a concise guide that would explain the rules, vocabulary, concepts, and tactics that are essential to the play of Texas Hold’em. I wanted to provide a guide that would inform readers without overwhelming them and bring them quickly up to speed so that they could compete in the popular low-limit games found online and in public cardrooms.

Much has happened in the poker world over the past six years. The game of poker has experienced an unprecedented boom followed by a predictable contraction. However, the contracted poker economy is still huge compared to pre-2000 levels. An American game is now played in countries all over the world and in all the inhabited continents. The first edition of this book has even appeared in translation, and I understand that the Norwegian-language edition sells well in Norway. Even though poker growth has leveled off somewhat in the United States, the game’s worldwide spread insures steady growth and interest in poker for years to come.

Texas Hold’em is now the most popular variation of poker in the world. The game has become a part of popular culture. Poker-themed merchandise and tournament sets are displayed in department stores. Expressions such as “all-in” are now part of ordinary language. A tournament Hold’em competition even made for a memorable scene in the 2006 James Bond film, Casino Royale.

A confluence of factors resulted in the poker boom. Television producers found that tournament poker could be presented as entertainment. Televised World Series of Poker events and shows such as Celebrity Poker Showdown earned high ratings. This is actually a counterintuitive discovery. Successful poker requires extreme patience and careful observation. Experienced poker players would not ordinarily think of the game as made for TV entertainment. Poker works on TV because of the use of hole-card cameras and heavy editing. Making all the hole cards known to the audience gives them an omniscience not shared by any of the players. The audience can follow along in the decision-making, understand the strategies and tactics, and know immediately which decisions will work.

Even with hole-card cameras, heavy editing is necessary because most hands dealt are unremarkable and have little drama. The editing makes for better entertainment, but presents a distorted view of the game. The hours of folding hands before making the big move are lost and with it, much of the context players use when faced with a big decision. Viewers see the tactics, but do not get a sense of the hours of patient study and maneuvering that are necessary for success. There is also confusion about the difference between tournament and cash-games.

The other factor driving the poker boom was the Internet. Widespread access to the Internet did not exist prior to the 1990s. Online poker came about with the growth of the World Wide Web in the late 1990s and it has proven to be an incredibly popular activity. The Internet allows access to poker for millions of people all over the world from the privacy of their homes any time of day or night. It allows people to participate in poker without the need for travel or to round up a group of friends. While online poker is a different experience than poker played in-person—in ways that this book will discuss—the online game still has the same rules, strategies, and tactics.

Online poker sites also promote what is now termed “brick-and-mortar poker,” which means poker played in-person at a physical place. Many sites have promotions that allow online players to win entry into events such as the annual World Series of Poker held in Las Vegas. Because of extensive television coverage of brick-and-mortar events, such as the World Series of Poker, the cross-marketing has been extremely effective. Players can watch poker on television and go immediately to their computers to play.

A result of all the media, cultural, and online focus on poker is an explosion of books offering information and advice. When I wrote the first edition of this book, I read just about every book in print on Texas Hold’em. It was easy to do because there were not that many books on the subject. I can no longer do that because today hundreds of books are available, with many additional ones published each year. In terms of shelf space at a bookstore, poker books now occupy as much space as books on the ancient game of chess. Each year, dozens of books on chess are published because millions of people worldwide have a fascination with the game. With its simple rules, yet subtle and complex strategies, poker, like chess, is becoming a permanent part of the world’s shared cultural experience.

Why update this book, given all the literature now available? I believe my original intent—a concise summary and guide to the game—is needed now more than ever. While the book is expanded from its original edition, it retains the original focus on the essential facts, tactics, strategies, and psychology needed to play Texas Hold’em successfully. The intended readers are the recreational players who comprise the vast majority of poker players. However, professional and semi-professional players will find the information and resources in this book valuable as well.

As an expert on correspondence chess, I also offer a unique perspective on poker. I see parallels between the games, and differences. As I write, I find that chess makes a good framework for understanding many poker topics—tournament structures, online play, the role of luck, and the psychological attributes needed for success. How the games of chess and poker differ is also instructive. Why has it taken researchers on artificial intelligence until 2007 to build a computer that can compete with world-class poker players, when a computer in 1997 beat the World Chess Champion? The reasons for this decade of additional effort—discussed in Chapter 10—provide instruction on the requirements for success in poker.

Features unique to this book are the following:

• Useful tables and charts that render an easy-to-comprehend visual representation of the essential mathematical facts for Texas Hold’em. This information, found in Chapter 5, is expanded from the earlier edition and includes:

—A listing of the expected value of all 169 starting hands determined from analysis of tens of millions of actual hands played online.

—Three-dimensional charts showing the combined effects of card rank and player position on the expected values of starting hands.

—Charts showing the minimum pot size for the correct pot odds, given the number of outs available and the number of cards to come.

•A strategy section that explains how to adjust your play to different game conditions. Successful poker players use a dynamic approach, constantly fine-tuning their play to prevailing game conditions. An additional chapter has been added on how strategies and tactics differ online. It is essential reading for anyone making a switch from in-person to online poker.

• A section with essays on the mathematical and psychological considerations necessary for success. A series of stories are told that illustrate key concepts in action. These vignettes, mostly real-life examples, should aid the reader in putting into practice all the principles and information contained in this book. This section has been revised and expanded with additional essays on the role of luck and how knowledge of behavioral finance applies to poker.

• A guide on how to choose an online poker room. There are many online venues that offer poker. This guide will lead you through the considerations necessary to choose one that is right for your circumstances.

• Locations and contact information for places to play poker throughout the United States and Canada. Legal poker games exist in about half the states and most of the Canadian provinces. Included are names, addresses, phone numbers and Websites of over 200 brick-and-mortar cardrooms. If you travel, this book is a resource to help you find the nearest cardroom.

Players at all levels will find this book valuable:

For the beginner: This book will teach the rules of Hold’em poker, conduct in both public cardrooms and online poker games, the fundamental tactics and strategies for play, and will point you towards further resources, both in print and online.

For the experienced player: The book is meant to provide a framework for thinking about Hold’em poker and serve as a reference. The carefully-planned tables, charts, graphs, illustrations, and strategic summaries are provided to efficiently assist players in their real-time poker decisions. With the growth of online poker in recent years, it is possible for players to have charts and tables in front of them while they play. Some of these charts were designed with that use in mind.

Texas Hold’em poker is a complex and subtle game. Simply following a set of instructions will not make you a successful player. Mastering the game requires hours of both study and practice, and a commitment to a long-term, disciplined approach to play. This book is a road map to use on your journey.

Sam Braids
January 2010

Excerpt from:The Intelligent Guide to Texas Hold'em Poker

Paperback, 274 pages, Size 9"x 6", Weight 12 oz (340g).
Author	Price	Year	ISBN	LCCN
Sam Braids	US $16.95	© 2010	978-0-9677551-4-4	2009943249
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