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Play Poker Like The Pros – Book Review

By Deanna Couras Goodson

When I first started playing Texas Hold ‘Em, I tried to read as much as I could about the game. I am almost loath to say this but Phil Hellmuth’s book, Play Poker Like the Pros, is really one of the best. Sure. Phil Hellmuth is a great player; however, he’s a great talker and a bit annoying. He is a self-proclaimed ‘poker brat’. I must admit that I wanted to see what the arrogant one would pass along about the game. Would he put his money were his mouth was, so to speak?

I admit it. I was pleasantly surprised. From beginning to end, this book is chock-full or intelligent, practical poker wisdom. Phil gives you a beginning, intermediate and advanced playing strategy that will take you from neophyte to pro in a very short time. If you follow his advice, you will be a winner.

His beginning strategy is very simple. You play tight but aggressive. Only play the top ten playing hands which are: AA, KK, QQ, AK, JJ, 1010, 99, 88, AQ, 77 and play them for a big raise (about 4 times the blind) pre-flop. That is regardless of position or previous action on the hand. Post-flop, Phil says you should bet, raise or re-raise to find out where you’re at. If someone pushes you back, figure you’re beat. You can – and should - fold.

Overall, it’s a winning strategy on paper. There are some holes in the theory if you don’t take the players at the table into consideration. However, this is only the beginning.

The intermediate strategy includes other playable hands including marginal ones. Phil has some advice on playing smaller pocket pairs – you’ll flop a set about 1 in 8 times, so it may be a good idea to take a chance and suited connectors – don’t play any suited connectors smaller than a 7,8 on average.

His advanced strategies get into reading players and learning how to put a player on a hand. Phil uses analogies to the animal kingdom to describe players – lions, elephants and weasels, oh my!

You will also get basic explanations and strategies for playing stud, and its variants as well as Omaha and Omaha hi-lo.

Overall, Play Poker Like the Pros is a solid and well-written poker book. It’s worth the price of purchase and definitely worth a read or two. I highly recommend it.

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