The Everything Poker Strategy Book

by Wenzel, John

• ISBN13: 9781593371401
• ISBN10: 1593371403
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-11-30
• Publisher: Adams Media Corp

Summary

Poker enthusiasts learn to: - Choose the game that suits them best--from game venue to variation- Perfect the pokerface and bluff like a pro- Measure the odds and place bets- Avoid rookie mistakes

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Top Ten Pearls of Poker Wisdom	x
Introduction	xi
The Stone-Cold Basics	1	(16)
There Is No Magic Formula	2	(2)
Every Hand Is a Lesson	4	(1)
The Cards	5	(1)
There Is Always Another Hand	6	(1)
Rank of Hands	6	(4)
The Game	10	(1)
Antes and Blinds	11	(1)
The Art of the Deal	12	(1)
The Betting	13	(4)
The Rules of the Games	17	(8)
Table Stakes	18	(1)
Texas Hold'em	18	(1)
Seven-Card Stud	19	(1)
Five-Card Stud	20	(1)
Draw Poker	21	(1)
Omaha High	22	(1)
Omaha Eight or Better	23	(1)
Some Other Great Games	24	(1)
Skill, Not Luck	25	(14)
You Have the Right to Choose	26	(1)
How You Make Money at Poker	27	(2)
A Home Game with Your Homies	29	(2)
Getting Along	31	(1)
The Typical Home Game	32	(1)
Winning in a Home Game	33	(3)
Common Mistakes	36	(3)
Odds and Probability in Poker	39	(12)
Get the Odds on Your Side	40	(1)
Figuring Potential, Knowing Your ``Outs''	41	(3)
Pot Odds to the Rescue	44	(2)
Using Pot Odds Before the River	46	(2)
Other Applications for Pot Odds	48	(1)
The Seductive World of ``Implied Odds''	49	(2)
On to the Casino!	51	(10)
Your First Casino Game	52	(1)
Poker-Table Protocol	53	(3)
Be Wary When ``Mucking'' Your Hand	56	(1)
Beating the Rake	57	(1)
Decisions, Decisions! Texas Hold'em, Stud, or Omaha?	58	(1)
Are You Really Ready to Play?	59	(2)
Show Me the Money!	61	(10)
Buying In: How Much Is Enough?	62	(1)
Playing the Rush, Cutting Your Losses	63	(3)
Take Your Money and Run	66	(2)
The Stakes Should Help You, Hurt Others	68	(1)
Games Change over Time	69	(2)
Casino Poker: You're on the Pros' Turf	71	(12)
Switching Gears from Your Home Game	72	(1)
Reading Players: Home Versus Casino	73	(1)
Other Differences: Home Versus Casino	74	(3)
Playing in a Loose Game	77	(2)
Recognizing a Tight Game	79	(4)
Betting: The Language of Poker	83	(14)
The Safety Zone	84	(1)
Making a Statement	85	(2)
Bet Like You Mean It	87	(1)
When Not to Bet	88	(1)
Either Raise or Fold, but Rarely Call	89	(2)
Hammer Your Foes with Raises	91	(6)
The Weapons of Position and Isolation	97	(16)
What Is Position?	98	(1)
Why Position Is Crucial	98	(4)
Stealing Blinds, Stealing Pots	102	(2)
The Concept of Isolation	104	(3)
Who to Target for Isolation	107	(2)
Setting a Trap	109	(4)
Bluffing: Poker's Treacherous Heart	113	(16)
What Is Bluffing?	114	(2)
The Benefits of the Bluff	116	(2)
Aggressive Play	118	(2)
When to Bluff	120	(2)
The ``Semi-Bluff'' Is a Moneymaker	122	(3)
Who to Bluff	125	(1)
Your Risk	126	(3)
Control Who You Are, Control the Game	129	(12)
What Is Table Image?	130	(1)
The Timid Type	131	(2)
The Bully Type	133	(1)
The Thinker	134	(2)
Tourists and Top Players	136	(5)
Tells: The Subtle Roadmap to Riches	141	(10)
What Are Tells?	142	(1)
Unconscious Tells	143	(3)
Some Reliable Tells	146	(1)
Words Will Sometimes Hurt You	147	(1)
Is Your Opponent Bluffing?	148	(3)
Tell(s) Me More!	151	(10)
A Bluffing-Tell Quandary	152	(1)
Clues to Playing Style	153	(1)
Study the Players to Dig Up Deceit	153	(2)
Your Opponents' Unguarded Moments	155	(2)
Handling the Cards: Information Overload	157	(2)
False Tells	159	(2)
Your Opponents: It's a Jungle out There!	161	(12)
The Four Classic Styles of Play	162	(4)
The Game Itself Has a Personality	166	(1)
Strategy Against the Four Types	166	(2)
What Does It Mean When They Bet?	168	(1)
A Cast of Characters	169	(1)
Is the Perfect Poker Player Female?	170	(3)
Texas Hold'em: The Pros' Game	173	(16)
Why Hold'em Is Hot	174	(1)
The Effect of Shared Cards	174	(1)
The Power: High Cards and Kickers	175	(3)
Starting Hands: Choose Wisely!	178	(1)
Different Starting-Hand Philosophies	178	(3)
Playing High Pocket Pairs	181	(2)
Playing Medium and Low Pairs	183	(2)
The Power Hands	185	(1)
Suited Connectors---and More	186	(1)
Playing the Blinds	187	(2)
Hold'em: The Flop, the Turn, and the River	189	(16)
Was It Good for You?	190	(2)
So Many Flops, So Little Time	192	(4)
Strategy and Tactics on the Flop	196	(4)
Getting a Free Card	200	(1)
Playing on the Turn	200	(1)
Playing on the River	201	(4)
Seven-Card Stud: A Hand of One's Own	205	(16)
Stud and Hold'em: Like Night and Day	206	(1)
The Board-Card Bonanza	207	(1)
Starting Hands: The Crucial Decision	208	(4)
Some Significant Stud Odds	212	(2)
The Importance of ``Live'' Cards	214	(1)
Seven-Stud Strategy and Shortcuts	215	(3)
Be a Stud at Seven-Card Stud	218	(3)
Online Poker: The Genie's out of the Bottle	221	(12)
The Double-Edged Sword of Internet Poker	222	(1)
Online Strategy Changes	223	(5)
Gambling with Invisible Cards	228	(1)
Four Methods of Online Cheating	229	(2)
Cheating by Sites?	231	(1)
Don't Bet the Farm	232	(1)
Tournament Poker: Your Dream Come True?	233	(14)
All or Nothing	234	(1)
It's About Survival	235	(3)
Rebuys and Add-Ons	238	(1)
Chip Position and Stack Size	239	(2)
Tournaments Change Speeds	241	(1)
The Four Stages of a Tournament	242	(2)
What If You Are Outclassed?	244	(1)
Getting It Heads-up All-In	245	(1)
Tournament Tips	245	(2)
Poker's Future, Your Future	247	(12)
Farewell to the Smoke-Filled Rooms?	248	(1)
Your Lifelong Poker Game	249	(2)
If You Are Losing---A Lot	251	(2)
When It's Time to Move Up	253	(1)
Have Fun Around the Green Felt	254	(2)
Love the Game	256	(3)
Appendix A Talk the Talk: Glossary of Poker Terms	259	(22)
Appendix B Book 'Em! Further Reading	281	(4)
Index	285