Visual Poker

At a time when poker books are pouring onto store shelves, Dennis Purdy is the first author to propose a unique approach to learning poker with The Illustrated Guide to Texas Hold'em. The game uses an old pro visual approach to problem solving rather than a textual approach at teaching poker strategy.

The first three chapters of the guide start very similar to many beginner books on the poker market, covering the basic rules of how to play Hold'em, you could bring to the table, how much you should buy-in and for some etiquette good poker. The fourth chapter briefly presents the eight rules of "good poker strategy basic" followed by a detailed explanation of the actual odds and pot odds. Chapter five is where this book is unique because the following 300 pages are filled with 150 different scenarios illustrates Texas Hold'em poker, with the author's response to each practical situations! Purdy ends the book with a remarkable 30 page Glossary of poker.

The cover states that this guide may be a winner on an advanced player, but this book was really designed to captivate readers unlikely to escape the other poker books already published. The introduction warns that this book is not "sophisticated and targeted to many players, and I would agree. advanced players will find too many examples showing the situation as clear # 2: 27 fold offsuit before the flop.

Purdy's advice is usually in line with most poker authors, but there are certainly some questionable answers to his problems (ie Problem No. 46 proposes to cap the betting pre-flop with 36s?) . It is often more than one correct way to play any poker hand person but I sometimes find myself wondering why these plays Purdy suggests peak, especially as these situations can easily be misinterpreted by new players. The purpose of this guide may have been to advise of the situation to the scenario of poker, however, I suggest that readers are actually more important to review the overall strategy in the responses given rather than the specific action to take. It is really the whole strategic approach to the game that will make the biggest difference in your results.

The visual representation of each of the situations of poker is by far the greatest asset of this book. I personally know the players have taken this book after ignoring other acclaimed texts on the premise of his simple-looking and fun method of learning. Another point is that quality without commitment is necessary that the reader can easily browse through a few pages and put the book back without losing the value of the material. The teaching model also follows his ideas, allowing the reader to experience the same concepts and strategies to various problems throughout the book (for example, each situation # 17, # 38 & # 148 address folding pocket pairs in early position before the flop).

Given the popular nature of the problem-solving game books, this style of poker education is expected to appeal to many players and will probably be adopted in more books to come. Like many books of its kind, illustrated guide to Texas Hold'em is not recommended as the only book to teach you poker strategy firm, but as a complement visual practice for players not interested in study of more technical texts. Readers who insist on keeping the fun and excitement first and foremost in their poker education will appreciate this chance to learn without getting bogged down in abstract concepts or complex terminology.