We got in touch with him to hear more about his new adventure in Las Vegas and to discuss his famous book on its 20th anniversary.

just finished Positively 5th Street by @jimbosweetness — thanks again @clayhebert for gifting it to me.

book is a wild ride that inspired me to build my own basement cellar casino. talk about taking action! pic.twitter.com/A8pQmcj0ai

— Ryan Kulp (@ryanckulp) November 26, 2022

The Anniversary of a Classic Poker Book

Younger players may not be familiar with the Jim’s book, so we asked him why they should read it. He told us: “If they have any interest in what the World Series of Poker was like in 2000, or in the murder of its host, Ted Binion, or in how an amateur prepared to play against pros to reach the final table of the Main Event, my book will tell them about it. If they’re interested in the rest of poker history, they should also read my other book, Cowboys Full.”

We had read that Jim’s book was going to be turned into a script for a television series, and he had some news on that topic, too. “The showrunner is Benjamin Cavell, screenwriter of the TV series ‘Justified’ and other shows. The writing and other aspects of production were on hold during the WGA writers strike, but he will ramp up again this week.”

My first and most generous guide to the #WSOP in 2000 was @FirstLadyPoker Linda Johnson. @WSOP pic.twitter.com/CGelxIJxkm

— James McManus (@jimbosweetness) August 26, 2022

James made the WSOP Main Event final table 23 years ago, so we asked what memories he had have of that final table in particular. “Since it was my first tournament ever, it felt normal to be at the final table, but of course it wasn’t normal at all. After being chip leader late on the previous evening, I never won another hand, so after three days of playing well and running good, the last day was a nightmare and huge disappointment. It took me a while to understand how lucky I’d been during days 1-3.”

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Chris Moneymaker‘s triumph in the 2003 Main Event. In reflecting upon poker’s resurgent popularity over the last couple years, Jim said that “Three years of pent-up demand have led up to this point. And with all the new ways to cheat online, live tournaments, especially WSOP and WPT events, are sure to become even more popular.”

2000 #WSOP Main Event. Puggy and the guy from @Harpers. #PositivelyFifthStreet to become a limited series. pic.twitter.com/RbDIMLBAq1

— James McManus (@jimbosweetness) August 17, 2022

We asked what memories he had about the late Doyle Brunson, to which Jim replied “He amazingly spanned the eras of the Texas road gamblers, helping to bring No Limit Hold’em to Vegas and introducing state of the art poker strategy in his books, through the early days of the WSOP, through the internet boom, to today, always among the best living players for seven decades. And he always did it with class and generosity. That is simply astonishing.”

He inspired me and millions of others. One of the greatest players ever but without an arrogant cell in his body. #RIPDoyle pic.twitter.com/JY1dbz0Oqu

— James McManus (@jimbosweetness) May 15, 2023

A New WSOP Main Event and a New Book in the Works

You have plans to write a book about your experience at the 2023 WSOP. Tell us a little about it and what it will be about. “I’ll begin reporting on my action on June 15. It will definitely include lots of examples of how different the tournament is today from 2000, from the tiny Horseshoe venue in downtown Vegas to two huge hotels in the center of the Strip. Very few cell phones then; now everyone has one. Back then there were no GTO solvers or online training sites. They used to award 20 bracelets; now it’s almost 100. Players can even bring their dogs to the table.”

What events do you plan to play? How can those who are interested buy a percentage? “At least 10 events, mostly No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha with buy-ins less than $5K, as well as the $10K Main Event. To buy a percentage, please go to my Facebook page, right at the top. The markup is 1.2″.

Jim’s post on Facebook

Today the Main Event has a new venue and thousands of players. We asked Jim if he felt ready to play it considering his increased experience, to which he replied: “Today, far more players are competent at NLH, so it’s harder to build a big stack. To make the final table, you have to play well and #rungood for nine or 10 days instead of three. But I hope 23 years of study and playing tournaments gives me some advantages, though like everyone else in the field, I’ll be an extreme longshot to make the final table.”

Its believed by many that the 2006 WSOP Main Event attendance record of 8,773 could be broken in this year’s edition of the Main Event. Jim concurred. “All signs point to the record being broken, though unfortunately there are no more one-table $1k satellites, which is how I won my seat in 2000 (and many other times). Because of the idiotic UIGEA, American players also have fewer chances to win seats online than players in most other countries.”

10,011 players will enter the 2023 Main Event https://t.co/utEKE2a6LO

— James McManus (@jimbosweetness) June 11, 2023

To end off our conversation, we asked Jim what he likes most about poker, to which he responded: “I like many things about it. It’s our national card game, and increasingly the world’s. Tournaments let me compete for high stakes with a fairly modest buy-in investment. As a popular and potentially lucrative mind sport, poker satisfies my competitive urges long after I got too old to play physical sports. The WSOP is genuinely a world gathering, a chance to meet and compete against people of all ages and backgrounds, from every inhabited continent.”

Remembering the 2000 World Series of Poker Main Event

In 2000, James McManus traveled to Las Vegas to cover the Ted Binion murder trial and the WSOP Main Event. He tried his luck in a $1K Main Event satellite and with three players remaining he accepted a deal to win $6K and paid the difference to play in the tournament he had always dreamed of playing.

A total of 512 players signed up, surpassing the 1999 edition by 119. The best 45 participants would make it into the money and the champion would instantly become a millionaire, with a top prize of $1.5M. Jim started the day with 10K in chips and went into Day 2 with 35K. During Day 2 he was able to double up with K-K and was seated at a difficult table with Kathy Liebert, Daniel Negreanu, Mickey Appleman and Hasan Habib. He was able to survive the bubble by playing his favorite hand (98) and bagged 276K for Day 3, ranking third in the chip counts.

Chris “Jesus” Ferguson and Jim

On Day 3 Jim shared a table with Mike Sexton, Annie Duke, T.J. Cloutier and Jeff Shulman, among others. Chris “Jesus” Ferguson had an incredible run, and after eliminating Shulman, the final table of six players was formed. Chris was the runaway chip-leader with 2.8M and in second place was the humble journalist playing in his first Main Event, with 554K in chips.

How did James do at the final table? To find out, we invite you to read the excellent book “Positively Fifth Street“. While 23 years have passed since that tournament, in just a few days McManus will play it again and possibly have another legendary story to tell about another deep run.

Good luck in Vegas, Jim!

That is why we’ve made some selections of what we think are the best poker novels for you to read and enjoy at home, on a trip or on vacation.

Here are the poker novels I enjoyed the most and recommend you to read:

“The Only Way To Play It” – Peter Alson

It tells the story of Nate Fischer, a former painter who begins to play the clandestine cash games in the clubs of New York City, those shown in the movie “Rounders”. He must try to balance the game with raising a young daughter, as well as his father with whom he does not have a great relationship. You can check out Cardplayer Lifestyle’s review, by Amanda Botfeld.

“CARDS” – Jonathan Maxwell

A must read for cash game players. It shows the harsh reality of those who spend the whole day in casinos playing live tables fighting against variance. The protagonist also takes trips to Las Vegas and to France, where he plays at the Aviation Club in Paris. You can check out Cardplayer Lifestyle’s interview with the author, by Ben Saxton.

“Shut Up and Deal” – Jesse May

Published in 1998, it is one of the most classic, realistic and recommended poker novels. The main character is Mickey, who tries to make a living from playing cards and, to do so, he grinds through long sessions in the casinos of Atlantic City, California and Las Vegas.

“King of a Small World” – Rick Bennett

Joey is one of Maryland’s best live players in Washington. But his life will change when he is offered to become the boss of a casino, a rival commits suicide and his ex-girlfriend gets pregnant. Realistic and entertaining. The digital edition is only $3.

“The Cincinnati Kid” – Richard Jessup

The novel on which the classic 1965 movie starring Steve McQueen was based. I think it is one of the best poker movies of all time and the book is almost always better than the movie, so I can’t stop recommending it.

“Drawing Dead” – Rick Fuller

In this funny poker novel, a famous player dies before playing a final table at the WSOP in Las Vegas. The detective will have to get into the Rio Hotel & Casino to investigate the possible suspects and solve the case. You can download this book for free from the author’s website.

“The Big Blind” – Lavie Tidhar

A quick (80 pages) and entertaining read about a nun with poker skills who sneaks out at night with the habit of playing cash games. When the convent is in danger of closing, she enters a major European tournament to try to save it.

“The Dark Side of the Felt” – Tyler Nals

The book I enjoyed most by prolific author Tyler Nals. By reading it you will be able to accompany the protagonist as he plays cash games and illegal tournaments in very dangerous places. Very entertaining, and the first part of a trilogy that was made into a movie script.

“Final Table” – Dan Schorr

This book was published in 2021 and combines different interesting topics such as social networks, sexual abuse, labor relations and a high stakes poker tournament in a disreputable country.

“4 Bullets” – Tylar Nals

The biographical novel tells the incredible story of Costa Rican gambler Steven Thompson, who won $500K in live tournaments, but due to his addictions lost everything and ended up being shot four times for not returning borrowed money.

“Rounders” – Kevin Canty

Did you know that the movie Rounders has its own book? It is based on Brian Koppelman‘s screenplay and adds some facts to the plot, like the ending, where the author writes about what became of Mike’s life after beating Teddy KGB at the New York Club.

“The One Knight Stand” – Marek Garcia

Chuck feels that he is living two different lives: by day he is a diligent student and by night he becomes a great poker player. He will find it difficult to live both lives and will have to choose between poker and studying.

More recommendations: “Broke” – Brandon Adams, “The Picasso Flop” – Vince Van Patten,  “Mystical Glasses” – Jack Kregas, “We Run Bad” – John Curry, “This Is Where You Fold” – Robert Needham, “The Home Game” – Liam Teller and “A Poker Story” – Greg Winick.

All of these poker novels can be found on Amazon, both in paper and digital versions, which are cheaper and can be read on any device. I invite you to put aside your social networks for a while and immerse yourself in the pages of a good poker book. Enjoy the reading!

From there, a few game-specific titles from 2+2 publishing came out through the 90s, followed by Super System 2 in 2005, a very thorough nearly 700-page effort by Ken Lo titled A Poker Player’s Guide to Mixed Games in 2014, and most recently Chris Wallace and the Mizrachi brothers’ 2022 release, Getting Started with HORSE.

Each of these books has its merits, but what I and many others feel is the must-read for comprehensive mixed game information is Mastering Mixed Games by Dylan Linde, first published in 2019.

For those unfamiliar with Linde’s extensive resume, his Hendon Mob profile lists over $6.6 million in career tournament earnings in No-Limit Hold ‘em, Pot-Limit Omaha, and of course a litany of mixed games. He’s a WPT champion, a WSOP bracelet winner in Mixed Omaha, and has multiple big scores and victories in high-roller events.

Linde is one of poker’s best and most well-rounded players, but his love and knowledge of mixed games are what he’s chosen to share with the poker world, and Mastering Mixed Games (MMG) is a book that can be appreciated by both those just dipping their toes into the mixed game waters, and by experienced players alike.

Mastering Mixed Games: What’s Inside?

While books may have taken a back seat to online content when it comes to poker training over the years as people’s time has become more and more valuable, I can absolutely recommend MMG for not just the quality of content throughout, but because that content is laser-focused and very consumable. If there are criticisms to be made of previously written content on mixed games, it’s that they can be like a Michael Bay movie in that if you shave a good 20 minutes to a half-hour from it in the edit suite, you get an infinitely more watchable movie.

Coming in at a very readable 304 pages, with no game-specific section more than 42 pages long, Mastering Mixed Games is the equivalent of a smash-and-grab 90-minute thrill ride, with no wasted words throughout.

Those sections are separated within the formats of flop games, stud games, and draw games, with all games covered listed below.

Flop games:

• Limit Hold ‘em
• Limit Omaha 8 or Better
• Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better (40 BB Cap)

Stud Games:

• 7 Card Stud
• Razz
• 7 Card Stud 8 or Better

Draw Games:

• 2-7 Triple Draw
• Badugi
• Badeucey and Badacey

Single Draw Game:

• No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw (40 BB Cap)

Each section has a brief introduction explaining the rules of the game being discussed before getting to the heart of the lessons. A short quiz with answers and explanations follows at the end of each section.

As mentioned, Linde’s teachings of each game are incredibly efficient and well-written. There are no skippable pages anywhere. Consistent lessons in each game include opening ranges by position, playing versus raises and three-bets, the importance of playing to scoop in split pot games, types of hands that play better heads-up versus multi-way, and strategies for every street of play within a hand, be it flop, turn, and river; 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd draw; or 3^rd-7^th streets.

Dylan Linde with his book

Something that is illustrated very effectively throughout Mastering Mixed Games is how close equities run in many spots, no matter the game. As such, equity comparisons are shown throughout, providing visual and mathematical examples including variations of hands showing how what may appear to be a slight difference in hand strength can have a notable impact on its value. In particular, I found the various equity comparisons included in the Stud and Draw games sections to be very helpful.

With each section clocking in at roughly 20-40 pages, readers can quickly navigate the book to study the specific game they want and get an intense yet easily understood lesson in a very reasonable amount of time. With the aforementioned breakdowns of street-by-street play clearly identified in each section as well, intricate and specific study modules can be easily found. Need to brush up on your 5^th street play in Stud 8 or your post-2nd draw play in Badugi? These specifics can easily be found.

If I must drop a bit of criticism on MMG, unfortunately, deep-stacked, non-cap play in big-bet games and tournament-specific strategies are areas not covered. Big-bet games are only taught with consideration for a 40 BB cap, as is quite common in mixed cash games. Pot-Limit variations of Triple Draw and Badugi are also not discussed. Strategies throughout are primarily based on a 6- or 7-handed mixed cash game format.

Those are small drawbacks though, considering the wealth of information throughout the rest of the book.

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, MMG is a great resource for mixed game players, no matter their experience or skill level. As with most mixed game players, I consider myself more proficient in certain games than others, however, I was still able to boost my knowledge significantly with this poker strategy book.

As for the games that I don’t get a chance to practice regularly (shout out Badeucey and Badacey), MMG provides a great primer for when I do get to splash around in the split-pot triple draw streets, giving me the perspective for this review of both experienced and novice players.

I appreciated MMG’s efficiency and readability in teaching both types of players. What a reader may already understand is elaborated on effectively, while those with limited knowledge of a game also receive easily understandable instruction which will quickly get them acclimated to their new game of choice.

Mastering Mixed Games is truly the gold standard for mixed-game poker instruction for players of all skill levels. And if you’re crazy enough and really want to learn Pot-Limit Triple Draw, Linde is a super friendly and approachable person who I’m sure would be happy to personally pass along his knowledge in that insane game as well.

Lastly, Linde is a regular attendee at Cardplayer Lifestyle’s Mixed Game Festivals and will happily autograph your copy of his book as well as help you get your reps in in the low-limit mixed game streets.

The top 10 poker biographies that I enjoyed reading the most are:

“One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stu Ungar” – Peter Alson & Nolan Dalla

It is without a doubt the best poker biography I have read about one of the best players in history. Ungar is the only player to have won the WSOP Main Event three times in its freezeout format. The authors describe Stu’s incredible life chronologically from his childhood, where he grew up among mobsters, until his death in the Oasis motel in Las Vegas.

“Life’s a Gamble” – Mike Sexton

The legendary commentator of the World Poker Tour passed away in September 2020 and in his biography you can read funny anecdotes with Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar, Chip Reese, Billy Baxter and Jack Straus, among other legends. He also details the creation of partypoker and the birth of the World Poker Tour.

“Poker Brat” – Phil Hellmuth

Phil is the king of the WSOP with 178 cashes, 13 second place finishes and 16 bracelets. His biography has 49 chapters in which he recounts his difficult adolescence, his first trips to Las Vegas, his relationship with his wife, his life goals and all his triumphs in the World Series of Poker.

“Pulling The Trigger” – Eli Elezra

The Poker Hall of Famer has been playing for 30 years in Las Vegas and has 72 cashes and 5 WSOP bracelets. In his biography — translated from Hebrew into English by Cardplayer Lifestyle founder Robbie Strazynski — you can learn about little-known aspects of his life: his experience in the Israeli army, his first business in Las Vegas and anecdotes of the High Stakes Poker games with Doyle Brunson and other legends.

“Check-raising the Devil” – Mike Matusow

The temperamental Matusow, nicknamed “The Mouth”, has 92 cashes and 4 bracelets at the World Series of Poker. His book features a foreword by Phil Hellmuth and in 29 chapters we can read about his life, his addictions to drugs and his achievements at the tables.

“The Godfather of Poker” – Doyle Brunson

Doyle needs little introduction: two-time WSOP Main Event champion, winner of 10 bracelets, Hall of Fame inductee and author of poker’s first best-seller: “Super System”. His excellent biography has 52 chapters and is divided into parts: Texas, Las Vegas and More Adventures.

“Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion” – Doug J. Swanson

Benny Binion is one of the most interesting characters in the history of poker and Las Vegas. The gangster created an empire in Texas and moved to Las Vegas where he was the creator of the World Series of Poker in 1970. The excellent book is divided into three chronological parts: 1904-1946, 1947-1953 and 1954-1989.

“Moorman” – Chris Moorman

Chris is fourth in the ranking of players with the highest online earnings with $21.5 million as of this writing. On the live circuit he has earned $6.5 million with titles at the WPT and WSOP. In his biography we can read about his beginnings with bridge and pool, his experiences with staking and his trips to Las Vegas, including a night in jail.

“For Richer, For Poorer” – Victoria Coren

Vicky Coren was the first woman to win an main event on the European Poker Tour as well as the first player to win two European Poker Tour Main Events. Her memoir has 25 chapters and is divided into four parts. Though she’s out of poker now, it’s still a great, highly entertaining read. The digital edition costs only $1.99.

“Once a Gambler” – Miikka Anttonen

We close our top 10 list with a very entertaining biography that relatively few know about in the poker world; that of Finnish pro Miikka Anttonen, who has won $2 million online and over $286,000 live. There he tells about his beginnings in online poker where he won millions when he was very young. It is a trilogy that has the first two parts published, while we still await the third part.

Honorable mentions

If you have already read our top 10 poker biography recommendations, or if you are looking for more to check out, you might naturally consider using your leisure time for a different activity, such as playing at tax-free online casinos without registration. Alternatively, there are some “honorable mentions” of other poker biographies that you can read:

• “Geeking, Grifting and Gambling Through Las Vegas” – David Sklansky
• “Molly’s Game” – Molly Bloom
• “Amarillo Slim in a world of fat people” – Amarillo Slim
• “Devilfish” – Dave Ulliott
• “Johnny Moss: Champion of Champions” – Don Jenkins
• “4 Bullets” – Tyler Nals
• “The Hand I Played: A Poker Memoir” – David Spanier
• “Poker Tilt” – Dutch Boyd
• “Volatile” – Simkha Blank
• “4 Bullets” – Tyler Nals
• “All In” – Jerry Yang
• “Pizza, Pasta and Poker” – Vince Burgio
• “Confessions of a Winning Poker Player” – Jack King
• “Kingkrab: From Homeless to Poker Pro” – King Krab
• “From Feeding Tube to Final Table” – Jim Petzing
• “Cowboys, Gamblers & Hustlers” – Byron “Cowboy” Wolford
• “Hats & Eyeglasses: A Memoir” – Martha Frankel
• “Poker Face: A Girlhood Among Gamblers” – Katy Lederer
• “The Game of Life and Poker” – Noah T. Watry
• “Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi” – George H. Devol (you can download it for free on Amazon)

Moreover, former poker journalist and now player Kristy Arnett Moreno is currently writing a book about her story that will talk about risk, love and poker.

***Thanks for reading! Consider RT if you liked it

This story is part of my book which is a memoir about risk, love, and poker. Trying desperately to finish the first draft (it’s been years). I’m thinking about doing a prop bet of some sort. Contact me if interested

— Kristy Arnett Moreno (@KristyArnett) October 10, 2022

Of course, there are also plenty of people in the poker world whose life stories would make for great biographies. These haven’t yet been written, but if they were to be, we’re sure they’d be fantastic.

Players:

• Daniel Negreanu: The world’s most popular player with live earnings of $49.5 million
• Erik Seidel: Successfully playing and winning on the live circuit for 34 years
• Phil Ivey: Long considered to be the best player in the world
• Jennifer Harman: Winning player for 25 years and was part of the consortium that faced banker Andy Beal
• Huck Seeed: Winner of the Main Event 1996 and holder of 4 WSOP bracelets
• Antonio Esfandiari: The magician who won the inaugural $1 million buy in Big One For One Drop
• Scotty Nguyen: 1998 Main Event Champion and 5-time bracelet winner
• Billy Baxter: Stu Ungar’s backer who owns 7 WSOP bracelets
• “Miami” John Cernuto: Holds the all-time record with almost 600 live tournament cashes and counting!

Industry:

• Jack Binion: Benny’s son witnessed almost all of WSOP history
• Eric Drache: He was the creator of satellites and introduced great innovations in live tournaments
• Linda Johnson: Player, journalist, consultant, Card Player Cruises owner and one of the founders of the WPT
• Mori Eskandari: Producer for 20 years of the most popular poker TV shows
• Jack McClelland: Executive and tournament director for 40 years

If you made it this far you now have several book recommendations for your next read. I invite you to put social media and Netflix aside for a while and immerse yourself in the pages of a good poker biography, which is one of life’s little pleasures in my opinion.

To be sure, there’s a wide variety of reading material out there where you can learn about all sorts of gambling- and poker- related topics. Naturally, this material isn’t just confined to books in print; you can glean plenty of interesting information online, too, such as where to find the fastest payout online casino nz sites, if you’re into that sort of thing. But there’s nothing like turning the pages of an actual physical copy of a good book.

In this article I am going to recommend five books where you can learn about the origin of this game of poker that we are so passionate about. By reading them you will learn about how poker grew by leaps and bounds over the years to become such a popular game the world over.

“Poker & Pop Culture” (2019) by Martin Harris

Martin Harris is a writer, teacher and poker reporter who has covered the game for the last 15+ years. In his book “Poker & Pop Culture” (Global Poker Awards 2019 winner) he wrote 23 chapters about poker in different contexts: casinos, politics, books, movies, war, television and radio, to name a few. The digital edition contains an appendix with what are for Martin the 100 best poker movies.

“Cowboys Full” (2009) by James McManus

The author was a finalist in the WSOP 2000 Main Event where he finished fifth and recounted his experience in the classic book “Positively Fifth Street”. In “Cowboys Full”, James McManus does a complete review of poker history including the old west, legendary duels and the World Series of Poker in 500 pages.

“All In: The Almost Entirely True Story of the WSOP” (2005) by Jonathan Grotenstein and Storms Reback

The World Series of Poker deserves a separate book for its rich history and Jonathan Grotestein and Storms Reback wrote it in 2005. In just over 300 pages it begins with the first edition in 1970 organized by Benny Binion and goes up to the 2005 edition. The authors tell great stories and the main protagonists of each year’s proceedings.

“The 50 Greatest Stories in Poker” (2022) by Marton Magyar

This book manages to tell through 50 entertaining stories almost the entire history of poker. Each one has only a few paragraphs, so it ends up being a short book of 160 pages. Among the stories are Bugsy Siegel, Richard Nixon, Nick “The Greek” Dandalos vs. Johnny Moss, Stu Ungar, a chip and a chair with Jack Strauss, Andy Beal vs. The Corporation, Archie Karas, Black Friday, Dan Bilzerian and recent cheater Mike Postle.

“An Illustrated History of the Main Event” (2022) by David Mc Naboe

David McNaboe had an original idea: he told the story of the Main Event of the World Series of Poker with 52 illustrations. Like a deck of cards, with 52 pictures we can learn about all Main Event champions and finalists from 1970 to 2021. A quick and entertaining read.

Other Great Poker History Books

If you have already read the five books mentioned above, or if you want to learn even more about poker, here are some more book titles I’m sure you’d enjoy:

• “The History of Poker” by Ken Warren
• “Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi” by George Devol > You can read it for free on Amazon
• “The Moneymaker Effect” by Eric Raskin
• “Raising the Stakes” by Sean Chaffin
• “Aces and Eights: Poker in the Old West” by Ralph Estes
• “Ghosts at the table” by Des Wilson
• “Gardena Poker Clubs” by Max Votolato

So there’s a wide variety of options for your next poker reading session. Enjoy!

After writing my third book, that thought garnered more than an occasional ponder. Maybe someday. . . Even though our poker world has grown from a handful of backrooms and riverboats, and the number of players has multiplied into the millions since the Gold Rush days, an annual awards night remains but a dream. Can we follow in the footsteps of the movie industry that has offered its golden Oscars since 1929?

Let me offer my own selection of “Best Poker Books,” What Makes a Great Poker Book?
Foremost is the book’s content. Is it worth reading? Does it leave the reader with vital information that will make her better educated in the game – a consistent winner? Is it an easy read? Or, on the other hand, is it boring or confusing to read?

My Candidates for Best Poker Book

   ● Poker – A Guaranteed Income for Life by Using the Advanced Concepts of Poker by Frank R. Wallace (1968)

   ● The Mathematics of Gambling by Dr. Edward O. Thorp (1984)

   ● Doyle Brunson’s Super System (over 600 pages of poker wisdom in collaboration with other top players)

     ● Winning Women of Poker – Secret Strategies Revealed including “The Nuts and Bolts of No-Limit Texas Hold’em” by Maria Ho; “Around the Felt” by Marsha Waggoner; “Strategy Differences Between Cash Games and Tournaments” by Jan Fisher; “The Importance of Position” by Susie Isaacs; “Don’t Tell Me You’re Card Dead!” by Linda Johnson; “The Art of the Bluff” by Barbara Enright;  Poker Face and Tells” by Clonie Gowen; “Know Your Enemy” by J. J. Liu – and more

   ● Hold’em Poker for Advanced Players by David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth

   ● Harrington on Hold’em by Dan Harrington and Bill Robertie

   ● Poker for Dummies by Lou Krieger and Richard Harroch

● I include two of my own: Hold’em or Fold’em? – An Algorithm for Making the Key Decision (2012) and The Art of Bluffing (2015)

● Lou Krieger’s book, 52 great poker tips – one for each card in the deck – is tops in my mind

What makes Lou’s tips so great is the sound advice they offer, enhanced by his personality which spills over into his tips. As I read each of his tips, I found myself anxious to read on.

Highlighting Some of Krieger’s Tips:

Why it’s important to know and understand the odds; The odds and implied odds; Starting standards; Calling pre-flop depending on position; Hands you can play in any position; Calling a raise from the blind; Default programming; Folding before and after the flop; Finding the best game; The Front-Loaded effect; Classify and categorize your opponents; Playing with maniacs; Three ways to play winning hold’em; Counter-intuitive strategy; Record-keeping and note-taking; Playing multiple games online; Fit or fold; Playing and raising with a draw; Slow-playing; Don’t let your opponents read you; The gap between betting and calling; Raising – two ways to win; Raising can define your hand; Another reason to raise; Check-raising; Betting patterns; Looking for tells.

Unfortunately, we lost Lou when he died of cancer in December 2012 at the age of 67.

Could one of these be a candidate for the “Poker Book Oscar” – or should we give our statue a different moniker? Will the poker world one day have its own Oscar?

I will admit, I was a little skeptical going into reading this story. I have never read a graphic novel or comic book so I really didn’t know what to expect. I think my lack of knowledge regarding graphic novels was an advantage in reading this. When I first opened this novel I was struck by the illustrations. Each page felt perfectly crafted to draw me in with illustrations, and the flow of the writing was easy to follow. Once I got started with this graphic novel it was hard to put down.

Final Nine tells the story of the Poker World Championship Main Event final table. Throughout the story we learn more about each player and what brought them to the table as the poker action unfolds. I tore through this novel. The seamless weaving of the final table action with each players’ backstory was compelling from start to finish. When I finally put down this page-turner, I caught up with the author, Anish Patel, to learn more about the process of how he created Final Nine.

The Author and the Inspiration

Anish Patel has been writing his own scripts and stories since the early 2000s. As a child, he was a comic book fan, but while working in a TV studio in 2007 he discovered how vast the world of graphic novels is. Like myself, he assumed this form of media was only for superhero stories, but he was mistaken. After finding out some of his favorite non-superhero movies started as graphic novels, he dove into that world. It was only natural that he focused on poker, a game he started playing at a young age. Rounders introduced him to No-Limit Texas Hold’em, and as the game became the staple of card rooms, it became his favorite variant. White his love of poker and graphic novels grew, a particular final table sparked the idea for Final Nine.

After watching the 2008 WSOP Main Event coverage, Anish decided to write a story about a mainstage poker tournament final table. He had this to say about the inspiration:

Once the Final Nine players were decided, the tournament took a 4-month break and concluded in November calling it ‘The November Nine.’ It allowed the players to go home or continue playing poker in other tournaments and locations. During that time it also gave the players a chance to promote themselves (Interviews, TV spots, etc.) so when they do arrive back to play in the final they would have a following and supporters. For me this made it hard to decide whom I would root for. And after watching Peter Eastgate win the championship, I thought ‘how great would it be to write a story about poker in a similar format to WSOP ME in 2008.

While reading the novel, I noticed many players shared similarities to poker’s biggest names, and Anish confirmed:

All the characters are inspired by real players. There are players that people watch on tv as well as players that I have come across while playing the game myself. Legendary players like Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss, Walter ‘Puggy’ Person and Johnny Chan have influenced the story, and the characters. These sorts of players have developed the game from six players on a table to thousands of players in a huge room. The comics include aspects like Phil Hellmuth’s collection of bracelets and his Vegas style entrances to the tournaments…

The inspiration for this story stretched further than the poker world. Anish also drew from his favorite graphic novels like the Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibons. Pulling from the poker world for story inspiration and graphic novels for structure and style led Anish on a 14-year journey from conceiving the idea to publishing the finished novel.

My Impressions

Despite my reservations about beginning my first graphic novel, I was hooked from the first page. Final Nine was a perfect introduction into the world of graphic novels. It was easy to get behind a poker story. I am obsessed with the game and consume all types of poker media. This read opened the door to a whole new way to be entertained by poker. It is easy to read, the illustrations are spectacular, and the story is thrilling.

I am somewhat of a poker snob when it comes to non-fiction. Whenever I watch movies or TV shows with poker scenes I am usually annoyed by the inaccuracies. Many people in show business don’t understand the game, so the hands don’t make sense. This was not an issue with Final Nine. I was thrilled to see poker hands that actually make sense. Reasonable run outs and betting patterns made it much easier to enjoy the story unfolding.

Aside from the poker, what really hooked me was the backstories for each player. The structure of this novel switches back and forth from the final table action to the lives of each player leading up to the tournament. Diving into the lives of the characters gave me everything I want out of a poker story: sympathetic characters, rich history, and the right amount of seedy underworld. Getting to know each character made the final table action all the more thrilling. It really felt like those big WSOP final tables where the countless interviews and color stories give the players more depth than their chip stack.

Conclusion

I highly recommend Final Nine to all poker fans. Whether you have never read a graphic novel or you have a massive collection, this story is a fantastic read. It opened my eyes to a new form of media, and in the hands of a graphic novel enthusiast, it will open their eyes to the great world of poker. I will certainly be on the lookout for more from Anish Patel, as he said himself:

Since launching [Final Nine] in mid-2022 my plan is to market to comic book readers and poker players. If the launch of the book becomes a success, then there would be further stories about poker. There is an idea to continue the story, or focus other types of poker games with further great characters’ back story. 

For poker players, graphic novel readers, and myself, my fingers are crossed for more from the world of Final Nine.

What Rock, Paper, Scissors Teaches us About Poker

The best way to understand GTO strategy is to recognise its alternative, which is exploitative strategy. All players are essentially exploitative players because nobody can employ a perfect GTO strategy. You exploit your opponents whenever you adjust your strategy to capitalise on a weakness of theirs. You open yourself up to exploitation whenever you deviate from a perfect GTO strategy. You exploit others and open yourself up to exploitation all the time, however when you learn GTO you do so to a lesser degree.

Before we jump into poker it’s time to paint Mr Miyagi’s fence with an exercise that might seem pointless but ultimately will teach you the fundamental principles of GTO. You will no doubt be familiar with the schoolyard game Roshambo or Rock/Paper/Scissors. Rock blunts scissors, scissors cut paper, paper covers rock.

The Game Theory Optimal way to play Rock/Paper/Scissors is to pick each option an equal percentage of the time, but at random. If you pick Rock 1/3rd of the time, Scissors 1/3rd of the time and Paper 1/3rd of the time, while being random in their order, you cannot be exploited.

If you simulated Rock/Paper/Scissors 72 times and both players adopted this strategy, this is what the outcomes would be for Player 1:

This is what we call a balanced response, in that both players have a perfect balance of Rock/Paper/Scissors. What happens, however, if Player 2 has an unbalanced response? What if they have a preference for Rock, and will play it 36 times out of 72, playing Paper 18 times and Scissors 18 times?

This is what happens:

Overall Player 1 breaks even again, but one of the plays is more profitable. When Player 1 picks Paper, they are up by six games overall, but when they pick Scissors they are down six games. By playing a Game Theory Optimal strategy, Player 1 gets the same outcome regardless of the strategy of Player 2, there is just more variance involved.

We know that Player 2 having a preference for Rock is a mistake though, so what can we do to capitalise on that? Pick more Paper, obviously. This is what happens if Player 1 picks Paper every single time, knowing what they know about Player 2’s strategy:

As you can see Player 1 gets crushed every time Player 2 picks Scissors, they lose 18 games. However, that is more than made up for every time Player 2 picks Rock. That leads to Player 1 winning 36 games, and being up 18 games overall.

Can you see a potential issue with Player 1 adopting this new strategy? Quite simply at some point Player 2 will realise that Player 1 is picking Paper every time, and adapt by picking Scissors more. In reality nobody would get away with this strategy for very long, so Player 1 would have to adopt a less extreme strategy. What if, for example, they chose to play Paper half the time and the other two options a quarter of the time each? That would look like this:

When Player 1 does this they are up 7.5 games overall, which is a long way off from the +36 winning streak but much more sustainable. Against a weak Roshambo player this could be a long term winning strategy which goes unnoticed. It also reminds me of a joke Scottish pro Ludo Geilich told me once:

A young boy enters a barber shop and the barber whispers to his customer: “This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you.” 

The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, “Which do you want, son?” 

The boy takes the quarters and leaves. 

“What did I tell you?” said the barber. “That kid never learns!” 

Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store. 

“Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar bill?” 

The boy licked his cone and replied, “Because the day I take the dollar, the game is over!”

What if Player 1 misjudges Player 2, who starts to counter adjust? Player 2 notices Paper is coming up more often and makes a similar counter adjustment, switching to Scissors half the time and the other two options a quarter of the time each. The new outcome looks like this:

Now Player 1 has gone from winning +7.5 games to losing -7.5 games because of this counter adjustment. The exploitation strategy that saw them win +7.5 games has had the opposite effect when Player 2 noticed what was happening.

This is the core of the benefits and costs of an exploitative strategy. You stand to win much more when your assumptions are correct, but you open yourself up to exploitation. If your opponent adjusts, you lose. If your assumptions are incorrect you lose by exploiting yourself. If, however, you only play a GTO style you can only profit when your opponent leaves themselves open to exploitation. If you both play GTO you will end up playing to a stalemate, but if either of you divert from a GTO strategy you will leave yourself open to exploitation.

How you get exploited in poker

Poker is no different to Roshambo in this sense, other than it is much more complex because of the number of card combinations, the betting structure, the stack depths, multiple players and the variance involved. The same principles apply, if you adjust to exploit your opponent you win more when your assumptions are correct but leave yourself vulnerable to counter exploitation.

Let’s look at a typical example you will be familiar with as a player, which is when you flop the nut flush draw with an Ax suited type hand. This is a classic semi bluff situation and most good players know betting here is instantly profitable. If you take down the pot with an unmade hand, great. If you hit your flush you can get a lot of value in a bigger pot. If you hit your Ace that’s a good spot too. As such, most of us will bet in this spot and it will work out well most of the time.

What happens, however, if you check back on a board with a flush draw and the third card of the same suit hits the turn? Against a bad player you still can represent the flush but a thinking player who has shared some table time with you knows you always bet when you have the big draw. As such they can exploit you by check/raising when you bet the turn and put you in a tough spot, maybe even make you fold some of your better value hands. You cannot bluff in these spots because your opponent knows you never have the nuts.

The adjustment, therefore, is not to always check back with the nut flush draw but to mix the two strategies. Some of the time you bet with your semi bluff, sometimes you check back with it. This is what is known in poker as protecting your range or having a balanced range. Protecting a range means having the right balance of bluffs and value in all of your actions, so that your opponent does not know where you are in the hand.

If you semi bluff the flop some of the time with the nut flush draw, your opponent will call you more on the flop. This means you have a protected flop bet range and as a result you can value bet your made hands and they will get called, because your opponent knows you are capable of bluffing here. If you check back with the nut flush draw some of the time you will have a protected turn betting range. This means you can bluff more on the turn when you don’t have a hand because your opponent knows you are capable of having a flush here.

When you are capable of having bluffs and value in every spot, you become difficult to exploit. When you are only ever bluffing or only ever value betting in a spot, you become very easy to play against.

Click here to purchase your copy of GTO Poker Simplified

There are far fewer books around that let you know of the poker player’s greatest enemy, namely the mistakes you make. If you could only identify them, you could cut them out of your game. It stands to reason that it is easier to cut out mistakes than learn skills, so why isn’t there a poker book out there that targets those mistakes and bids to remove them from your current poker make-up.

Fortunately for you, there now is.

If you prefer to work from the perspective of eliminating negatives, then The 100 Biggest Mistakes That Poker Players Make by Alex Fitzgerald might well be the book for you.

About the Author

It’s often the footnote on a book such as this, but just as the tome itself references the author first, we wanted to make mention of it in reviewing the masterpiece, because it is undoubtedly that. Alex Fitzgerald not only provides a background of genuine success to call upon, both live and online, where he has starred in World Poker Tour and WCOOP events among others but as a career of being a poker coach par excellence.

Fitzgerald’s name is synonymous with poker coaching and in hundreds of training videos and articles and in his consultancy role, he has doubtless improved the game of poker overall; such has been his impact on those who play it. Ed. note: PLUS, Alex just became a Cardplayer Lifestyle contributor, too!

What’s in the Book?

As you might expect, 100 mistakes is a vast variety of blunders you can make at the felt. The book is — much like the last time this reporter made a final table — a catalogue of errors, and there are going to be plenty of occasions where you think “I’m so glad I don’t do that” while reading one chapter, then blush with guilt at your through-the-fingers enjoyment of the next knowing it is discussing a mistake you definitely do make.

Fitzgerald’s aim is not to humiliate us all for our errors, though. He only seeks to shine a light on them so that they might be identified, scrutinized and eventually, eradicated from our game. Much as a psychotherapist might try many methods in order to access that harrowing memory of missing out on the last sticker that would have completed your 1994/95 Premier League soccer album (or whatever your own trauma might be), Fitzgerald utilizes a number of clever ways in weeding out those mistakes that you’ve pushed under the carpet for too long.

D&B Poker published this hefty 398-page work (including the index), so The 100 Biggest Mistakes That Poker Players Make is not a pocket-sized handbook, but more the kind of poker bible that you should devour before referring back to, like the bible might be if Jesus played poker badly and liked to raise before the flop. As it happens, we reckon the master carpenter would have had the smarts to read this bible all the way through before sitting down and that would be our tip for new players who ask how they should play the game.

Honesty is the Book’s USP

Many of the ways that Fitzgerald highlights what we commonly identify as mistakes made by others is by helping you acknowledge that you’ll sometimes make the same missteps yourself. How many times have you begged the elite pro you watch on television to stop acting like a petulant child, only to find yourself doing similar but in a slightly less grandstanding way when you donk off a stack with four players remaining?

The book makes a sweeping statement in its opening that in the opinion of this reviewer should be writ large in the banner at the top of any poker website or above the door of any casino – never go pro unless you have to.

There are a number of these simplistic tips for how not to become a bad player, but they are expanded on really well and often turn out to be deeper than you may first have thought, leading into techniques for how to avoid making the same mistakes. This method of exploration and self-improvement take place almost without you knowing it and later in the book, there are more detailed breakdowns of specific plays that if you’d started with them, might have felt complicated.

The Big Takeaway

For this reason, it bears to read the book with a pretty rigid discipline to the order in which the mistakes are listed. It’s not that you can’t check the mistakes individually and go back and review the ones that apply to you (there’s a final chapter handily devoted to doing just this), but it makes way more sense to read from start to finish. The book comes across like a well-honed classic rock album – every song is in the right place and if listened to in the order it was designed in, will have you singing throughout.

In the end, The 100 Biggest Mistakes That Poker Players Make is the kind of poker book that everyone should have on their bookshelf. Whether you’re a first-time player looking to join in with the most popular card game played for profit worldwide or a honed professional looking to eradicate a couple of mistakes that you’re struggling to identify,

The 100 Biggest Mistakes That Poker Players Make is highly likely to root them out for you. All you then need to do is make sure that you have the wherewithal to put the mistake behind you and – using the book as a strong reference tool – maintain your distance from the error and never make it again. One thing is for sure – buying this book is definitely not a mistake.

So, I’m proud to release some additional announcements about the festival that everyone who attends will be able to enjoy.

While there’s no tournament this time around, the cash games will be running 24/7 in the poker room, and each day of the festival will feature a special poker book signing event:

Sunday June 12

At 11am, WSOP bracelet winner Dylan Linde will be signing copies of his book Mastering Mixed Games, available for purchase at a discounted price of $25.

Monday June 13

At 11am, 2x WSOP Circuit Ring winner and poker media personality Bernard Lee will be signing copies of his book Poker Satellite Success!, available for purchase at a discounted price of $20.

Tuesday June 14

At 3pm, WSOP bracelet winner Chris Wallace will be signing copies of his brand new book Getting Started With HORSE (co-authored with Michael and Robert Mizrachi) at a discounted price of $20. Chris will also have copies of his other book, Short Stack Ninja, available for purchase and signing.

Wednesday June 15

At 11am, 2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer will be signing copies of his book Fossilman’s Winning Tournament Strategies, available for purchase at a discounted price of $25.

Thursday June 16

At 11am, Poker Hall of Famer Eli Elezra will be signing copies of his autobiography Pulling the Trigger for a discounted price of $15.

* A portion of all proceeds derived from the book sales will be donated to charity, specifically Poker Gives, which distributes funds to assist military families, homeless vets, and youth programs in Las Vegas.

Freebie Merch and More

Moreover, throughout the inaugural Mixed Game Festival, we’ll be giving away lots of FREE swag:

• Multiple $100 gift vouchers from the PokerStars Store
• A variety of apparel from PokerGO
• Gift bags from BBO Poker Tables
• Limited edition T-shirts from RunGoodGear
• 2-deck set ups from Faded Spade Playing Cards
• and more!

Plus, don’t forget that you still have until the end of the Mixed Game Festival (June 16) to take advantage of our exclusive 25% discount on Upswing Poker’s Mixed Game Mastery course by Jake Abdalla as well as ALL other Upswing Poker courses. Be sure to use the promo code: mixedgamefest. Check out the full details of this offer here.

A number of well known names and faces from the poker industry have also confirmed to me privately that they’ll be popping in to say hi during the festival, so be sure to bring your selfie-ready poker faces, as you might be seated next to a poker celebrity!

The Grand Prize: Details

Finally, if all of that’s not enough for you, don’t forget our Grand Prize!

For every hour you play during the Mixed Game Festival, you’ll receive an additional entry into our random drawing, which will take place on Thursday evening June 16, for a PokerStars Live Event Package.

The package includes a €400 buy-in, flights and hotel for a European Road to PSPC event.

Take your pick from stops in eight countries, including: France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Greece, Belgium or Slovenia, where you’ll get a dream trip plus a shot at winning a Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players Championship — to be held January 30-February 3, 2023 in the Bahamas — worth approximately $30,000!

If you haven’t yet made your travel plans, rooms at Resorts World Las Vegas are still available at discounted rates from June 12-16. Make sure that you use promo code YYPKR when booking online or mentioning it when calling directly 1-833-930-3888).

Be sure to spread the word among your mixed game-loving friends, and I look forward to seeing you soon in Las Vegas!