Essential Poker Books For You and Me

Improving and tweaking your poker game is a never ending process and using various resources to do so is highly recommended. No matter if you're a rookie or an experienced player a good poker book can and most definitely will improve your skills. Here's a summary of three excellent poker books that we recommend any and all to give a read.

SIT 'N GO STRATEGY Book Title: Sit 'n Go Strategy Author: Collin Moshman Publisher: Two plus Two publishing Pages: 274

Looking for some Sit 'n Go strategy? This book is the Nuts and a major contribution to poker as there has been little literature on Sit 'n Go tournament strategy. "Sit 'n Go Strategy - Expert advice for beating one-table poker tournaments" is logically divided into four chapters; Low blind play, Mid blind play, High blind play and Career play.

Rather than just telling you how to play, it gives you the opportunity to make a decision about what you would most likely do in a given situation, and then the author explains what the correct decision is. The organizational structure of the book is also excellent and makes it very easy to quickly find a situation that you might want to review after an on-line Sit 'n Go session. We highly recommend this book for intermediate to advanced players as it takes general knowledge and applies it to 1 table Sit 'n Go tournaments.

Collin Moshman received an honors degree in theoretical math from the California Institute of Technology in 2003. He is considered to be one of the best 1 table sit 'n go tournament players using his specific math based approach.

THE THEORY OF POKER Book Title: The Theory of Poker Author: David Sklansky Publisher: Two plus Two publishing Pages: 276

Sklansky's The Theory of Poker has generally been regarded as a classic since its initial release and a must have on learning the fundamentals of poker. It applies a very mathematical and theoretical approach to the game for players who are interest in taking their poker game to the next level. Despite the fact that poker has changed tremendously over the 26 years this poker book was written, The Theory of Poker remains as valuable today as it was back in the Eighties. It's definitely not the easiest read for the uninformed but if you're looking to become a good poker player, it's a must have.

David Sklansky is a professional poker player and considered a top authority on gambling in general. He has written numerous books on poker, blackjack and gambling. Sklansky has won 3 WSOP bracelets (1982/1983) and won the "poker by the book" invitational event (2004). His 1976 book "Hold'em Poker" was the first widely available on the subject.

CARO'S BOOK OF POKER TELLS Book Title: Book of Poker Tells Author: Mike Caro Publisher: Cardoza publishing Pages: 320

This sure is one of greatest books ever written on poker and a must read for every serious beginning and live poker player. It covers around 50 different tells of various types divided into simple categories in which Mike Caro teaches you how to generate profit from reading your opponents. Caro also lists the reliability of tells based upon how good your opponents are. You should know that skill and an understanding of poker theory and game situations are more important than spotting tells but knowing all about these tells could give you the edge you need over your opponents.

In 1978 Mike "Mad Genius" Caro already contributed 50 statistical tables to Doyle Brunson's Super System and wrote that book's chapter on draw poker. He is a professional poker player and the founder of the Mike Caro University of Poker, Gambling and Life Strategy which is considered to be the world's first permanent poker school. Caro is the author of a number of books about poker including; The Body Language of Poker, Professional Hold'em Play by Play and Poker for Women.

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Poker Chip Sets - Essential to The Poker Experience

Poker Chip Sets - The Poker Chip and Challenge to Counterfeiters

Poker is a popular card game across the world with the excitement of gambling and potential for huge payoffs. Almost integral to the poker game are the poker chips, and indeed poker does not feel like poker without poker chip sets.

The chips are small discs of various colors representing different denominations, meant as substitutes for real money, which is instead stored in a more secure place. The use of money substitutes, or token money, can be traced back through the 13th to 17th centuries in Europe. Today poker chips are often made according to themes and formats that unite a particular set of chips. This is useful in avoiding counterfeiters, even for games at home or in private.

Casino chips use many different anti-counterfeiting measures, with the most basic being chip coloration and embossed or molded patterning. Holographic inlays, distinctive colored markings on the edges and ultraviolet markings on the inlays further deter potential counterfeiters. Lastly, Radio Frequency Identification or RFID tags are used by some establishments. The latter method can be quite costly, but the establishments that use them feel the cost is justified. Given the difficulty in counterfeiting chips, poker chip frauds in casinos are rare.

If you plan to play in private though, you should be careful of frauds, especially if you are using mass-produced chips. Another reason for these security measures is to identify which casinos they came from. This is usually not a problem, since casinos usually honor only their own chips and it is more of a matter of branding. In Nevada however, casinos are permitted to honor chips from other casinos, and these identifiers make returning chips to the casinos they belong to easier.

Poker Chip Sets - Composition and Coloration

Authentic casino poker chips are made of clay, though not pure clay which is too soft. Special composite mixtures have been made, using trade-secret techniques, the confidential nature of which is yet another speed bump on the counterfeiter's path. Sometimes, special edition poker chip sets may be bought from casinos, though generally poker chips stay in the casinos. Poker chips made for home use on the other hand may or may not be of the same quality as their casino counterparts.

For home use poker chips, ceramic and ABS plastic are the most common materials. When ceramic is used, special compositions allow them to approximate the feel of real clay while maintaining a lower price profile. Ceramic chips are also used in some casinos. ABS plastic chips on the other hand may be molded with a metal disk or slug inside, to give them some heft. For those in Europe, poker chips may come in mother of pearl, which gives them an incomparable sheen and luster. Coloration is standard for different denominations in one set, but may differ across sets. For example, in some places there are standard coloration schemes for chips, while in others there are none. Of note is the US State of Nevada, where casinos are given free rein on their chip designs and colors.

Poker Chip Sets - Sets and Themes

Since poker games often involve large amounts of money, a large number of chips are needed. Standard sets have 300 pieces, while others can have 500 pieces, and yet others reaching a stunning 1000 pieces. Some casinos sell poker chips similar to those used on the floor but with a few differences for identification purposes. This is great for those who want to emulate the feel of their favorite places of gambling at home games. Limited edition sets can be highly collectible, and there is a thriving community of poker chip collectors.

Many of the poker chips are traded via eBay, and the most special ones can go for thousands of US dollars, regardless of face value. Whole sets of these special poker chips can cost even more than the individual pieces. What really ties the members of all poker chip sets together is the design of the chips. Poker chips in one set are often of identical sizes, of consistent coloration, and having similar inlays. Colors and inlays vary according to denomination, but the idea is that chips from one set are identifiably from the very same set.

The edges and rims may also be embossed with characteristic patterns and even have colored sections made via special multi stage molding techniques. The designs may be simple and straight forward, just simple chips with numbers. They could just as well be whimsical, like having humorous or otherwise interesting prints on the inlays. A set of poker chips will often be packaged in a poker chip case or some such container such as an acrylic poker chip carrier or humidor style wooden poker chip case, in the tradition followed in casinos worldwide. One would suppose that if you are going for the authentic feel, then there's no point skimping on the little details.

Poker Chip Sets - Elements of Authenticity

Poker chips are essential to playing poker. One can "play" poker without them, but it will not feel like poker without the chips would it? It is the feel of these poker chips that gives a tactile sense of authenticity. The clink of these poker chips as they hit the table and trade hands adds to the ambiance. The nature of these poker chips ensures that no one can weasel out of the bet that they placed, so it ensures a fair game as far as bets are concerned. Speaking of amounts, the printed or inlaid values may vary depending on where you buy your poker chip sets.

It is even possible to find manufacturers that make poker chips that reflect your country's currency and useful denominations, though generic chips are also available. With the popularity of televised poker and TV series set in casinos, the mystique of poker chip sets has increased, and many people feel that poker chips are the only way with which to play poker. If you are the kind of person who likes taking souvenirs, then chips from the casinos you have visited make fine reminders of good and bad times alike. Poker chips are definitely the elements of authenticity in poker games.

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