Killer Poker (strategy and tactics for winning poker play) by: John Vorhaus

Killer Poker is a book based on how to play the game, using bankroll management, pyschology of poker and emotions to your adavantage.

Pros

This book is awsome, especially if you are new, it helps with basic strategy and how to play effectively without losing your wallet. Vorhaus is a great writer because he has the writer do activies while your reading, like writing how you feel, what you notice about your game, and where you want to be in the future of your poker career. He does a great job explaining why you should change the way you play to a solid strategy. He explains how emotions and stupid things that we do as poker players that can be avoided. He explains how to change your weak strategy, into being a feared and dominated player at any table. He gives a way to calculate odds and how to play hands. Killer Poker explains why people lose at poker, and shows you how to avoid those mistakes. He dumbs-down poker so its not elitest, anyone can understand what he saying and makes it compelling for anyone to want to read it. What I like the most is how its more of a mental aspect to the game. "Killer Poker is more then just a set of strategies: its a state of mind." Thats Vorhaus's crux of his book is that it doesnt matter if you have the best strategy in the world, without a mental game, without getting in the proper mindset, you're beat before you start.

Cons

To be quiet frank, most of this book I really liked. I would say some of the chapters seem a little repitive with the same theme on being in the correct mental state (probably emphasis for importance). As well he over-simplifies everything into common language and makes you at times feel stupid for making the mistakes that you make. Definately not a strategy book persay, very limited on what hands to play and how to play them. More of a generalization of playing blackjack hands (hands that add up to 20-21). Very much for beginners in the sense advanced and good players will have mastered most of the techniques.

Overall I loved this book, because it made me focus on more of the aspect of how to play the game, not the specific hand. It taught me how to bring my A game, and transformed my weak-loose strategy into a tight-dominating player in my cash game. If you feel that you don't know why you are losing games or want to gain an upper hand on the game, Killer Poker, Ii repeat Killer Poker is a must.

Language: eng

 

Comments:

Posted by xreed on Mar 20, 2005 - 12:03 AM
My score: 4

this was one of the first books I read and I quitely enjoyed it. It helped me out greatly when I was just a beginner, and improved my play in Holdem. Now I make a lot more money at the tables, and I'm proud of that.

Posted by tedh7 on Mar 29, 2005 - 06:55 PM
My score: 5

never read it. but i might have to go read it now

Posted by sbtrojans on Apr 02, 2005 - 03:43 PM
My score: 5

I dont like this site. I would prefer to use Pokerstars.

Posted by yodoha on Apr 27, 2005 - 01:04 AM
My score: 3

Its about average just because its limited on what hands to play and i think that knowing wht hands to play is a real important factor.