Heads up, no-limit poker book; con man study; chip guide vivid
Collin Moshman earns much of his income playing online poker. It was there he discovered the tight strategy needed for normal sit 'n go tournaments was not adequate for heads-up play. His research into his own play showed him that "a loose-aggressive style with strong elements of unpredictability was required" for one-on-one competition. In his latest book he presents the math and logic in seven major sections, including pre-flop hand probabilities and a drawing odds chart.
The seven sections include the all-in decision; value betting and effective stack sizes; exploiting styles and defeating tight-aggressive opponents; pot size manipulation; thinking multiple moves in advance; and price-setting the river. Also: calling button raises; attacking button limps; checking the turn when you are strong; finishing off an opponent.
One section is devoted to cash and tournament formats including freeze-outs; playing with a straddle and the split pot rule and a final section discusses table selection; seizing online edges; tilt control; timing tells and reverse tells.
Who are the great con men of history and how did they operate? Todd Robbins explains everything from common, deceptive bar bets; "can't lose" card tricks; the terminology of the con man; how swindles are perpetrated.
In eight colorful, fact-packed chapters, the author, a New York-based entertainer, profiles colorful folks like Charles Ponzi, Titanic Thompson, Soapy Smith, Yellow Kid Weil, and explains their slang, their special "language" while offering both history, techniques along with ideas on how to avoid being victimized and how to become "street smart."
Chip collectors who love to know if they've got a rare one or one appreciating in value have been looking forward to the Third Edition of The Official U.S. Casino Chip Price Guide by Campiglia and Wells. It's colorful, informative with guidelines on how to identify legitimate chips; what some of the rarest ones are; how they're graded; a rarity scale (keyed to "known survivors"); and molds and their descriptions. The book has a 10-page index of casinos and chips. Geographically, Nevada, New Jersey, Colorado, South Dakota, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri are included.
This full-color guide is one of the most remarkable compilations for chip collectors ever. If you're serious about buying or selling American casino chips, it's a must-have item. More than 2,000 rare casino chips worth more than $2 million are listed.
All books reviewed in this article are available from Gambler's Book Shop (Gambler's Book Club), located at 630 South 11th Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101. Order using a MasterCard, VISA or Discover card (no American Express or CODs please) via the store's toll-free number 1-800-522-1777 any day except Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time. You may order from the store's web site at www.gamblersbook.com anytime, using the credit cards indicated. Books usually shipped the next working day. The store has an 80-page catalog listing 1,000 other books, videos and computer software in 30 other areas of gambling. You may receive a free copy by requesting one by phone or from the web site or by writing, or view it in its entirety at the web site. When in Las Vegas, visit the store, which also has thousands of used books. The store is a mile from downtown, a block west of Maryland Parkway, just off Charleston Boulevard at South 11th Street. This is the store's 39th year of operation.