“Eat Professional Poker Players Alive!” recommended by Bluff Magazine
Eat Professional Poker Players Alive!
Title: Eat Professional Poker Players Alive!
Author: Frank Wiese
Publisher: Just Fold Enterprises Inc. (Copyright 2009)
Price: US $24.95
Pages: 304
Book Review by: John Golledge
As anyone who has played No Limit Texas Hold'em in one of the many modern-day poker rooms can attest, the game is played differently these days. The evolved version is often referred to as "No Fold'em Hold'em", where folks continue to adhere to the poor Hold'em player's lament, "Any two cards can win!" In Eat Professional Poker Players Alive! author Frank Wiese provides elementary strategies for the novice, intermediate, and expert Hold'em player that will allow them to consistently beat rivals who play these games.
Wiese, himself a Chicago-based poker professional, has contributed articles to numerous poker magazines as well as to various poker newsgroups. After some introductory remarks, Eat Professional Poker Players Alive! moves on to describe the fundamentals of the game, including the very elementary, but necessary, mathematical knowledge on how to compute one's odds. This book is divided into various strategies pertaining to fish, moving on to barracuda, and through to the shark. In general, this is one of the best introductory treatments of this material I have read.
In the middle section Wiese manages to cover a sizable number of topics in a fairly short span- and he does it accurately and clearly. Of special note is the writer's treatment of a concept he calls "Medium Ball", a strategy that provides a workable approach for dealing with "small ball" players and most experienced players alike. In addition to Medium Ball, Wiese also covers the playing of hands, with consideration given to each round of betting, position, deception, how to play various hands, the check-raise, free cards, and a host of other important topics. Most subject matter that requires elaboration is covered, very clearly and well, as, later in the text, Wiese provides answers regarding some of the more frequently visited poker topics. He expounds clearly on the nuances of bluffing strategies, the transition of moving from online to playing live, table image, bankroll considerations, endorses a great Sit-And-Go strategy, provides a useful glossary and concludes with some practical recommendations of where to continue with study of the game.
This is a must-have book from an experienced cash game veteran, poker columnist, and tournament strategist. It is an excellent tool for anyone who is truly serious about elevating his or her game to the next level. In the course of 304 pages Wiese unveils a brand new strategy that will show you how you can take it to the pros and beat them at our favorite game. This book covers many great aspects of the game and yet does not limit itself just to Hold'em - Eat Professional Poker Players Alive! also includes strategies on all your other favorite poker games: Omaha, Razz, Stud, and many more! This book is as good an introduction to winning play at No Limit Texas Hold'em as I have seen.
Even though the book is not without flaws, there remain many thousands of players in card clubs all over the world who could save themselves a great deal of money each year by purchasing this tome and utilizing it as a guidebook for refining their at-table strategies. Frank Wiese has produced a book that is certain to prove a worthwhile investment of time and money for poker players of all skill levels, having explored ample material in a variety of innovative ways. Even the absolute newcomer - an aspiring player who has never played before - will have the potential to become a very dangerous individual at a poker table after reading this well written volume.
John Golledge
Eat Professional Poker Players Alive! Covers Much Territory
Like a breath of fresh air, a new work on the game, Eat Professional Poker Players Alive! by Frank Wiese (304 pages, paperbound, $24.95) has reached the shelves of Gamblers Book Shop. Covering Hold'em, Razz, Stud, 2-7 Triple Draw Low Ball and H.O.R.S.E., tournament play and online poker, it's an excellent tutorial for both beginners and experienced players. World Series of Poker champion Jerry Yang wrote the foreword and calls the author "one of poker's best kept secrets." Wiese, out of Chicago, is an established cash game and tournament player.
This well-illustrated book contains eight major sections, the first two for beginners, with intermediate play covered in the third section and advanced play beginning on page 77. Vital discussions focus on the need for patience, how to use aggression positively, stealing blinds and small pots, bluffing and when to fold. Wiese discusses slow playing and setting traps; table image and heads up strategy. The sections on H.O.R.S.E., Triple Draw, Omaha, Razz and Seven Stud average about 10 pages each.
The book explains the atmosphere, locale, prize pool, and lists winners in various events of three major tournaments (Heartland, World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker). This tournament section could have been improved by use of tips on how to survive the early rounds or identifying mistakes beginning tournament players make, but tournament organizers will probably appreciate the publicity in the long run.
Novices seeking advice about online poker rooms, sit n' go strategy, making the transition from online to live action will find help here too. The book ends with over 40 pages of useful information on poker magazines, forums, podcasts, information on many of the nation's poker rooms, and a poker glossary.
Howard Schwartz, the "librarian for gamblers," is the marketing director for Gambler's Book Club in Las Vegas, a position he has held since 1979. Author of hundreds of articles on gambling, his weekly book reviews appear in numerous publications throughout the gaming industry.
Any item reviewed here is available from Gambler's Book Shop (Gambler's Book Club). The store's web site is www.gamblersbook.com. You may order there using MasterCard, VISA or Discover (no CODs please) or by phoning the store any day except Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time at 1-800-522-1777. Orders usually shipped the next working day. The store, now in its 40th year, is located a mile from downtown Las Vegas, a block west of Maryland Parkway, just off Charleston Boulevard at South 11th Street. You may view the store's complete array of books, videos and software via the Web site or request a hard copy of the catalog be mailed free and first class. The store's address is 630 S. 11th St., Las Vegas, NV 89101.
For inquires on having one on one poker coaching with Frank Wiese send a email to : Frank@epppa.com