Poker for Dummies (Mini Edition) by Richard D. Harroch, Lou Krieger Page A
Authors: Richard D. Harroch, Lou Krieger
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Chicago mobsters, a round table, a low-hanging lamp illuminating the thick cigar smoke rising from the ash tray, guys with shoulder holsters and snub-nosed 38s, a bottle of cheap Scotch on the table, and someone the size of an NFL linebacker stationed by the peep-hole at the door.
There’s a kinder, gentler version too. This is a picture of Uncle Jack and Aunt Gertie playing poker around the kitchen table for pennies, and somehow all the nieces and nephews always come away winners.
Poker has been all of these things, and more. Although your authors are far too young to have gambled with Doc Holliday or played cards with Al Capone, both are familiar with the kitchen table introduction to America’s national card game.
Since the late 1980s, poker has undergone a renaissance, a greening, if you please. Today’s poker is clean, light, and airy, and decidedly middle class. Like bowling and billiards before it, poker has moved out from under the seedier side of its roots and is flowering in the sunshine. No matter where you live, you probably live within a few hours drive of a public card casino. Poker is all around you. Seek and ye shall find, and these days you don’t have to look very far either.
Why You Need This Book
If you’ve never played poker seriously before, you might wonder why you need a book about it. Why can’t you just sit down at the table with a few friends, or visit that friendly casino nearby and learn as you go? Well, you can learn poker that way, but there are better ways to go about it. The school of hard knocks can be expensive, and there’s no guarantee you’ll ever graduate.
Poker’s been around for a long time, and it’s never been more popular. With the advent of personal computers, a great deal of research about the game has been done in recent years and some of the tried-and-true concepts have been changing. Players who don’t keep their knowledge up to date will be left behind.
A reference book like Poker For Dummies explains the basic rules of the most popular variations of poker and provides a sound strategic approach so you can learn to play well in the shortest amount of time.
Icons Used in This Book
A signature feature of For Dummies books, besides top-notch authors and the catchy yellow-and-black covers, is the use of icons, which are little pictures we like to throw next to pieces of important text. Here’s what the icons mean:
A suggestion that can help you play better.
A note that will keep you out of trouble.
A more general concept that you shouldn’t forget.
Where to Go from Here
You’ve got your copy of Poker For Dummies — now what? Consider the basics of poker with Chapter 1, or head straight to Chapter 2 to get the lowdown on Texas Hold’em. If you want even more advice on poker, from participating in poker tournaments to making the most of video and Internet poker, check out the full-size version of Poker For Dummies — simply head to your local bookseller or go to www.dummies.com !
Chapter 1
Poker Basics
In This Chapter
Getting a feel for poker basics
Looking at hand rankings
Building a strong foundation for winning
Getting acquainted with general rules and etiquette
Poker is America’s national card game, and its popularity continues to grow. From Mississippi and Michigan to New Mexico and North Dakota, you can find a game in progress everywhere. If you want to play you can find poker played on replicas of 19th-century paddle-wheel riverboats or on Native American tribal lands. You can play poker in two-table, no-frills cardrooms and elegant Los Angeles County megaclubs where 150 games (with betting limits ranging from $1–$2 to $200–$400) are in progress ’round the clock.
This book targets readers who are new to poker. Even if you consider yourself to have a pretty good hand at the game, this book is bound to improve it.
Before You Put on Your Poker Face
Like a house, poker requires a foundation. Only when that foundation is solidly in place
There’s a kinder, gentler version too. This is a picture of Uncle Jack and Aunt Gertie playing poker around the kitchen table for pennies, and somehow all the nieces and nephews always come away winners.
Poker has been all of these things, and more. Although your authors are far too young to have gambled with Doc Holliday or played cards with Al Capone, both are familiar with the kitchen table introduction to America’s national card game.
Since the late 1980s, poker has undergone a renaissance, a greening, if you please. Today’s poker is clean, light, and airy, and decidedly middle class. Like bowling and billiards before it, poker has moved out from under the seedier side of its roots and is flowering in the sunshine. No matter where you live, you probably live within a few hours drive of a public card casino. Poker is all around you. Seek and ye shall find, and these days you don’t have to look very far either.
Why You Need This Book
If you’ve never played poker seriously before, you might wonder why you need a book about it. Why can’t you just sit down at the table with a few friends, or visit that friendly casino nearby and learn as you go? Well, you can learn poker that way, but there are better ways to go about it. The school of hard knocks can be expensive, and there’s no guarantee you’ll ever graduate.
Poker’s been around for a long time, and it’s never been more popular. With the advent of personal computers, a great deal of research about the game has been done in recent years and some of the tried-and-true concepts have been changing. Players who don’t keep their knowledge up to date will be left behind.
A reference book like Poker For Dummies explains the basic rules of the most popular variations of poker and provides a sound strategic approach so you can learn to play well in the shortest amount of time.
Icons Used in This Book
A signature feature of For Dummies books, besides top-notch authors and the catchy yellow-and-black covers, is the use of icons, which are little pictures we like to throw next to pieces of important text. Here’s what the icons mean:
A suggestion that can help you play better.
A note that will keep you out of trouble.
A more general concept that you shouldn’t forget.
Where to Go from Here
You’ve got your copy of Poker For Dummies — now what? Consider the basics of poker with Chapter 1, or head straight to Chapter 2 to get the lowdown on Texas Hold’em. If you want even more advice on poker, from participating in poker tournaments to making the most of video and Internet poker, check out the full-size version of Poker For Dummies — simply head to your local bookseller or go to www.dummies.com !
Chapter 1
Poker Basics
In This Chapter
Getting a feel for poker basics
Looking at hand rankings
Building a strong foundation for winning
Getting acquainted with general rules and etiquette
Poker is America’s national card game, and its popularity continues to grow. From Mississippi and Michigan to New Mexico and North Dakota, you can find a game in progress everywhere. If you want to play you can find poker played on replicas of 19th-century paddle-wheel riverboats or on Native American tribal lands. You can play poker in two-table, no-frills cardrooms and elegant Los Angeles County megaclubs where 150 games (with betting limits ranging from $1–$2 to $200–$400) are in progress ’round the clock.
This book targets readers who are new to poker. Even if you consider yourself to have a pretty good hand at the game, this book is bound to improve it.
Before You Put on Your Poker Face
Like a house, poker requires a foundation. Only when that foundation is solidly in place
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