Poker Concorde

As a player, I have always said that literature can aid the development of a poker player in many ways, and I would recommend reading poker books to many amateur players. More often than not, these books will have details of many different poker variant games, and so you can get a general idea how to play another game and begin to learn it in greater depth yourself. I found this to be the case with Phil Hellmuths book, ‘Play Poker like the Pros’.

If not for this book, I might never have learnt to play Omaha and it’s hi/lo variant. Nowadays these have become favoured games of mine, but it is not just basic rules of games that poker books offer. Having the insight of a former world champion to consult is something which can always inspire you as a player I find, and after reading a few chapters I always find I get the urge to play some poker.

In Doyle brunsons book ‘Super System’ I found a section on each type of poker game written by it’s generally accepted, best player in the world. This in itself is gold dust to any player wanting to advance their game, but the section in the back of the book detailing page upon page of odds for different scenarios, was an eye opener too. One of the co-authors had compiled these lists of odds over years of play, and they make for fascinating reading.

Undoubtedly when you look for a book on poker, there will probably be some books that you find, which aren’t so good as those aforementioned ones, but everyone’s opinion on the game has some value of course.

As any live Holdem player will know, there are always some players who like to talk more than others at the tables, and although I personally do not converse a great deal, I enjoy the social atmosphere that a game of poker creates.

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At my local game there is always banter going on, and for me it adds to the enjoyment of the game. Part of the whole poker playing experience is the enjoyment gained from having a laugh with your fellow competitors, although this tends to be less the case with major tournaments.

Talking at the tables is not always is not just a way to enjoy the evening however, as it can also be useful for gathering information about your opponents. Opponents revealing what they had after a hand has finished, happens sometimes, and you should take a mental note of this to help you in a later hand. Even two players discussing the tactical rights and wrongs of the way a hand was played can offer it’s own insight into those players, and how they are likely to play hands.

In terms of the rules on talking at the tables, it is entirely within the rules of the game to discuss things in a civil manner at the poker tables. The only exception to this rule, is talking about the hand you had whilst other players are still contesting that particular pot. This is because it could give players extra information about how likely they are to make certain hands.