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The Importance of Poker Literature and Book Reviews
POKER BOOK REVIEWS PART III
Super System Volumes I and II by Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson teams up with some of the most respected figures in poker to write Super Systems which was originally titled “how I made a million dollars playing poker.” While Volume I is largely outdated Volume II covers all of the games regularly spread in card rooms or online.
Super Systems Volume I was the first book published on poker that was of real value to the players who read it. Doyle got together the best players of that generation including Mike Caro, David Sklansky, Bobby Baldwin, and Chip Reese to share the secrets that made them successful. Doyle and his collaborators preach an aggressive style that he coined “power poker.” Super Systems Volume I covers such games as Five Card Draw, Lowball, and Seven Card Stud High-Low without a qualifier that are not regularly spread live or online anymore. Bobby Baldwin’s section on Limit Hold ‘em is, for the most part, outdated. Chip Reese’s section on Seven Card Stud is really the only reason most players should read this book unless they have an interest in reading the first great book on poker from an interest perspective.
While Super Systems Volume I is largely outdated Super Systems volume II is tailored for today’s game. The same winning format is observed and Doyle brings a together a group of this generations best players. There is some material that some readers may think the book would be better off without (like the history of no-limit or the World Poker Tour sections), but the poker content is top notch.
Jennifer Harman writes the Limit Hold ‘em chapter and does an excellent job of explaining the game and teaching a solid strategy. Todd Brunson, Doyle’s son and high limit poker professional writes the Seven Card Stud Eight or Better chapter. This is one of the best chapters in the book and along with Ray Zee’s Hi-Low Split for advanced players, is the most comprehensive writings on this game. Bobby Baldwin and Mark Gregorich collaborate on the Omaha Eight or Better chapter and do an excellent job. Lyle Berman, financer of the World Poker Tour and high stakes player, writes the Pot Limit Omaha chapter. There is not much written about this game and Lyle gives an excellent introductory course in this action packed game. Fan favorite Daniel Negreanu writes the Triple Draw Lowball section, and provides the most comprehensive guide to this relatively new game yet written. Mike Caro writes an introduction with a number of tips that some readers may enjoy and others may consider superfluous. With this cast it is no wonder that Super System II is on the list of recommended reading.
Doyle himself writes the No Limit Texas Hold ‘em chapter and revolutionized the way the game is played. He preaches an aggressive strategy that relies on winning a number of small pots without a confrontation. This pads his stack so that when he plays a big pot even if he has the worst of it he is essentially free-rolling. His favorite hands are the suited connectors and he is very aggressive on the flop, aggressively semi-bluffing when he picks up a draw with these suited connectors. New players must show some caution with this style of play, as it is very volatile. In many of the smaller online games you can not get too carried away with some of these plays, as you may get looked up more than a player like Doyle in a high stakes game. With this caveat, this is some of the best material written on No-Limit Hold ‘em and should be read by all serious players.
Doyle Brunson has long been considered the most respected man in poker. When the most respected man in poker collaborates with who he deems the best players, writing about their best game I think it is wise to give it a read.
Conclusion
New players should not just start randomly buying and reading books when they decide to learn the game. A game plan will help them to progress in the best manner possible. I would suggest reading Small Stakes Hold ‘em or the Hold ‘em section in Super Systems II first. After those concepts are understood, it would be a good idea to read Hold ‘em for Advanced Players. Then, after your Hold ‘em skills have progressed it would be a good idea to read The Theory of Poker. This will give you an understanding of why the plays you have learned are correct and teach you the proper way to think about the game. Books like Ace on the River may best be saved until you are ready to learn to make money and your game is already solid. At some point you may want to branch off into other games and at that point you may want to start reading the non-Hold ‘em books on the list.
While it is easier to learn how to play poker than ever before it is still not something that can be done without quite a bit of work. There are many good books that can help you learn the game, but there are also a number of bad books that are best avoided. If you read the right books, think about the concepts, and apply the concepts at the table then you should be on the right track to becoming a winning player.
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