Verdict: Buy ($20)
amazon.com
We all know someone who knows someone who’s into poker these days. Unlike other books written by well-known pro players, Swayne’s Advanced Degree in Hold’em takes a course-like approach to teaching the skills required to actually make money playing Texas Hold’em. The book also contains assignments and questions to test whether the reader has acquired the necessary knowledge to proceed further.
The tone and content of the book is also very refreshing. Most of the book is devoted to Limit Hold’em but there is a chapter dedicated to adjustments when transitioning to No Limit. The author, a university professor, is very thorough. All chapters are filled with empirical data obtained through computer simulations. Moreover, unlike other books that pretend to reveal poker secrets that will make you rich very fast, this book approaches poker in a more disciplined way. The knowledge is provided to the user in an easy to read and easy to understand manner. The hard part is having the will and discipline to learn and put into practice all that knowledge. Highly recommended as a gift to anyone who’s seriously into Poker.