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Poker Nation : Book Review[ return to main articles page ]

By: jmaltz
Published on Dec 16th, 2005
Poker Nation
<span>by Andy Bellin</span>

Andy Bellin isn't an ego-maniac. He isn't a self proclaimed poker god, or poker expert. When he wrote Poker Nation, he was the average American player. He didn't raise all-in with the slide of a bar, or the click of a mouse. He played in the underground poker clubs of New York, away from the glamour of the yet to be born WPT, or the pre-Moneymaker WSOP. If he set out to make a poker textbook, he failed. What he does give us is a loving account of what makes Poker such a truly American phenomenon.

This book doesn't tell you when the best time to lay down QQ is, and whether or not to raise preflop with K 2 heads up. Anecdotal evidence reinforces some key concepts of poker : pot odds, good starting hands, identifying tells, and an excellent glossary of poker terms at the back for all the noobs.

These anecdotes aren't all self-glorification. If the name 'donk' had been popular then, he would have called himself such upwards of a few dozen times. Humility like that is lacking in some other poker writing (*cough Hellmuth*). Every aspect of poker is addressed, including gambling addiction, which, whether or not you like to admit it, is very important to discuss in the lexicon of cards. Most would shy away from placing any mention of gambling in a poker book but, as portrayed in the hand of hold’em that bookends the majority of the text, he isn’t afraid to go against the grain. Nothing is sugar-coated, or watered down. Would you admit to cheating your mentor on occasion, and being horrible in relationships, all for the sake of literature? It is that honesty that makes this book worth reading.

In 2000, this book about our “poker nation” was ahead of it’s time. If nothing else, Bellin was a prophet of what was to come in the next few years. He knew that Poker, for good or bad, is at the heart of the American psyche and given the right stimulus kitchen table and home game players everywhere would come out of the woodwork . Regardless, this book uses an effective blend of stories and technical information to inform and entertain the reader. A must have for poker enthusiasts.

To buy this book on Amazon.com click here : Poker Nation
 

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