By
jmaltz |
Published
Dec 16 2005, 05:43 AM
Poker Nation
by Andy Bellin
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