 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
OFF THE SHELF
 Howard Schwartz, the "librarian for gamblers," is the marketing director
for Gambler's Book Club in Las Vegas, a position he has held since 1979.
Author of hundreds of articles on gambling, his weekly book reviews appear in numerous publications throughout the gaming industry.Steele's Magazine a Must-Have; Poker Wizards Packed With IdeasThe long wait for Phil Steele's College Football Preview is over-it's here with plenty of time for fans to pore over and isolate angles, see the projected starting lineups, get a heads-up on Heisman Trophy leaders, find out the number of returning starters and lettermen, and uncover tidbits of information the bookmaker might have overlooked. At $8.95 and 328 pages it's the MVP of the year for information. Also on the shelves is a snappy new poker book titled Poker Wizards by Warwick Dunnett (339 pages, paperbound, $19.95), with material from Daniel Negreanu, Dan Harrington; Chris Ferguson, Marcel Luske, T.J. Cloutier and Mel Judah among others.Steele's magazine gives you five years of college results and spreads, the 2008 schedules, room to keep records and the type of surface each game will be played on. Purists, sticklers for details and information junkies can use this book to look ahead to each team's starting lineup and perhaps uncover the potential of a lost quarterback or running back. The magazine shows you vital box score statistics on offense and defense of every game played last season; who the top freshmen are expected to be; which teams recruited best; pass efficiency defense rankings by team; power ratings; each team's experience ratings; an essay on the impact of turnovers and charts and analysis of which teams play the toughest schedule. One section called Power Plays Projected Stats for the 2008 Season might prepare you for matchups where a total is bettable. This remarkable compilation as always, is a must have from a respected pro in the business and his staff. If you want positive ideas from some of the world's top no-limit hold'em players, Poker Wizards should do the job. A brief look shows each of the nine world-class players who contributed to the work discusses his or her own tournament strategies (including the concepts of adapting; avoiding errors; being unpredictable; playing people; the role of luck; being patient; being on tilt; reading tells and detecting deception). Then they focus on areas important to their success (and hopefully yours) such as psychology; playing online; money management; common errors to avoid; specific hand strategy; cash games; state of mind; listing; observation; verbal communication; proudest moments. If you wish to learn, here you're learning from the best. It's an easy reads, without heavy mathematics; packed with charts, examples, with many valuable rules to follow or remember. Any item reviewed here is available from Gambler's Book Shop (Gambler's Book Club). The store's web site is www.gamblersbook.com. You may order there using MasterCard, VISA or Discover (no CODs please) or by phoning the store any day except Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time at 1-800-522-1777. Orders usually shipped the next working day. The store, now in its 40th year, is located a mile from downtown Las Vegas, a block west of Maryland Parkway, just off Charleston Boulevard at South 11th Street. You may view the store's complete array of books, videos and software via the Web site or request a hard copy of the catalog be mailed free and first class. The store's address is 630 S. 11th St., Las Vegas, NV 89101. |
|
