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 Unless they've come across his columns in Card Player magazine, players new to
poker probably don't know who Bob Ciaffone is. His name is not one that you
read in the TV Guide listings for the next WPT tournament on the Travel
Channel, but he is an accomplished professional poker player with over 50
years of poker under his belt. He's seen about everything one could see
playing poker, from Nepalese pot-limit Omaha home games to exclusive casinos
in London and Malta. Luckily for students of the game, he seems to enjoy
sharing his wisdom as much as he enjoys the game itself - he's been writing a
column on poker since 1986, and has other volumes out on the big-bet games,
Omaha, and middle-limit hold'em. Improve Your Poker doesn't have as
narrow a focus as his other books, but it may be the most valuable volume of
them all.
The book is designed very simply, from the cover (a pair of red kings on a
white background) to the easy-to-read typeface and clean layout. It's very
unassuming inside as well, being entirely composed of short essays anywhere
from 2 to 5 pages long which focus on particular poker topics. These are
organized by topic, starting with the general and moving on to the more
specific. It's no mistake that the book is laid out like this - if followed in
order, this book could be used as a general survey textbook for becoming a
complete poker player. Because it's made up of short articles, though, it can
still be read in short bursts for those who have to get their reading in where
they can.
The general topics covered include general poker concepts, gambling skills,
reading opponents, and deception and bluffing. While this might sound like a
kindergarten course in poker, it's also what a lot of players need. As happens
in other competitive skill-based games, some people play poker well enough to
get by even though their fundamental skills are flawed. Reading through
Ciaffone's explanations and explorations of these general topics is a joy -
all of his advice presented in an easy-to-read, conversational manner, giving
you the feeling that he's a friend just pointing out things that hadn't
occurred to you yet. That's very different than some other poker books that
read like religious manuals handing down holy knowledge that is greater than
you. It's easy to see why Ciaffone's nickname is "Coach."
So far as specific games go, Hold'em, Omaha, Stud, and high-low split games
are all covered to some degree in Improve Your Poker. The Omaha section
is a mere 6 pages long, but it's some of the most enlightening writing on the
game that I've read. Hold'em is covered in the greatest detail, and the
sections on playing in the blind and on the different kinds of loose games are
some of the best in the book. Stud and high-low split are given two articles
apiece, both of which include enough practical advice that anyone familiar but
not versed in these games can gain some insight into playing the game better.
Big-bet games are covered in fair detail, with equal time given to both
hold'em and Omaha. The advice on playing A-K is especially useful, as many
players play Big Slick in no-limit the way they would in a limit game. The
increased importance of position in the big bet games is also given plenty of
space on the page. Tournaments are covered very generally in this section too,
and it's all very practical advice, especially for anyone preparing to play in
a big live tournament.
The book ends with four essays chronicling Ciaffone's performance in the 1987
WSOP Main Event, when he finished in 3rd place. One passage in particular
tells you just how long he's been at this game when he describes Dan
Harrington and Howard Lederer, two of the most respected veteran players
playing today, as "experienced amateurs." Ciaffone is a seasoned veteran
player who writes well and gives clear, sound advice. Any player at any level
could do much worse than adding Improve Your Poker to their library.
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