The Rough Guide to Poker
by Ian Fletcher
Rough Guides, $78
Poker has come into its own as a game with the advent of the internet. Ian Fletcher says there are now more than 1,000 online poker sites, generating US$2 billion a year (40 per cent of last year's revenue for Las Vegas). When British company Party Gaming, which owns Party Poker, went public earlier this year, its four owners shared GBP930 million ($12.7 billion). It would seem that the game, in its various forms, has never been so popular. There are moves afoot in the US to ban online gambling, which may stifle its growth. But poker long ago emerged from the backroom into the professional big time and is proving to be a popular spectator game. The Rough Guide to Poker explains the rules of the most popular games, from draw poker to Texas Hold'em and Omaha, examines some of the psychology involved in winning (or, at least, minimising losses), and offers tips on reading other players. There's a fascinating potted history of the game, a fairly comprehensive lexicon, and a list of places to play in Europe and North America, where the game's popularity is centred. Even if you don't play, this is a useful guide to understanding why poker isn't a game for the faint-hearted.
