Caro
 

How good is Caro's Book of Tells?

Re: Caro
 

It is the definitive book on tells in poker. The ideas are valuable to a varying extent in limit poker, but absolutely indispensible if you play no limit poker in cash games or tournaments. It is still cited as the book to read by top pros like Harrington and Lindgren, just to name two.

I highly recommend it.

Regards.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1...p;link_code=as1

Re: Caro
 

I would agree that it is the timeless work of detailing tells in poker, but to call it (or anything dealing with tells) "definitive" would be a stretch. It is, however, the closest thing to it currently.

Re: Caro
 

his hourly rate on certain tells is worthless. it's a starting point though, and the only book that deals with just tells as far as I know.

Re: Caro
 

No doubt some of the tells are of marginal value, but a number of others are timeless and valuable. I think any serious player needs to have this book. Knowing the ideas in it is +EV, and will keep a player on an even keel with other players who have read it. It will also instruct a new player on what to avoid doing (unless he wants to do it intentionally to throw someone off).

I would never say that reading this book will make someone a winning player, but the ideas in it are a tool that can be used to become a winning player or to win more.

Re: Caro
 

I was going to mention this. He'll say something like this tell is worth $33.17 an hour (for a game with given sized blinds). Pretty funny.

Harrington in HOH says he mostly pays attention to hands. I found that to be an interesting comment.

Re: Caro
 

Spending too much time reading tells is -EV. Often it distracts you from understanding how your opponents play.

Re: Caro
 

When "Book of Tells" was written only draw poker( lowball and Jacks or better) were legal in California where Caro mostly played. All of the win rate/tells amounts were for draw games not stud or holdem so ignore them. Use the book of tells as a baseline for looking for more information. It is a starting place-after you recognize the tells in the book you will find "many" others not in the book. The most reliable "tells" are actually betting patterns. If you understand the basic stuff in "Book of Tells" you will begin to make sense of betting patterns which are much more accurate and profitable.

Re: Caro
 

I've never read it, but I bet I give off a ton of tells by not knowing what to look for or what to prevent myself from doing at the table. So even if your not that good at looking for them or don't think it is worth the trouble, it would still be good to know them so you don't give any information away yourself.

Re: Caro
 

Has anyone read the James McKenna book, Beyond Tells: Power Poker Psychology? Is this one any good?

I'm always a bit cautious when I see the dreaded Cardoza imprint on a jacket, because I don't think I've seen one worth reading yet, but who knows, this may break that mould?