Worst poker book: 1970's division

[shmergle]

I recall there once was a thread about worst poker books but I don't think it included "How Not to Lose at Poker" by Jeffery Lloyd Castle, published by Little, Brown in 1970.

The whole book is remarkable, especially Chapter XII, entitled "Hold Me," which starts by analyzing deals with two pairs on the board and twenty-three players, all seeing the river. The author points out if the board is 7766x a hand with a 7 is sure to win, except when it doesn't. After similarly analyzing boards with four to a flush, four to a straight, or one pair, he concludes, "This eliminates 57½ per cent of the deals, which must be regarded as pure gambles." Anticipating the reader, he then asks, "What then of the remaining 42½ per cent?" For unstated reasons, the question with these deals is whether a hand of AK suited is better than QQ. He concludes the queens are a 60% favorite, which seems wrong, but nobody's perfect.

Last comes the summary.

1. Hold Me is a pure gamble, and one must take the gifts or buffets of fortune as they come.
2. Whether one stays or folds depends not upon one's hole cards but upon whether one can afford to play.
3. Nothing less than a pair of Aces or Kings in the hole has any significance at all.
4. At the second or third betting interval fold as soon as a pair appears on the table unless one holds a matching hand.

Which pretty much summarizes my own knowledge of Hold Me.

Used copies available at Amazon. Joe Bob says check it out.

[Frond]

Thats funny stuff. NLHM or LHM?

[aargh57]

The first poker book I bought was in '94 and it's called "Poker Strategy and Winning Play" by A.D. Livingston. It's funny that you mention this book because I remembered the author commenting on this particular book. p.163

"The author of a recent book, however, came up with some startling conclusions on Lowball Draw. HIs book is almost completely mathematical, and it seems very authoritative because he had access to an electronic computer (as opposed to an abicuss?) for at least part of his calculations. His conclusions: Draw two cards to a potential 9 against two active opponents, and draw two cards to a potential 8 with more than two active opponents! This means that you would call against two active players each time you hold 9-8-7-K-Q. I can think of no faster way to lose your money in a heads-up session of Lowball Draw; yet the book is called How Not to Lose at Poker, by Mr. Jeffery Lloyd Castle. Personally, I don't care how Mr. Castle plays poker, but it's another matter when he publishes such advise."....

Smart ass comment in bold is mine.

Apparently this book covered more than just "Hold Me".


Note, I don't recommend A.D. Livingston's book but I think it's probably better than this one. Although it did keep my head above water in the first Stud games I played.

[BigBuffet]

Here's the worst poker book I've wasted time reading:

PokerFarce and PokerTruth (The Actual Real World of Poker) by Ray Michael B.

[jfk]

[ QUOTE ]
Note, I don't recommend A.D. Livingston's book but I think it's probably better than this one. Although it did keep my head above water in the first Stud games I played.

[/ QUOTE ]

Of that era's lit. Livingston's book was among the best in terms of strategy. That the games have changed so drastically in terms of structure and the abilities of the opposition means that the value of majority of these books has been superseded.

Only a poker book junkie or someone looking for an obscure game to introduce in their home game would get value out of Livingston these days.

[Red_Diamond]

I can not remember the name, though I did read one in which the author instructed never to play in a poker game with bad players. Find a different game with smarter players...

There is a whole list of terrible blackjack books which come to mind. Even the ones where the authors should know better. I remember one video-set where after the host spent ages going through a how-to-count-cards system, suddenly concludes at the end.... "But if you are running hot, keep increasing your bets anyway, NO MATTER HOW BAD THE CARD COUNT MAY GET." Then uses some excuse about streaks and how you must capitalize off them no matter what basic strategy, etc. may tell you. O_o

[govman6767]

OP's Rule # 2 is still one of the fundamental laws of No Limit hold em.

That rule's basically what Super System was based on.

If you think about it you'll know what I mean