Every Hand Revealed
by Gus Hansen
|
List Price: Our Price: $9.47 You Save: $6.48 (41%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $6.52 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Every Hand Revealed
Book Review: Every hand revealed, but that's mostly it.
Summary: 3 Stars
Gus Hansen takes us to a journey through his astonishing way of play, that most Hold'em players might find not only aggressive, but even in some cases absurd.
I enjoyed reading this book. However, this is definitely not a comprehensive poker strategy book. It's merely a review of every hand of the Aussie Millions Poker Tournament 2007 Gus took part in and how it was played, with some notes by Gus on why he decided to play it like that. He takes stack size, possible chip lead, his reads, bet sizes and much more into consideration before making a play, and the way he thinks and bets is presented briefly for every hand.
After each chapter Gus does actually propose a way of play for various stages of a tournament, but if you seek in depth analysis of such matters, you should probably read another book.
I do not regret the purchase of this book, because it provided some insights on the game of an acclaimed poker pro and could prove to be helpful in terms of enhancing my own play. Overall, it provides info on the (super)aggressive poker play and how Gus handles it. Judging by the first place and the money he won from this tournament, he does have his way.
Book Review: Refreshing change from theoretical books
Summary: 5 Stars
This book takes you through all the hands Gus Hansen played on his way to the 2007 Aussie Millions Championship, and the real-world charting of hands is a welcome change from books that only provide examples to underscore various poker principles.
Hansen is at once witty, incisive, self-critical, self-congratulatory, and his play is often surprising. He's not a madman, as some think, but he sure is aggressive (both pre- and post-flop). I think his strategies work best in live tournaments where the stakes are high. You could get murdered making some of his moves in smaller stakes action, especially online.
What makes the book most valuable is Hansen's explanations of his behavior: whether he crunches pot odds/implied odds, he's playing near the bubble and therefore more aggressive when others are typically tight or he's analyzing the info he's gotten from players' body language. He's also honest when reflecting on his mistakes and misreads, and this candor makes him more appealing as a player/person.
I flew through the text, as it was highly entertaining. I recommend this for devotees/players and casual fans alike.
Book Review: Pick Hansen's Brain
Summary: 4 Stars
Just finished the book and found it really good, not over done at all and not really a technical journal like some can and are meant to be. The book literally is every hand he played during the 2007 Aussie Millions Tourney with the reasons for why he played the hand or why he acted a certain way on the hand. If you have a good basic knowledge of tournament hold em and understand concepts of poker this book can give a great understanding of how guys like Hansen, Ivey, and Negranue, play and you see they are not so loose and crazy but actually are just aggressive toward the unaggressive. It's a dangerous way to play but if you can play after the flop it is a smart and profitable way to play. If you are just beginning in poker and are looking for a book to teach you THIS IS NOT FOR YOU!! This book can potentially ruin you because you will only learn to copy what he does without understanding why he does it, get a book like Harrington on Hold Em first at the very minimum, Hansen plays aggressive not stupid.
All in all a great read, not for everyone, but for those that understand the game a great insight into a very good poker players mind.
Book Review: Almost through the first 100 pages and I love it
Summary: 4 Stars
I already have a good collection of the major books. I saw this one and paged through it for a few minutes thinking I would put it down and walk away. I couldn't put it down.
Now I will put a caveat on this book. It is almost every hand Gus played in this tournament. I really like the writing style of this book.. He goes through each hand and gives you his thoughts, analysis; the why's behind his plays etc. If you are looking for a chapter, "how to" book, this may not suit you. If you have read a few of the books out there you will probably enjoy it as much as I am.
Gus describes what he knows about the others at the table, if he knows them, and if he doesn't. Then he goes on to explain the reasoning behind his plays and admits when he made a bad play, or when he made the right move and the cards fell against him. Also when he has the nuts and is trying to make the most of it,
I can't wait to pick it back up again after work and keep reading. I am highlighting some of his thoughts and plays. I have learned a lot from this book already and can't wait to use it.
Book Review: Actually an enjoyable read
Summary: 4 Stars
I consider myself a moderately avid poker player: weekly low stakes games, a tournament once in awhile, and a couple of trips per year to the casino. Skill wise I would like to think that I am above average, but wouldn't we all. That said, my biggest weakness is my attention span. I get distracted an find it hard to focus on poker books which are written like college text books. Don't get me wrong, I've forced myself through a number of Sklansky's books, however they are often painful to read. This book was a joy. Even though you already knows how it ends, the author is able to keep you intrigued and teach you about how to play tournament poker. Now let me reiterate, only read this book if you want a good read AND play in tournaments. Some of his strategies would kill you in a cash game. Overall Hansen does a great job of keeping you interested while providing some important lessons, and is refreshingly self-critical at times.
The only reason that I didn't give it an extra star is that it could have used another round of editing... but that makes it fun as well.