Book Review
Apostolico's advice not aimed at idiots
By David Schecter

David Apostolico is a fairly well-known poker author and player. I have read a couple of his books before, but recently ran across two others that I thought you might enjoy reading. Interestingly, they are in the series “The Pocket Idiot’s Guide.” You can insert your own joke here about this kind of series—it’s in the same vein as the “Dummies” series—but in all honesty these books are pretty darn good as “starter-type” texts so don’t let the titles fool you.

The “Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Poker Bets and Bluffs” (Alpha Books, 2007) is a solid, 151-page book. The layout of the book is easy to follow: Apostolico has 10 chapters here ranging from one on bluffing techniques, to “measuring risk and reward,” and “value betting.”

I would say this book is just right for someone who knows a bit about poker already and may be a casual player, but is interested in improving their game and adding a few tricks to their playbook. For example the first chapter reinforces the notion that poker is a game of decisions and making the best decision each time you act should be everyone’s goal at the table.

While this may sound like it’s simply stating the obvious, Apostolico clearly states that too many players just focus on winning pots or the money in the center of the table and do not spend enough time really deciding what should be the best move in a given situation. Sometimes laying down a hand, even late in the betting, can be the absolute best move, but often we get greedy at the table or make high risk decisions that are truly not worth it. He states: “In poker, you don’t have to fight your opponent’s best shot. In fact, you shouldn’t. Making the best decisions means getting out of the way when your opponent has the best of it.”

Put another way, Apostolico adds: “Each time it is your turn to act, evaluate each move independently. Don’t worry about how much money you have already put in the pot.” Well said.

As he gets into a deeper discussion on bluffing, Apostolico suggests the most important thing to do is to “sell your hand.” Make sure the “story’ you are telling about the hand, mainly through your betting patterns, is believable and consistent. I have often heard players say the story needs to “add up,” and I think that’s a good way to put it. The bluff, in other words, just becomes a logical extension of how the rest of the hand plays out.

The author says you should try not to be embarrassed or stammer when caught making a bluff. Instead, try to show it’s just a regular part of your game. In fact, he suggests attempting bluffs against strong players, which might seem counter-intuitive, but it is recommended because these players may be disciplined enough to lay their hand down and may be following the “story” you give in just the way you would want them to do.

I think the most important chapter of the book may be the one on value bets. Apostolico states: “One of the paradoxes of poker is that it is often more risky to bet a little than to bet a lot.” He asks us to consider making substantial bets at certain times to truly put your opponents to the test and to make them really pay to chase their draws. While this topic is a common one in poker books the examples Apostolico uses and the simple explanations are dead on.

The remainder of the book covers some familiar territory: playing and equalizing your position, bankroll management, check raising, a decent glossary of important poker terms and a recommended reading list. Overall, this book is a good one for those who haven’t read too many other books in the past and want a nice, easy to follow book on some intermediate-level topics. I think it will help you improve your game and give you some gentle reminders on mastering some of the fundamentals.

Another book of Apostolico’s in the series is “The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Tournament Poker’”(Alpha Books, 2006). In this 190-page book he really lays out a nice overview on the variety of tournaments out there, picking a tournament that’s right for you and suggestions for chip accumulation at various points in the tournament.

I think the strongest chapter is the one on online tournaments. The author is blunt in saying: “Playing at home offers the opportunity for plenty of distractions.” Here, here! I often find myself answering the phone when it rings if I’m in the middle of an online tournament, grabbing stuff to eat between hands and generally losing my focus moreso than I do playing live in my local casino. Apostolico gives several decent tips on improving online play that would make each of us better players in a live setting. I liked his sense of humor here and the ways he suggests getting started in the online world.

This would be a strong book to read if you were making the jump from maybe $1/2 no-limit games or low stakes limit games to tournaments.

I would give each of these books a solid “B” grade, so don’t let the silly titles fool you—give them a shot.

See you at the final table!