The Book of Bluffs: How to Bluff and Win at Poker

Matt Lessinger

I'm not a bluffer. Reading The Book of Bluffs convinced me that I will likely never be a bluffer. (I do wonder about some of the things Lessinger calls bluffs, though; raising with a fistful of outs does not strike me as a bluff.)

Now, don't get me wrong, It's a good book. If you take it as simply a compendium of bluffs rather than a how-to book, there are some great hands to revisit here. You probably thought "what the hell was he thinking?" when you watched some of these hands on television. You'll probably think the same thing reading about them. If you can use this as a how-to book, and master this style of play, it will put you in the stratosphere against good players. (Remember, though, David Sklansky's correct assertion in Tournament Poker for Advanced Players that loose-aggressive players will hamstring every bluff in your arsenal-- and the majority of the players you'll meet online and in your Tuesday night home game are likely to fall into that category.) You'll be in the Daniel Negreanu league. (Get the right Botox injections, and you may even make Phil Ivey level.)

Fun stuff one way or the other for poker enthusiasts.