Review of 77 Ways to Get the Edge at Casino Poker

Title:

77 Ways to Get the Edge at Casino Poker

Author:

Fred Renzey

Publisher:

Bonus Books

Date:

2002

ISBN:

1-56625-174-5

Pages:

218

Price:

$14.95

Reviewed by Nick Christenson, npc@lvrevealed.com

March 23, 2003

While author Fred Renzey may be better known for his writings about casino games other than poker, he is nonetheless reputed to be a skilled poker player, often playing in high stakes games. Still, a large number of poker books have appeared on the market. By my count, at the time of this writing I have reviewed no fewer than 36 books which aim to improve the reader's poker game, and this is just a sample of the quantity of books that are currently on the market. So, how does Renzey's book fare?

The first section of the book provides information on some general poker concepts. Renzey explains that poker is a game of skill, yet luck can play a dominant factor in figuring one's short term results. The author also describes the importance of playing the aggressor as well as providing the basics regarding calculation of pot odds. These are important concepts, but there's nothing here that hasn't been written about before. Of course, any reader that isn't already familiar with these concepts has something significant to learn from these chapters.

Next, comprising the bulk of the book, are a series of chapters discussing the strategies of specific games. These games are: 7 Card Stud, Texas Hold'em, 7 Stud Hi/Lo-8 or Better, and Omaha Hi/Lo-8 or Better. Renzey's book focuses on the limit forms of these games. As these are probably the four most commonly played poker games in US casinos, coverage of these games is entirely appropriate.

In general, I believe that most of the advice Renzey gives is pretty good. At the same time, since the author covers four games in just over 200 pages, this book isn't quite as comprehensive as other books which are both longer and devoted to a single game. There are some areas, though, in which I disagree quite strongly with what the author has written. For example, about Texas Hold'em, the author states that, "... Hold'em strategy is a bit more cut and dried than probably all other casino poker games." I couldn't disagree more. I believe that of the four games Renzey covers, Hold'em is the one where correct strategy is the least cut and dried. The book ends with a chapter incongruously titled, "Things You Can't Read in a Book".

While the book is titled 77 Ways to Get the Edge at Casino Poker, it's really a misnomer. For example, Concept #3, "Poker is a Game of Mistakes" is an important concept, no doubt, but it's not immediately clear how to turn this into an advantage. While the concept for the book feels contrived to me, the concept isn't what's important, it's the information that the book contains that determines whether it's worthwhile or not. It's my opinion that the book contains generally good information, with the section on 7 Stud Hi/Lo being the best of the four. Sometimes this information is presented in new ways, but at the same time, there aren't any breakthroughs or any new information that isn't already quite familiar to the well-read poker player. While it contains useful information, in almost all cases I think there exists one or more books which are better overall. At the same time, considering the amount of ground the book covers, at under $15, at least it won't put a big dent in a player's bankroll. I'll give it a mild recommendation.

Capsule:

Fred Renzey's 77 Ways to Get the Edge at Casino Poker contains some generally good information on four popular limit poker games: 7 Stud, Texas Hold'em, 7 Stud Hi/Lo-8 or Better, and Omaha Hi/Lo-8 or Better, geared to mid-limit players . Overall, I think better information on these games is available in other books, but this book might be useful for those who have some experience playing poker but would like information comparing their game of choice to others that are commonly played. While the book is reasonably priced, extremely well-read poker players can probably afford to pass on this one.