The Rules of Poker: Essentials for Every Game
In the exciting world of poker, arguments break out by the minute in card rooms across the country. There are scores of rules concerning fairness and etiquette, and they vary from place to place. There are some rules that are generally accepted, but sometimes card room managers and tournament directors just don’t know them or fail to make their policies known. Typically, tempers flare and cards go flying. Finally, here’s the solution.
THE RULES OF POKER comprehensively lays out all of the rules and provides, whenever possible, varying rules, with the authors’ preferred rules first. Includes a thorough and easy-to-use index. Throughout the book are sidebars with anecdotes from dealers, players, and poker room staff around the world about fights that have broken out and how they were settled.
Other games and sports have official rules of etiquette, but until now, no such single book has been accepted in the world of poker. Through interviews, research and personal experience, with a dash of fun and a lot of authority, Lou Krieger and Sheree Bykofsky offer to the world of poker THE book that will settle poker arguments and allow players to concentrate on the business at hand–scooping up large sums of money.
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(out of 8 reviews)
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Krieger and Bykofsy’s book discusses tournament and poker room rules of poker, but they are not stated in a clear cut fashion. There are a lot of examples of applications of the rules, so if you are looking for a book to give you a fair understanding of how the rules should be applied, this is good, but because the rules are not presented clearly or in an order that is easy to follow, it has not been very usable during a poker game.
Also, while the rules are more for advanced players. There are no basic rules of poker here. It’s all about tournament rules and casino games, such as what happens if you say “Raise” and only put in an underchip. As to whether a straight beats a flush, or even what a straight is, the book has no answer.
In the introduction, the authors even state: “This is not a poker instructional book, and we assume that you are not picking this up to learn the basics of play…Rather, we assume you know how to play..” Funny, you would think a poker rule book should be all about the very basics of play, for what are rules, if not the basic backbone of the game?
The Rules of Poker: The Essentials for Every Game does not even have the essentials of the most basic game of straight poker.
I have not found this book to be an authoritative answer to rules disputes. Also, there are no rules for the many different variations of poker often played in home games.
If you want a book of poker-room rules exercises, this is a fairly good book. If you want a book that clearly states authoritative poker rules when you need them, look elsewhere. Search “poker rules” for a selection of alternatives.
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If you are running a poker tournament or organising a ‘home game’ this book is excellent reference material. Whether learning the rules ‘off by heart’ or simply to dip into when there is a query during a game, this is book is well laid out and contains all the relevant rules and regulations.
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Bykofsky and Krieger have written the ultimate poker argument settler. This is the clearest and most comprehensive book I know of, dealing with the rules of poker. It is divided into clearly marked sections making it easy to find the specific rule that applies to a particular problem or controversy.
It covers cash and tournament play and offers insight and clear direction based upon the research, experience and wisdom of the authors. I benefited from reading it immensely.
I hope it becomes the standard text and ultimate authority for poker rooms, tournament directors, public cardrooms and home games everywhere. This is a book the poker world surely needs.
Neil D Myers, Author, Quick and Easy Texas Hold ‘em and Limit Hold ‘em Hand by Hand
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must read for anyone working in the poker industry as a supevisor so they will learn a little diplomacy with their decisions.
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I work as a poker dealer who has amassed many different poker rule books. I have found this book to be very clear and insightful in its approach to making floor decision in a poker room. The different annodotes break up the dry material as rules can be rather dry reading. I actually recommended this book along with another to a young man who is working in a poker room I play in to help him with his knowledge of poker rules. Overall, I would recommend this as one of the better rule books written.