Killer Poker by the Numbers: The Mathematical Edge for Winning Play

This is my new favorite poker book. It took my poker thinking to a new level. Most books give you general rules of thumb. For example, they recommend continuation betting 1/2 to 2/3 of the pot. To follow up they might give an qualitative explanation saying "it give you 2 ways to win..." However, Tony Guerrera explains poker problems qualitatively and quantitatively. By going thru the problem mathematically, you really go deeper and start to understand what's going on under the hood. He also teaches you a framework to solve poker problems/situations yourself. In fact, at the end of chapters he gives you homework to solve yourself. Highly recommended to players who want to improve and are willing to spend the time to do homework and study (reading the book more than once). Odd that this book hasn't had many reviewers. I guess it won't win any popularity contests, but the book gave me more poker tools than any TwoPlusTwo book has.

Just finished the book and feel it is an excellent analytical tool. The author has given the reader an excellent framework for decision making. Other books I've read have not covered the subject as thoroughly as this book did. The emphasis is on reading your opponent's past play and then using that information to assign probability to current holding. I think the book is a useful addition to your poker library.

Tony Guerrera takes the science of poker to a new level. Recommend for all players!

Tony Guerrera is one of the brightest minds on the current poker scene. This book takes the dry subject of poker math and turns it into useful, practical and readable material. More than that he gives you the tools that you need to understand the math and to analyze your play and your opponents' play, mathematically. He explains why at certain times tight play makes mathematical sense and at other times looser and more aggressive play is the way to go. He explains the math behind these decisions in a clear and concise manner. When reading this book you never get the sense that the math is beyond you, because the author breaks the process of analysis down step by step. This book also goes way beyond the "what are my odds for this draw" type of material common in other books. His examination of No Limit Hold 'em and various playing lines of some key situations shows why math and not just psychology are at the center of successful play. When you study this book it will give you (as it did me) new insights into poker and a jump on the competition.

This is an excellent book on no-limit cash play. Chapter 1: Analytic Tools, for example, begins with the following question: suppose you have A K, raise pre-flop, and have N opponents. (e.g., N = 1, 2, 3, etc.) Supposing these opponents hold two random cards, what is the probability at least one will hit an unpaired flop? Table 1.1 is the first of many great tables in this book, and it tells us that N = 1 means it's 65% likely nobody hits, up through N = 9 => 1% likely nobody hits. <br /> <br />Then Tony asks: Suppose you make a 2/3 pot continuation bet: how many opponents can you have before this bet is no longer profitable, assuming your bet is called/raised if and only if an opponent pairs? Answer: N = 2 is slightly profitable, and N > 2 no longer profitable. This example ends with the author critiquing his own assumptions (e.g., that players will call your pre-flop A K raise with two random cards, play back iff they hit one pair or better, etc.) and cautiouns that all such models should have their assumptions questioned. <br /> <br />As an objective conclusion to this review: <br /> <br />If you play any form of no limit hold `em, then even if you happened to disagree with every single piece of strategy advice Tony gives (making you a tough critic indeed :) ), the probability reference material alone will still make buying this book for $11 a profitable decision. <br /> <br />- Collin <br />Author of Sit 'n Go Strategy <br />