Loading...Editor's pick
Guide May Be a Little Too Girly for Poker Fans
Product
Girls' Guide to Poker by Eliza Burnett
Hits
- Good basic poker book
- Teaching more women poker is a great initiative
- Easy to read and understand
Misses
- Comes off as being a little condescending to women
- Not for advanced players
Review
Men have historically dominated many pursuits, and gambling provides a prime example of the phenomenon. The world of gambling has always been male dominated, from the saloons of the early West to the World Series of Poker.
That, however, is changing, and changing fast. In 2005 the number of female competitors in the World Series of Poker increased by 400% over the previous year, according to the jacket copy of this book.
More and more women are taking up poker, and with ladies tournaments popping up like mushrooms and big female poker pros taking down even the largest tournaments live and online, poker is bound to become more gender neutral.
Girls' Guide to Poker is directed at women who want to learn to play poker, specifically its most popular variant - No-Limit Texas Hold'em. It is the author's first book on the subject.
Burnett delivers a straightforward beginner's poker book, starting with the basics of the game and ending with poker lingo and game analysis. The book's 13 chapters also treat tells and tournament play, among other topics.
The book contains solid advice and is well put together, but there's nothing to distinguish it from any number of similar titles on the market. All the tips and advice have been published in myriad venues already. Although it's not a bad beginner's book, you really do have to be an absolute neophyte at the game to get your money's worth.
In other criticisms, making the book pink was a misstep on the part of the publisher. Someone no doubt thought this would appeal to the target market but really, how many women of legal gambling age want to advertise the fact that they're learning about poker from a book that looks like a Barbie diary?
Then again, if you do enjoy pink, or for that matter want to start learning how to play poker at the age of 12, Girls' Guide to Poker isn't a bad start.
Details:
- $9.95
Paperback
Octopus Publishing Group Ltd.
197 pages
