The growth of poker is being driven by an infusion of new players. While there is no substitute for experience for these newcomers, the most effective way to close the skill gap is to study the game. Consequently there is a burgeoning market for poker books aimed at beginners. Winning at Poker is Dave Scharf's contribution to this genre.
This book is clearly aimed at novice players. The first three chapters provide sufficient background to set the table for those that may not have played live poker before. These chapters cover the basics of the game, the rules, and high-level strategic concepts. Scharf generally advocates betting a strong hand, calling with a good draw, and folding the rest. This is a simple strategy that won't fool an experienced player, but it can be effective at low limit games. It is also a strategy well suited to beginning players.
Scharf provides strategies for both limit Texas Holdem and Seven Card Stud. These are appropriate choices, as they are the two most commonly spread games in North America. The strategies are basic, but generally sensible; well suited for novice players. This is not to say that more sophisticated strategies, such as the semi-bluff raise, slow playing, and raising to limit to field aren't mentioned, they are. However, these strategies aren't emphasized. Instead the author focuses on solid, straight ahead play, and this is an appropriate starting point for beginners.
The last few chapters cover miscellaneous topics such as classifying opponents, poker tells, the importance of good record keeping, home games, tournaments, and playing online. Each of these sections is short, and most warrant their own book, but I believe Scharf strikes the right balance here. He makes beginning poker players aware of the topic without overwhelming them with information.
One of the things I really like about the book is the fact that Scharf fills his texts with references to a copious number of other good poker resources. Not only does the author give other writers their due by properly referencing their work, but by doing so he also provides readers excellent suggestions for further study. The book isn't perfect, though. There are a few typos that could lead to some confusion, and I'm not in complete agreement with some of the author's suggestions. For example, while I agree that drawing hands are more dangerous in tournaments than in ring games, it's a clear exaggeration to say that tournament players should "avoid drawing hands like the plague." Overall, though, I think Winning at Poker is a good book for beginners, and even though there's really nothing here for experienced players, I enthusiastically recommend it to its target audience.
Dave Scharf's Winning at Poker is a solid introduction to the games of Holdem and Seven Card Stud. This is by no means the last word in poker strategy, and it won't turn novices into world-class players, but it is an excellent starting point. Scharf does a good job with providing a good basis for sound poker play along with well-considered references to appropriate sources for further study. Veteran poker players have no real reason to read this book, but novice players looking for an introduction to Holdem and Stud would be well served by it.
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