Resources to learn Texas Hold'Em

Last week’s column was devoted to a discussion of the increased interest in live casino poker generated by the Travel Channel’s series of televised tournaments. Today I’m going to recommend a couple of books and some internet resources for people who want to learn how to play.

My first recommendation is the latest release in gambling guru Frank Scoblete’s “Get the Edge Guides” published by Bonus Books/Precept Press of Chicago. It’s a very thorough 280-page treatise titled “Get the Edge at Low-Limit Texas Hold’em” authored by nationally recognized poker authority Bill Burton.

Texas Hold’em is the most popular live poker game played at casinos around the country, including in the Chicago-area at the Hollywood Casino Aurora and Harrah’s East Chicago. It’s also the easiest game to learn and to play, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t strategy and know-how.

Burton does an outstanding job covering every aspect of play, including getting novices off on the right foot by explaining the basics, the rules, and the protocol. He then takes readers on a grand tour of the Texas Hold’em casino experience, delving into strategy and mapping a winning game plan that he himself mastered in just a few months.

The book is loaded with charts and illustrations. You’ll have a very good idea of the game after the first few chapters, at least enough knowledge to allow you to practice. Then as you read on you’ll pick as much strategy as you wish to learn and ways to maximize your bankroll.

My second recommendation, also published by Bonus Books/Precept Press,is a Scoblete “Get the Edge Guide” that was published last year. This one is a 220-page paperback titled “77 Ways to Get the Edge at Casino Poker” written by Fred Renzey, a gaming columnist and one of the top blackjack and poker players in the country.

Renzey’s book is broken down into concepts covering not only Texas Hold’em, but also three other popular casino poker games: Seven card Stud, Omaha Hi-Lo Split, and Seven Stud Hi-Lo Split.

Whereas Burton’s book is bettered suited to beginner and novice players, Renzey delves into more studious pursuits of live poker, especially when it comes to games that require more intense concentration and card study and counting than Texas Hold’em.

Once you become acquainted with Texas Hold’em and wish to expand your live poker horizons, the obvious source to rely on is Renzey. He’ll give you concise pointers on how to play all the games correctly as well as how to manage your bankroll and derive the most playing time you can while capitalizing on winning situations.

There are also many internet sources to gather information about playing Texas Hold’em, but a word of caution: If you use a search engine to look for sites, you’ll be steered toward a lot of online gambling casinos that are just looking for people to jump into games and play with real cash.

One site I recommend is www.wilsonsw.com, home of a very respected brand of software covering live casino poker. When you go to this site you’ll have an opportunity to download a free “demo” of Texas Hold’em. I downloaded the demo and learned quite a bit from the interactive playing experience. You can also check out recommended strategy, look at the odds, and replay the hands. It’ll give you a feel for the protocol of a live game and the situations revolving around checking, calling, raising, re-raising, and betting.

You can also check out a Texas Hold’em portal on line at www.texasholdem-poker.com, but just be wary of the pop-ups and the advertisements and links to online casinos. You can click on some good information on the homepage, however.

Once you get a feel for the game and are not intimidated by rules and protocol, you will be ready to jump into a live game of casino poker. But as I cautioned last week, the place for beginners to start may not be the Chicago-area where the stakes can be high. Give it a try on your next trip to Las Vegas or a smaller gaming jurisdiction.