I recently completed reading The Book of Bluffs by Matt Lessinger. Having already read all of the major poker books, in most cases several times each, I have long since moved to some of the more fringe, less well known poker texts out there in my never ending search for poker wisdom. This quest to absorb the poker knowledge of "the greats" has led me recently to books like Online Ace by Scott Fischman, and even some of David Sklansky's later works, that despite promising myself after The Theory of Poker and Sklansky's section in the original Super System that I would never again subject myself to his consistent talking-down to his readers and his thankless attitude towards others' poker abilities. The Book of Bluffs fits neatly into this category of lesser-known poker books, but I got a recommendation on the book from someone I trust from among my fake internet poker friends, and I am happy to report that I'm very glad to have followed this recommendation.

In the end, The Book of Bluffs did not change my poker life in the way that some other books clearly have. I did not emerge from reading this book an entirely new aggro-minded machine like I did after the first time(s) I pored through Super System. I was not a no-limit tournament specialist, talking about Ms and Qs and the like, like I was after I finished Harrington on Holdem - Volume 2. However, what Lessinger does manage to do in The Book of Bluffs is, quite simply, to review a whole array of different types of bluffs that arise during typical no-limit holdem situations. The author has developed a very helpful rating system for each type of bluff, that describes how likely it is to be successful, how frequently one can expect this bluff to work, and the degree of difficulty in pulling off each specific type of bluff. Lessinger also goes on to describe exactly how and when is optimal to try each kind of bluff, and exactly how to run each bluff from start to finish.

The Book of Bluffs starts off by highlighting some basic bluffs most of us know about and have run on other players from time to time in the past, in particular the aggro types who tend to populate the weekly blogger tournaments by and large. This includes obvious moves like open-raising from the button in an attempt to steal the blinds before the flop, and similar moves. But the book goes on to cover more advanced kinds of bluffs that may not have even been conceived of by many of the less aggressive, less experienced poker players out there, moves that require a specific set of circumstances and a good solid read of weakness in your opponent, etc. After reviewing and rating 40-50 different kinds of bluffs in the ways described above, the last part of The Book of Bluffs describes in detail some of the biggest bluffs, on the largest scale, ever run in big situations, the context and reasoning behind the players who made such moves, and some of the other elements of these bluffs in a way that is very interesting and enlightening to the reader.

The thing I like most about The Book of Bluffs is that it can be very useful to many poker players, regardless of one's particular style of play or level of experience in poker. For example, for players who have the basics down but are looking for ways to become more aggressive, Lessinger has provided in this book the pathway for such players to learn to do just that, including the How, the When and the Why of running a whole gamut of bluffs that such a player might not have considered previously. Similarly, for players who are already well-versed in the advantages of aggressive poker play, some of the more advanced bluffs profiled in the book are sure to be much-appreciated tools added to such players' arsenal of weapons at the poker table. There is even a section dedicated solely to bluffs that work best in online play, if that's your kind of thing.

Overall, Matt Lessinger's writing style is light, free of the pomp and circumstance of mnay noted poker authors like Sklansky and Hellmuth. And his book is written in a very readable, organized and useful way, one that can be useful for both new and experienced, aggressive and passive type of players. Regardless of most players' personal styles and poker experience, for people looking to learn and practice the How, When and Why to bluff, The Book of Bluffs can help readers to reach that goal.

Though he'd finished fourth in the 2001 WSOP Main Event, 3rd in the 2002 WSOP Pot-Limit Omaha Event, and won the 2004 Bay 101 Shooting Stars event,  most poker aficionados know Phil Gordon as the co-host of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown.

Phil is the rare combination of brilliant expert and gifted teacher, and his commentary on Celebrity Poker Showdown made what could have been a laughable donkfest into a valuable learning experience for just about every person who watched it. Now that he's off the show, I'll be surprised if it will be very watchable.

During the 2005 WPT Championship at Bellagio, I had the great fortune of spending some time with Phil -- not at the same table, thank gods -- and he really helped me a lot. Before I knew the concept of M and Q, Phil helped me get a basic understanding of where I should be and how desperate (or not) I should be to accumulate chips, by talking with me during every break. I'm sure I was a stupid noob quasi-tourist with retarded questions, but Phil never once made me feel like I was some jerk bothering him while he was in an important tourney (and let's face it, of the two of us he's the guy with a real chance at winning the thing.)

We had dinner together at the end of the first day, and Phil gave me a bit of a lesson while we ate. When we were done, he told me that he was working on a little book that would compile lots of useful information from existing works by Caro and Sklansky, filtered through and expanded upon by Phil's personal experience. He was particularly excited about the tournament chapter, and all the math he'd done to figure out very reliably how often players needed to steal blinds, and make moves to survive into the deeper levels of play. He graciously offered to e-mail me a copy of the manuscript so I could read it over later that night, and it significantly helped my game.

The book, of course, became Phil Gordon's Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'em. It's not surprising that he wrote a book that was useful and helpful -- after all, he's one of the greats -- but the true hallmark of a poker book, in my opinion, is how useful it is to me as my game grows and develops. There are books like Caro's Fundamentals to Winning Poker that were great when I was learning, but aren't very useful now, and there are books like Theory of Poker that I may as well have been written in hieroglyphics when I was starting out, but are frequently reviewed these days. Phil's book is rare indeed: it remains relevant and helpful as your skill level increases. It will reinforce your good plays, and help you make fewer bad ones, and since it's literally a little book, it's easy to toss into your bag and keep close by for quick reference when you're fadin' the white line, Tex.

Andy Bloch, along with Bobbi Dempsey, have released a new book titled: Pocket Idiot's Guide to Poker Tells. Though I haven't read it yet, if Andy Bloch is involved I am sure it is worth more than the SRP of $9.95 - especially to an amateur player. The review on Amazon.com describes the book as follows:

The world's best poker players can read their opponents' most subtle expressions and behaviors-no matter how hard their opponents try to hide them. A tapping foot, a change in vocal tone, and countless other clues "tell" an informed player what cards the opponent is holding and how they're likely to be played. The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Poker Tells explains everything amateur poker players need to start interpreting tells and using them to develop poker intuition.

Andy Bloch is a professional poker player, represents Full Tilt Poker, and was a part of the infamous MIT Blackjack Team. If you get a chance to read this book, let us know how it is.

• The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky
• Weighing the Odds in Hold'Em Poker by King Yao
• Winning Low-Limit Hold'Em by Lee Jones
• Small Stakes Hold'Em by Ed Miller (with David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth)
• Hold'Em Poker for Advanced Players by David Sklanksy and Mason Malmuth
• Harrington on Hold'Em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments: Strategic Play (Vol I) by Dan Harrington
• Harrington on Hold'Em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments: Endgame (Vol II) by Dan Harrington
• Middle Limit Hold'em Poker by Bob Ciaffone and Jim Brier
• Doyle Brunson's Super System II by Doyle Brunson
• The Psychology of Poker by Dr. Alan Schoonmaker
  

• You must have a very strong hand.
• The free card you give must have a good chance of making other players a good second best hand.
• That free card must have little chance of making someone a better hand, or a draw to a better hand with the correct odds.
• You will likely drive out players with a bet, but win a bigger pot if you don't bet.
• The pot must not yet be very large.