There is more than a little truth to this accusation. Poker is an ever-evolving superset of games with the individual games changing over time as the players learn how one game and then another should be played. Write a revealing book and the old games disappear more quickly and the "rocks" have to learn the new game in order to continue to make a living. Today's most important games are hold'em and seven card stud. Both are covered in this book, hold'em quite extensively.

What sets Brunson's Super/System apart from other poker books is first the prestige and celebrity of the writers, especially Doyle himself, but also Bobby Baldwin (also a World Champion); David "Chip" Reese, Doyle's expert on seven-card stud; Joey Hawthorne on Low-Ball; David Sklanski on Hi-Low; and Mike Caro (MJC) on draw poker. I used to play with Sklanski and MJC back in the sixties in Gardena when the only legal game in the California clubs was draw poker, both lowball and jacks or better. Sklanski has gone on to be one of the game's great theoreticians and the author of several excellent books on poker. Caro, known as "the Mad Genius of Poker," has formed his own "Poker University" and is partly responsible for this book's republication, and has become quite a poker entrepreneur.

Second, there is the comprehensive coverage of the games from five card draw to no limit hold'em. Not everything is explained and some of the tricks are held back. Reese in particular, in his chapter on seven-card stud is somewhat reticent. He presents a tight strategy that is sound but withholds more aggressive strategies that, in the proper hands, would make more money.

By the way, "no limit" really means table stakes since you are NOT, as is sometimes seen in the movies, allowed to go to the bank and get some money when you hold a killer hand! In fact, no limit is really no different than pot limit expect that instead of being restricted to the amount of the pot when betting, one can, if one so chooses, push in one's entire stack. THAT does make for some interesting psychological situations! One of Doyle Brunson's main points in this book is the huge difference between set limit poker as played in the clubs and indeed as played for the so-called world championship, and no limit poker as played by the rich and the top professionals. The latter game is much more of a psychological game in that you can lose pot after small pot and yet come out ahead by winning one great big monster, and also because it takes a lot of nerve to either call a huge bet or to make a huge bet. Furthermore as you're playing along you have to be aware that at any moment the pot can suddenly mushroom to gigantic proportions. Because of these psychological factors, some of the top players at limit have never been able to make a satisfactory jump to the no limit game. In Brunson's case, he actually was adept at no limit long before he became a top limit player.

Third, there are the brilliant caricatures of the players by Stan Hunt. Just to see those again in print is worth the price of the book.

Fourth are the poker odds and statistics by Mike Caro. Believe me they are completely accurate. I and a number of others players checked and rechecked them, hoping to catch MJC in an error. No such luck! I was a little disappointed that Mike chose to recall an odds story that showed him in the right, because I, among a very small number of people, actually did beat him out of a twenty dollar bet in the sixties on some odds we were discussing. Of course Mike would "give away" money just to support his carefully cultivated image as a "madman." One of his most notorious "plays" at draw was to pretend to have a pat hand, raise the opener, and then not bet after the draw and just show down his nothing hand, thereby giving away the pot. I mean eyebrows raised and heads shook incomprehensibly at this totally "irrational" play. Yet it worked because people then would call him when he really had something.

Caro was also an expert on poker tells. He wrote a book on the subject. He would, when playing, do parodies of the other players by betting and acting as they would in an exaggerated way. Sometimes he actually did unconscious parodies of himself.

Doyle Brunson on the other hand loved the psychological struggle and just being in action. In his prime he was arguably the world's best player at both limit and no limit hold'em. He had nerves of steel and an intensely competitive nature and a deep obsessive love of the game. He overpowered his opponents with a constant energy that was always, always pushing. He had a few tricks and his knowledge of the game was among the best, but perhaps his greatest gift was his ability to bet when he knew the other guy would toss in.

What you can learn from this book about poker is really almost priceless. Even though this book is definitely dated (and today's stars are a different breed) nonetheless there is wealth of information here for the casual as well as the professional player. This is, in my opinion, still the best how-to book on poker ever written.


Still a Super/System   July 27, 2003
 182 out of 189 found this review helpful

Brunson & Co. wrote this book in the mid 1970s and if your interest in poker as a game with a very rich and colourful history is anything like mine its well worth buying. The chapters where Brunson talks about his past are great background to understanding one of the all-time great champions.

As for the lessons in this post-graduate school of poker, some really are of historical value only. I suppose Caro's lecture on Draw might be of use in home games but Skalansky's on hi-lo has been out-flanked by time - the qualifier did for it. Baldwin's chapter on limit hold'em is also of no value - not only has the game changed (they used to play it with a single blind and antes from every player - to make things easier and quicker in casinos they changed to the big & little blind structure) but there are five or so more books that today to a better job.

Two chapters retain value. Firstly, and often overlooked, is Chip Reese's chapter on Seven Card Stud. Its not particularly profound and I feel Chip gives away less than the others, but its still a very good starting place. Seven Card Stud hasn't changed much since the 1930s so this chapter retains value.

But the the real gem is Brunson's own chapter on no limit Hold'em. Its extremely interesting and given the greater freedom no limit gives the change in the game structure matters less. No limit is not a war of fine percentages like limit, it is a game of great psychological violence. Brunson's system is VERY aggressive. I think very few people would feel so comfortable playing so many connectors out of position in no limit games so they can stage all-in bluffs. You would need to be up against a very timid rock garden to play just as Brunson says. But it remains, undisputedly, the best guide to no limit cash games (but not tournaments - see Cloutier and McEvoy).

Buy it. You'll thank me.


Overrated and outdated poker text   July 26, 2004
 45 out of 59 found this review helpful

I fail to understand why this book gets such high ratings from modern poker players. The majority of the book is out of date. The holdem section is out of date. The high/low split section describes an out of date game (no qualifier for low). There is a section on draw poker which is played at no casinos, along with a section on deuce to seven lowball draw (a game which is rarely if ever spread at casinos).

The majority of praise for this book is for Doyle Brunson's no limit holdem section. In this section Doyle discusses playing no limit holdem in games with $20,000 buy-ins. This stuff is fun to read but let's face it, most people are going to be starting out in games with 50 to 200 buy ins. Still, Brunson does give the reader a substantial education in playing no limit holdem.

By far the biggest game at every casino in the country is limit holdem. No limit tourneys are also popular in big poker markets and online. I fail to understand why anyone interested in playing and improving at poker would buy anything other than limit holdem or tournament holdem texts.

If you want to get good at poker, buy a well-reviewed book at the stakes and game that you desire to play. Poker is hard enough to master without trying to read a book full of dead poker forms.

Although it may have not sounded like it from my review, I did enjoy reading this book. The top players have many interesting comments and the Mike Caro section on draw is highly amusing at times. Unfortunately, as I stated earlier draw is not played at casinos or online these days. Pick this book up as an addition to your poker library, but this book is not going to be the predominant text in your poker library.



A Good, but Dangerous Book   November 20, 2003
 42 out of 47 found this review helpful

This is one of my favorite poker books of all time, however, not necessarily for its strategic value. Granted, each and every section of this book has some very valuable insights from odds, to game theory, to various ways to approach different hands. With that said, what I find particularly noteworthy are the little details and anecdotes from Brunson Himself. From Broomcorns unkle to Old Blocky and the Beer Hand, it's the details and Doyles obvious passion for the game that really make this book a standout.

However, as I would advise the book only to advanced players with significant experience and the desire to vary their play. The authors system really only works for a super agressive player who is not only extremely talented, but very disciplined. Not many people can emulate this style, and most who try WILL LOSE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF MONEY!!!

With that said, at this price (I bought the hardcover version long ago for $50+), you really can't lose. It's a great addition to any poker library.


If you are new to Poker you need this... or already a pro!   March 2, 2004
 42 out of 60 found this review helpful

This is the bible (small b) of poker. This was the very first book I read before I ever started playing and I am so thankful I did. And yet, it's not directed at the absolute beginner, necessarily. It's directed at anyone who wants to raise their skill level (with lots of work) to a pro-like level.

A beginner can follow along without trouble and master this book. I did. But one who's played for years REALLY has a chance to shine here. Why not just master and do what the pros do? You will learn that here.

I assure you that 99% of all players you ever play with will NOT have mastered this book. If you do, you will win over time. Oh sure, many will OWN this book, but it will sit in their shelf. Becuase to become good, you must become skilled. Toss luck out the window, luck is for chumps. (Losing chumps.)

The answer to life-long winning (unless you play aganst Doyle or Mike Caro!) is mastering these guys here. Most players will never get this book. Most of those who do will never read it. Most who read it will never master it. That leaves a very small winner's circle waiting for you to step in if you dedicate the time you need to spend. Are you willing? If you don't wish to master the concepts in this book, then I sure would like to play against you some time in a little parlor game of high stakes poker...!