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Alison Pendergast is a successful business executive with more than fifteen years' experience in the field of educational publishing. She learned to play poker at a young age from her father, and over the years has perfected her game playing in both regular cash games and competitive poker tournaments all over the United States. She lives and works in Boston, Massachusetts, and enjoys playing poker regularly with her monthly poker group, online at PokerStars.com, or with her dad at her favorite poker room located in Foxwoods Casino in southeastern Connecticut.

Poker is hotter than ever and it's a good bet these days that if you're flipping through the TV channels, you'll see a poker game being played, by amateurs, professional and even celebrities. If you're looking to try your hand at America's favorite card game then Play Winning Poker In No Time is the perfect beginner's guide to teach you all the fundamentals to confidently "ante up" in a casual game with friends, at a live action casino table or even online at any one of the popular Internet poker sites. With Play Winning Poker In No Time, you'll learn about:

Texas Hold 'em Starting Hand Tactics
Basic Seven Card Stud Strategy
Common Poker Rules
Internet Poker & Online Poker Sites
Poker Tournaments Including the World Series of Poker
Casino Poker Room Etiquette
When to Bluff vs. When to Bet
Spotting Poker "Tells"
Poker Math Including How To Calculate Odds & Probabilities
Betting Strategies to Maximize Pots

The easy-to-understand explanations and illustrations won't bog you down in complex "what if" scenarios or confusing jargon. You'll simply obtain the basic knowledge needed to successfully play poker and win money. A unique, tear-out "cheat sheet" card is chock full of valuable poker information including a visual guide to poker hand rankings or "what beats what," a color-coded starting hand chart showing which 2-card Hold 'em starting hands to play, and an odds chart showing the percent chance of improving your Hold 'em hand as new cards are dealt. With Play Winning Poker In No Time, you will master the basics, win the game and take home the cash.

Introduction.
I. THE BASICS OF THE GAME.
1. Introduction to Poker: The Basics of the Game.
Understanding the Basic Rules of Poker
Ranking Poker Hands
Understand Betting Structures
Betting Your Hand
Basic Poker Games
Draw Poker Games
Stud Poker Games
Flop Poker Games
2. The Psychology of Poker.
Betting and Bluffing Basics
Choosing When to Bluff
Going on Tilt
Assuming a Table Image and Determining Your Playing and Betting Style
Reading Poker Tells
Making Calculated Bets
Mastering Poker Math
Using Poker Outs and Probabilities to Help Predict Your Chances of Making a Hand
II. LEARNING THE GAME.
3. Playing Texas Hold 'em.
Learning the Basics of Limit, Pot-Limit, and No-Limit Hold 'em
Understanding Dealer Position
Posting Blind Bets
Playing the Starting Hand Round
Playing the Flop
Playing Fourth Street, or the Turn
Playing the River
Assessing Your Table Position and Starting Hand
Evaluating Your Table Position
Evaluating Your Starting Hand
Making Smart Choices Through Each Round of Play
Deciding When to Play Suited, Connected, or Medium Pocket Pairs.
Evaluating Your Hand After the Flop.
Calculating Outs and Odds After the Flop.
Re-evaluating Your Hand on the Turn.
Choosing Your Strategies As You Play Through to the River.
4. Seven Card Stud.
Understanding the Basics of Seven Card Stud
Learning the Language of Seven Card Stud
Understanding the Betting Structure of Fixed-Limit and Spread-Limit Seven Card Stud
Understanding Antes and the Bring-In
Starting Hand Standards and Strategies
Tracking Live and Folded Cards
Learning the Types of Starting Hands
Playing a Three-Card Drawing Hand
Analyzing Other Players' Starting Hands
Beginner Strategies for Betting Your Starting Hand
Playing Fourth Street: The Make-or-Break Round
Analyzing Hands on Fourth Street
Betting the Hand
Playing Fifth Street: Honing Your Betting Strategy
Using Your Analytical Skills
Playing Sixth Street: Fattening the Pot with One Card Left to Play
Calculating the Odds Against Improving Your Hand with One Card to Come
Playing Seventh Street or the River
Assessing and Betting Your Hand
Watching for Common Tells in Seven Card Stud
5. Learning Additional Poker Games.
Five Card Draw
Five Card Draw with a Joker or with Deuces Wild
Five Card Draw, Jacks or Better
Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple
Playing Razz
Playing High-Low Stud
Limiting Your Starting Standards
Tips for Winning at High-Low Stud
Omaha-The Hardest Game in Town
Learning the Basic Structure of Omaha
Developing Your Omaha Strategy
III. PLAYING THE GAME.
6. Playing Poker Online.
Playing Online Versus Playing Live
Considering the Advantages of Online Play
Taking a Look at Online Poker's Disadvantages
Managing Your Money Online
Picking an Online Poker Room
Is This Room Right for You?
Checking out Bonus Codes or Other Incentives
Popular Online Poker Sites
Playing Your First Game
Setting up an Account
Selecting a Game
Analyzing Game Statistics in the Lobby
Buying in to the Poker Table
Using the Action Buttons
Using Additional Online Features
Protecting Yourself from Collusion and Cheating Online
Spotting Online Tells
7. Forming a Monthly Poker Playing Group.
Home Games-Serious or Social?
Setting Up a Semi-Serious Home Game
Inviting Enough Players to Make a Game
Announcing the Games and Limits
Setting Money Management Rules
Antes, Check-Raising, and the Bring-In
Declaring Low Hands for Split Pot Games
Handling Misdeals
Using Wild Cards and Burn Cards
Common Home Games
Five Card Stud
Follow the Queen
Chicago
Baseball
Criss-cross
Anaconda or Pass the Trash
Three Card Guts
No Peekie or Showdown
Hosting a Mini No-Limit Texas Hold 'em Tournament
Set Up
Playing the Mini
Betting in No-Limit Hold 'em
Declaring a Winner
8. Playing Poker in a Casino.
Becoming Familiar with the Casino Poker Room
Poker Room Organization
Poker Room Staff
Finding a Seat
Initial Buy In
Poker Jackpots
Types of Players
Casino Poker Etiquette
Chip Etiquette
Betting Etiquette
9. Playing Tournament Poker.
The Lure of Tournament Poker
Understanding How Tournaments Differ from Ring or Cash Games
Tournament Basics
Buy-in and Registration Fees
Tournament Seating
Limit, No-Limit, and Pot-Limit Games
Tournament Formats
Freerolls
Multitable Elimination or Freeze-out Format
Sit and Go Tournaments
Shoot-Out and Bounty Tournaments
General Tournament Strategy
Early Tournament Strategy
Middle Stage No-Limit Tournament Strategy
Late Stage No-Limit Tournament Strategy
Monitoring Chip Position and Protecting Your Chips
Climbing the Payout Ladder
IV. RESOURCES.
A. References and Resources.
B. Glossary of Poker Terms.
Index.