Anyone remember Yardley's book?

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Ed Barnard

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"The Education of a Poker Player" by Herbert O. Yardley. I remember being fascinated with his stories as a kid, and indeed why I took up poker though it was fading in popularity in the 1970's. Seems to have come back, though, which is cool :)
 
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cazino

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I've never even heard of it. Thanks for bringing it up though, I like to read just about anything I can about poker. Has anyone read Super Systems 2 yet?
 
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Ed Barnard

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I did a google search for:

"education of a poker player"

with the quotes, and sure enough the book is there, including favorable descriptions. Published in 1957.
 
Nick

Nick

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Wow check the great, lengthy reviews, here's a good one:

After reading Yardley's book, I applied his techniques to my weekly kitchen game. While I normally came out ahead, using his advice, I booked the biggest win in the history of our game. Then I took his knowledge to Atlantic City. Strictly following his strategies for 7 card-stud, I booked my first win in a cardroom. And have used the techniques since. And won. Yes, the book is a bit dated, and yes, Yardley has a major ego. And his strategy is very conservative, which means once you employ it over the long haul, people will see you as a rock, and not give you much action. But there is no better place to start if you are serious about poker, and no better book to read to get a feel for the lore, and also to gain the confidence that you can win. An excellent read, filled with money-making advice, and a book you do NOT want your opponents to know about.
 
Passions_JC

Passions_JC

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Sounds like it would be a good book
 
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Ed Barnard

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There are negative reviews as well, to be sure. The negative guy found the book boring. But hey, I'd probably find some of his books boring! Anyway, many years ago, *I* enjoyed the book!

By the by, another in the same category as a since-forever favorite of mine is John Scarne's first (of two!) autobiographies, "The Amazing World of John Scarne." To me, it was a fascinating read - but again you have to give him points for ego. He's arguably the best card manipulator ever (which you have to count as cool), and was the one who did the dealing in that poker game in the movie "The Sting."
 
Passions_JC

Passions_JC

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Ed Barnard said:
There are negative reviews as well, to be sure. The negative guy found the book boring.

There is always someone out there to hate something, no matter how good that something is
 
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Hashash

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I never heard of Yardley's book. How old is it?
 
Leftylou

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Yardley's was the first poker book I ever read and I LOVED it. It was probably 30 years later when I first heard of Holdem, in the early nineties. I did pretty well in seven stud thanks to H.O.

I still remember his funny bit about
"Never carry a package by the string, Never trust a man named Whitey, and NEVER draw to an inside straight."

Leftylou
 
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Pokertron3000

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New to here and poker

Hi guys just wondering if we could have a thread (maybe a sticky) for book suggestions or reviews. I have not read any but when I can get some cash together I would be intrested in buying a few. thx macca
 
aliengenius

aliengenius

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Jim McManus has been doing a history of Yardley in his cardplayer magazine column now for the past several months. Good stuff.
 
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