Meet Alex and Bobbie, who both like to play poker. Alex is a professional poker player who plays for a living and is a solid long-term winner. Bobbie is a recreational player who plays a decent enough game but mainly wants to have a good time. If you play poker regularly you will meet thousands of players like Bobbie in your games and very few like Alex. Of course one would expect that, in the long run, Alex will perform better than Bobbie. But have you ever wondered EXACTLY what it is that Alex understands better and does differently to Bobbie? This is a rather complex question that does not have a simple answer. In this book, UCLA maths professor Duncan Palamourdas addresses this question via a journey through human psychology, game theory, easy-to-understand mathematics and even philosophy. Topics include: Understanding the instinctive but unprofitable tendencies of inexperienced players. How to identify what a mistake actually is in poker - and how to exploit it. Why poker does not revolve around bluffing. The great impact of variance in poker and how to account for it. How to develop a consistent approach that allows you to play like Alex and not Bobbie. Duncan Palamourdas specializes in the mathematics of poker and poker education. His poker classes at UCLA always fill up early and have long waiting lists. He is also an author at Upswing Poker, Poker News, Card Player and Winning Network. Despite his impressive academic credentials, Duncan's popularity is a product of his love for simple language and metaphors. Profitable poker play essentially revolves around correct risk-reward optimization. This is a complex topic and Duncan's great strength is that he explains it in simple terms without resorting to technical jargon.

"Place your bets, place your bets . . ." From the muddy cowtowns of Montana to the posh parlors of Deadwood and Tombstone, past a succession of swinging batwing doors to the smoke-filled rooms in the back, some of the most colorful ladies in the Wild West also happened to be some of the shrewdest gamblers. With her inimitable instinct for a good story, Chris Enss points her pen toward fifteen of the most fascinating characters to ever flip a hole card or lace a corset. "Poker" Alice Ivers, for instance, checked and raised her way through some of the roughest mining towns in the West, while Lottie Deno, the prettiest faro dealer to ever turn a card, "bucked the tiger" all the way from Texas to Alaska. And who could ever bet against Eleanora Dumont, a twenty-one dealer known far and wide as "Madam Moustache"?

The world of bridge has winners and also-rans. What would you rather be? Winning might not be everything, but it is much better than finishing second or third, and way ahead of being out of place. This book examines the attributes and skills you need to be on the winner's dais more often--not only the personal qualities and psychological requirements, but also the methods you are using and the standard of card play required. This overview is a challenge full of tips and telling advice, which, if followed, will produce a positive lift to your game.

There is only one casino game in which players, if they play perfectly, can gain a mathematical advantage over the house. That game is blackjack.
Blackjack Strategy teaches you everything you need to know to fatten your wallet and have a good time at the tables. At last, here is an easy-to-understand guide to blackjacks basic strategy and card counting. Michael Benson explains when to take a hit, when to stand, when to split, and when to double-down - and how all these decisions are influenced by the card count. Included are:
* A comprehensive list of blackjack rules, including those particular to specific casinos,
regions, and foreign countries
* How to avoid the surveillance techniques houses use to weed out card counters
* Inside tips from the professionals
* A money-management guide to maximize winnings and minimize losses
* Forty strategy charts
Blackjack Strategy is entirely up-to-date for todays casino play and, unlike many other blackjack guides, doesnt require a mathematicians skill to comprehend.

teNeues NYC Stationery is proud to share our newest offering, classic Playing Cards with our signature style curated from museum art and illustrations from our favourite artists around the world printed on embossed, premium blue-core card stock in a gift box with flip-top magnetic closure. Our Mid-Century Modern Chairs pattern by Hail Tiger Studio is a fun and casual design paying homage to one of our favourite 20 century styles of home decor and furniture. Our little portable box is giftable and great for travel, fits in any bag and the magnetic closure keeps the cards together between games. Standard deck of 54 playing cards including 2x joker cards Full-colour, richly -printed artwork on embossed, blue-core card stock Giftable flip-top box with magnetic closure Box measures: 69 x 95 x 25 mm Kathryn Warren is the illustrator and designer behind Hail Tiger. She earned her B.F.A. in graphic design with honours from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

The sequel to the bestselling Yoga Deck from Olivia H. Miller. This handy deck of cards provides detailed instructions for a variety of yoga poses that help alleviate and prevent pain and enhance overall wellbeing. Whether you're a yoga novice interested in pain prevention and relief, or if yoga is a part of your everyday routine, these handy cards can help you take control of your health. Each card has an illustration of a pose, step-by-step instructions, and options for more or less of a challenge-ensuring that people of different ages and physical abilities can safely use the deck and reap all the benefits. The tri-fold introduction card includes a table of contents, suggestions for using the deck, a brief explanation about the benefits of yoga, and suggested sequences. * Shows how to perform 60 yoga poses, meditations, and recommended sequences to alleviate pain, prevent chronic conditions, and boost overall well-being * Contains illustrations for more than 50 new poses * Each illustrated card includes step-by-step instructions, a list of benefits, and an affirmation Fans of The Yoga Deck: 50 Poses & Meditations for Body, Mind, & Spirit, The Stretch Deck: 50 Stretches, and The Chakra Deck: 50 Cards for Promoting Spiritual and Physical Health (Relax and Rejuvenate) will love this card deck. * Idea cards for anyone who wants an alternative way to alleviate pain * Great gift for yoga enthusiasts of all ages and levels * Perfect, portable deck for those practicing self-care and wellness rituals

In Play Poker Like the Pros, poker master Phil Hellmuth, Jr., demonstrates exactly how to play and win -- even if you have never picked up a deck of cards -- the modern games of poker, including: Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and Razz.

Phil Hellmuth, Jr., a seven-time World Champion of Poker, presents his tournament-tested strategies to beat any type of player, including:

• The Jackal (crazy and unpredictable)
• The Elephant (plays too many hands)
• The Mouse (plays very conservatively)
• The Lion (skilled and tough to beat)

Play Poker Like the Pros begins by laying out the rules and set-up of each game and then moves on to easy-to-follow basic and advanced strategies. Hellmuth teaches exactly which hands to play, when to bluff, when to raise, and when to fold. In addition Hellmuth provides techniques for reading other players and staying cool under pressure. There are also special chapters on how to beat online poker games and an inside look at tournament play.

Millions of people of all ages play bridge and what better way to spend the perfect evening than supper with friends and bridge. And what could be better than to have a special selection of the delicious recipes by Nicola Cox, originally published in her celebrated books Good Food from Farthinghoe and Country Cooking from Farthinghoe. The recipes have been carefully chosen so that they do not involve a lot of last-minute activity when one would prefer to be playing bridge. The dishes are arranged in groups from soups to puddings via a selection of delectable pates, mousses, salads. vegetable dishes and main courses.

This wonderful game will allow your family to create its own fairy tales. Highly original and with a contemporary twist, this game contains 20 puzzle pieces printed on both sides, which can be interchanged to allow for all kinds of plots. With three alternative endings! Can you find the missing elf before he is eaten by the big, bad wolf? Is the witch offering you a poisoned apple, or will she help you... by magically shrinking the giant pink rabbit that is terrorizing your castle? Tell a different story each time you play, in this 8-foot-long fairytale puzzle.

This humorous, laid-back guide to poker rules, strategies, techniques, and lingo will take your game to the next level.

Do you know what it takes to play the game? At the poker table, just like in the ocean, baitfish get gobbled up by sharks. To help you ascend to the top of the poker food chain, Pick Up Your Poker Game answers all the game's most important questions with over 50 tips and strategies to give you the upper hand. So whether you're a seasoned pro or a bare-bones beginner, this handy, information-packed guide will take your poker game to the next level by helping you discover:

Winning strategies when you don't have a winning hand

Bluffing techniques and when to use them

What players to choose or avoid as your opponent

How to help determine your opponent's hand

How to capitalize on your opponent's weaknesses and your strengths

The International Laws of Contract Bridge have been effective since 1 January 1993. The laws described in the book apply only to Rubber bridge. The copyright in the British Commonwealth (other than in the Western Hemisphere), the continent of Africa, in India, Spain, Portugal, and all English-speaking countries is vested in the Portland Club. The Portland Club is a London card-playing game club and the recognised early authority on the games of whist and bridge. It is reputedly the oldest card club in the world. Founded some time before 1815 as the Stratford Club, it was given its present name in 1825. The copyright in all non-English-speaking countries in Europe (other than Spain and Portugal) is vested in the European Bridge League. The copyright in the Western Hemisphere and in the Republic of the Philippines is vested in the American Contract Bridge League.

Fire your imagination with these fun storytelling cards. Reviving the Victorian craze for 'myrioramas', the 20 picture cards can be placed in any order to create seamless scenes. Almost infinite combinations of cards provide endless storyscaping possibilities. Traverse an enchanted landscape as you build a perpetual panorama inhabited by fire-breathing dragons, magical unicorns and sinister shadow figures. With many games to play and millions of stories to tell, each turn of the card is a new adventure. Where will the story take you? There are over two quintillion storyscaping possibilities, and you can build a seamless panoramas stretching up to 170cm!

From Banksy to Basquiat, Haring to Hockney, and Yayoi to Yoko, your favorite artists have gathered in this deck of cards. Artist Cards is a standard poker set, with the four classic suits. Each card features a different artist, with an illustration and short bio. Who needs art history class when you can celebrate the great artists, instead, with a round of cards?

Using the same format as The Pocket Guide to Bridge, this book will provide a handy pocket summary of the popular SAYC (Standard American Yellow Card) bidding system. In a concise but readable manner, it goes over the basic ideas of SAYC, which is the most popular natural system for online bridge players around the world. The contents are based on Standard Bidding with SAYC, by the same authors.

Because of television, the game of choice for most new poker players is no-limit Hold'em. This has led to changes in the game. With so many players trying to emulate their TV heroes, they tend to play too many weak hands, call too many bets with marginal to poor holdings, and try to make too many big bluffs. Today's skilled player must learn to adapt to these changes in this complex game. This book covers all aspects of the smaller, fixed buy-in, no-limit hold'em games from understanding your opponents to learning about pot odds. Included are topics seldom written about such as finding the proper amount to bet, how to manage your mental game, bankroll considerations, and how to beat the rake. Also introduced is "The Matrix Theory: " a unique tool for understanding just what hands you should play and how they should be played depending on a matrix of considerations few think about. If you are looking for the most comprehensive guide to fixed buy-in cash games, you need this book!

This is a fantastic compendium of the greatest card games from around the world, including the history, rules, and winning strategies for each game, with more than 400 illustrations. It covers everything from fun and simple games for beginners and family players, to professional tips and expert guidance for advanced play in serious games of chance. It is a comprehensive, practical guide to over 200 games, explaining how to play and win. It offers clear instructions make the book a useful one for players at all levels - beginners, intermediates and experts. It covers all the world's most popular games, including bridge, gin rummy, blackjack, poker, solitaire, piquet and cribbage. It details the rules of each game, with strategies for play, history and fascinating facts about famous players. This essential reference for card-game players brings together all the best card games, including canasta, bridge, rummy, blackjack, cribbage, whist, solitaire and poker. The book opens with a brief history of cards, with tutorials for beginners on general play, and a gold mine of tips for intermediate and advanced players. The practical heart of the book is divided into two sections covering trick-taking and non-trick taking games. Here are all the classics plus scores of lesser-known treats such as Thirty-One Rum and Spit. Whether you want to settle a dispute about rules or find a new game for the family, this is the only book you will ever need on the subject.

Rolf Slotboom draws together a number of innovative and revolutionary ideas including: * Winning strategies for cash games, tournaments and adjustments for on-line play * His revolutionary short stack approach for full-ring Pot Limit Omaha * An in-depth analysis of deep stack Pot Limit Omaha and No Limit hold'em * A successful kamikaze" style for tournament play This book will be of great interest to anyone who is serious about their poker, It will be especially useful for intermediate players who are looking to improve their understanding of complex poker concepts.

This is the 2nd in the American Contract Bridge League's series of bridge books for beginning and advancing players. Successfully used by students and teachers for over 20 years, this edition has been updated to reflect current standards for playing bridge. This book concentrates on the play of the hand (making a plan, promoting winners, finessing, trumping losers, etc.). The initial bidding concepts are reviewed and Jacoby transfers and slam bidding are introduced.

The sit'n'go (single table tournament) format is one of the most popular and exciting ways to play poker. However, ten players sitting at one table and playing for three prizes is not the only possible format. There are many other ways that these events can be run and these can provide a lucrative opportunity for the skilled player. In "Secrets of non-standard Sit'n'gos," Phil Shaw navigates you through these exciting variants and explains how you can make them profitable. The alternative formats discussed include: * Heads-up sit'n'gos (2-player)* 6-max sit'n'gos* Sit'n'gos with two tables* 45-player and 180-player sit'n'gos* Step systems (with prizes as entries to bigger money sit'n'gos)* Hyper turbos* Super satellites ...and many more As well as a deep examination of the correct strategies for all these events, "Secrets of non-standard Sit'n'gos" also analyses the most effective way to capitalise on rakeback and reward programs.

10 metallic colored pencils feature foil-stamped labels for Red Planet exploration and identification.

Featuring Photos from NASA!

• Great gift for anyone interested in space exploration
• Perfect for notes, coloring books, or drawing
• High-quality, two-tone art pencils

Let NASA's Mars imagery add color to your artistic and space quests!

With this book, anyone can develop a versatile repertoire of first rate card tricks. The authors, both noted authorities on magic, present complete, easy to understand explanations of basic techniques and over 100 complete tricks. More than 120 line cuts make explanations easy to follow, so that even beginners can develop professional-level skill. 121 figures.

Get crazy with The Wild Bunch! This discard game, based on Crazy Eights, will have you up to your ears in lions, monkeys, wombats and whales as you try to get rid of your cards before anyone else. The deck features animals instead of numbers so kids of any age can understand and play, and there are loads of exciting action cards to change things up: play the crab to reverse direction, or the kangaroo to skip over the next player!

The standard 52-playing card deck is a staple of game night - but what if it could be so much more!? Introducing the HECKADECK, a 160-card deck that not only includes the classic cards, but adds all-new ranks, suits, face cards, and other creative elements that open a whole range of exciting new play possibilities. Heck yeah the deck includes hearts through diamonds and Aces through Kings, but also acorns, clouds, and planets, zeroes and elevens, Beasts, Hunters and Travelers, arrows, an all-suited Watcher, and other delightfully illustrated new cards. The booklet inside offers twists on classic games (Crazier Eights, Hearts [and Clouds], Go Fish with Dynamite), plus rules for new games (Epic Match, Beast Hunt, Planetary Rule), guidance for inventing your own games, and even predicting the future with this unique family-friendly, heckafun card deck.

The card-play exploits of the monks at St Titus have a special place in bridge literature and their fame has now spread round the world. This collection of highly entertaining and absorbing stories from the monastery includes a further hilarious interlude with the missionary monks and the celebrated bridge-playing parrot in the Bozwambi jungle.