Dealer's Choice: The Complete Handbook to Saturday Night Poker

by James Ernest, Mike Selinker, Phil Foglio

Dealer's Choice is the ultimate guide to the world of low stakes poker, where fun and bragging rights count as least as much as the final tally. We all know that money won is twice as sweet as money earned, and there are plenty of books that will help you if you want to mortgage the house to play on the high-stake tables, but most of us are looking for a friendlier species of the game, a chance to test our luck in the enjoyable company of friends, and, if we are favoured with good fortune and they are not, to really, really rub their noses in it. Starting with the elementary principles of the game every beginner will need to know before swimming with the sharks - betting, bluffing, and the hierarchy of hand values - Dealer's Choice also includes invaluable tips on how to host the perfect poker evening (the relative merits of chips versus coins, what food to serve) as well as fascinating sidebars (great poker hands in cinema, trivia, unspoken laws of the game) and hilarious profiles of archetypal poker characters - the kinds of oddball one is bound to encounter sooner or later across the green felt. Every conceivable variety of poker is discussed in each of its variants, from established favourites like Baseball and Follow the Queen to truly esoteric mutations of the authors' own invention such as Frankenstein, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and Hamlet (i.e., Jacks are low, Queens are wild, Kings dead). Renowned illustrator Phil Foglio has enlivened the text with spectacular line drawings. With worldwide interest in poker at unprecedented peak, Dealer's Choice gives casual players the chance to re-create, right in their living rooms, the excitement of the World Series of Poker...except without the five million dollar jackpot - but pizza and beer aren't bad either!

Genres: Humor, Games

156 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big nerd read for big nerds. Appreciated not only the huge selection of dealer's choice poker games, but discussion about how to run a game and the strategy behind introducing people to different things. Written in a great funny tone, but clearly from guys who have been there and played those games. A great reference guide if you're looking to learn about bizarre poker variants to play with your friends!

[Ari Samson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always love Phil.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, it's hilarious. Second, it's informative. And third, it's awesome because it's completely about poker. Obviously, this book can turn you into a master of a zillion different kinds of goofy poker games, none of which you play at a real casino. Nonetheless, I loved the variety of games and some of the allusions, stereotypes, puns and anything else to make fun of somebody or just make the reader laugh. Dealer's Choice will certainly stay on my shelves (clearly as a reference book--I don't know how anyone could memorize all of these games) as an entertaining poker handbook.

[Hunter Johnson]

Dealer's Choice, by James Ernest, Phil Foglio, and Mike Selinker. I'm biased, since I booth for James "Cheapass Games" Ernest at the summer gaming cons, but: a lot of fun. The chapters on poker nights in general should be funny enough for even non-poker players (I read several passages aloud to my wife), and the poker variants are actually worthwhile too.

[FranklinTV · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I bought this mainly for the authors (Ernest, Selinker), but my expectation I think was more about the night rather than the 200+ poker variations. Anyway, maybe if I ever want to start playing poker ... so, instead, donated to some poker players I know.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. If you ever sat down with friends to play dealer's choice, this is a great book. Its funny gives you a lot of perspective behind all the variations, just excellent.

[Ghost Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10
-Fun poker book with good list of games
-Great reference for house rules