Doyle Brunson's Super System 2

[CJ Mars]

Just bought this at a very hefty price of 32 Euros. I already own the first one and was looking forward to the new revised edition. First impressions:

1. The no limit hold-em chapter seems to have hardly any changes . Brunson has the same aggressive style that will probably see you go broke pretty quickly in most games. He had 30 years of table image to back him up. Still great if you want to vary your play a little but very disappointing in the scarcity of new ideas.

2. Nice and very revised section on Limit Hold Em by Jennifer Harmon. Good on first principles and well worth a read.

3. Expanded sections on various Omaha games that I have played only in house games (and lost heavily on lol).

4. 42 tips from the “Mike Caro University”. Done like a Powerpoint slideshow very much common sense based and focussing more on the pyschology of controlling your emotions, safeguarding your bankroll and so on. The best new part of the book IMHO. Print off and put on the wall in front of you when you’re playing.

5. Far too much about Brunson’s personal life and times and how he found God. He seems like a decent and dignified man but a lot of it is going over old ground and the new stuff (post his daughter’s death) comes on like some mild Bible bashing.

6. Far too much plugging of his internet poker site (literally every chapter) although his embrace of the new technology is pretty heartening. Hopefully I’ll be as open-minded as him if I make 70+.

7. All the tables at the back of the first edition are gone! :think What the hell happened there? A huge loss.

If you haven’t bought the first edition its worth trying to pick up. If you have the first one I’d probably skip it. It also is the heaviest book I’ve ever bought . Bring it along to your next live game and you can use it to batter the guy who puts your AA all in out with 72 offsuit .