Haseeb Qureshi is a very well known name of anglophone poker community. Can is it more under his pseudonym on the Twoplustwo forums (DogIsHead).
Many reasons make him a person also known:
-It has long been a popular instructor at Cardrunners
-It is a poster of longstanding on the Twoplustwo forums
-It is recognized for the quality of his pen
-In 2011, it has been at the heart of a scandal involving Jase Macedo (Portuguese Prodigy) and Jungleman12.
-Subsequently, followed it a reputation as cheater
But today, it is as an author that we talk about.
Subtitled The Philosophy of Poker, How To Be a Poker Player appeared recently in a Kindle edition.
The author tells us firstly its intention: he won't teach you how to play poker, but he wants to lead you to be a better player poker. For him the difference is great.
What does it mean? Become a better poker player, does not necessarily mean learn to read hands and learn how to make good sizings. Become a poker player goes further than that.
And it is not learned from one day to the next.
In the introduction, Haseeb explains that in his debut, he was a great player of poker books. He read much, looking for the 'secret' to improve his game. As if to be a winning poker player, should have discovered the secret that only a small elite knew.
Obviously, over time, the author realized that a single book of poker could not make you a great player. That no book alone could make you an exceptional player. Books that claim otherwise you lie.
To become a winning poker player, to do daily work on his game and on itself.
The book is divided into 10 chapters (topics in parentheses are not complete, it is only of a few key words to give you an idea of the topics covered in each chapter):
1 - Philosophy of poker (that is what poker?) Comparison with the failures and study of the structure of the game)
2 - The structure of poker (Balance, centrality, the art of the bluff)
3 - The art of Randomness (psychology, bluff, game flow, tilt, initiative, image)
4 - Adjust his game to his opponent (levels of thought, comments, stats preflop stats postflop, leveling war)
5 - Learning and self-awareness (limits of reason, the illusion of control, the neuroscience of the donkeys)
6 - Fear and creativity (Tilt, manage the variance, the role of the ego, the power hidden emotions)
7 - Learning to learn (3 ways to learn, taking risks, control emotions, luck, evolution of the game)
8 - The limit of the theory in poker (all theories are not equal, argue, the importance of being discrete)
9 - The poker community (the value of money, the sharing of information, coaching)
10 - The life of a poker player (the art of leaving, the strength of experiences, obsession, spiritual health)
We know that many do not like Haseeb for what he has done in the past. But the purpose of this article is not to discuss its history and its acts, but to deal with the quality of the book.
As might be expected, the book is very well written, in a novelistic style that reads very well. Although there are already thousands of poker books, this book is still highly relevant and should be read for any serious player. It differs from many others, by the accuracy of the remarks and the range of topics.
Everywhere on Internet, the reviews on this book are very good and PokerCollectif goes in the same direction as these; the book is well written, comprehensive, modern and above all, adds new elements.
It caters to an audience mostly of intermediate and advanced.
You can find it on Amazon in Kindle version priced at $ 9.99.
How to Be a Poker Player: The Philosophy of Poker
Haseeb Qureshi
342 pages, 2013
ISBN-13: 978 - 0991306749
Discuss this book on PokerCollectif forums: How To Be a Poker Player by Haseeb Qureshi
