Todd M. Furman

At times alluring, intimidating, aggravating, and exhilarating poker is, as Poker Hall of Fame inductee Mike Sexton made famous, a game that “takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master.” And while the Tournament Directors Association (TDA) works to standardize rules, especially for tournament play, rules and acceptable practices can vary by venue, game locale (i.e. home game, casino, charity card room, etc.), cash game versus tournament, and by governing body stipulations like those from state or tribal agencies. Grounded in 2015 TDA rules and Roberts Rules of Order, and limited to no-limit hold’em tournament play the work acknowledges rule variance and succeeds at generating very readable moral discussion on behavior at the poker table and the world outside of it. Obvious “steal chips from other players’ stacks” scenarios are not the focus. In defining poker as a game of skill analyses concentrates on issues and situations far less clear-cut including truth as deceptive and falsehood not necessarily being a condition of lying. Two appendices supply an overview of hand rankings and basics for playing no-limit Texas hold’em. End notes, a short bibliography, and an index is supplied. Highly recommended including for poker aficianados, general philosophy students, and gaming professions including table games managers of all types. -- Reviewed for publication in Choice Magazine.… (more)