Jeff Haney looks at why some poker books are sure-bet winners with players who want to improve

Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006 | 7:28 a.m.

There will always be a place for memoirs and writerly musings in the canon of poker literature.

Mostly, though, readers still just want to learn how to get the money.

Technical, detailed and fundamentally sound books that focus, laserlike, on a particular aspect of poker generate the greatest demand - and highest sales - in the genre, according to Howard Schwartz of the Gambler's Book Shop.

"People want to know how to make money, save money, or improve certain aspects of their game so they can make more money," said Schwartz, proprietor of the store at 630 S. 11th St. "Whether it's playing heads-up, or how to play no-limit, or bluffing, or the emotional parts of the game, people want to know how they can get an edge."

With no-limit Texas hold 'em taking over as the game of choice in public cardrooms in recent years, Schwartz has seen a powerful response among readers to "No Limit Hold 'em: Theory and Practice," since its June release.

Written by David Sklansky and Ed Miller and published by Henderson-based Two Plus Two, "No Limit Hold 'em" takes a theoretical approach to what's called "big bet" poker. It breaks down some complex poker concepts and makes them accessible to a general readership.

"This is one of the hottest-selling books we have had in the last five years," Schwartz said.

Schwartz also expects "Phil Gordon's Little Blue Book," another no-limit hold 'em treatise, to be a hit when it arrives later this year. In a follow-up to his well-received "Little Green Book," Gordon, a successful tournament pro, provides his analysis of individual hands in cash games and tournaments.

The appeal of online poker has grown along with the popularity of no-limit hold 'em, in a symbiotic relationship or an unholy alliance, depending on your point of view. The leading book on Internet poker, Schwartz said, is John Vorhaus' "Killer Poker Online 2," a sequel to his 2003 original.

Another new contender is "Online Ace" by Scott Fischman, a two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner who brags that he never read a book on poker before writing his own.

"A lot of young players say that. I don't know if they're trying to make themselves look brave, or if they see themselves as another Johnny Moss," Schwartz said, referring to the old-time, self-taught maverick.

As opposed to the enthusiasm that greeted those "how-to" manuals, reaction has been decidedly lukewarm to several books heavy on biographical elements, Schwartz said. "Play Poker Like Johnny Chan," for example, includes an account of Chan's ascent in the poker world but is marred by editing miscues such as misspelling Bob Stupak's name ("Stupack").

An exception is "Take Me to the River" by Peter Alson, a literary, smartly written first-person account of the author's experience at the 2005 World Series of Poker, which Schwartz recommends.

"The biographies are fine, but we may be reaching the saturation point with them," Schwartz said.

Schwartz, who is in the process of selling the store after 24 years as an employee and another three years as owner, said he has received four or five offers from potential buyers and hopes to have the transaction wrapped up by Super Bowl.

Schwartz said it's important for the new owners to retain the unique character of the store, a Las Vegas institution since 1964 .