More Praise from the Pros

1 More Praise from the pros Trust me, this book will open your eyes again and again. It s packed with so many good tactics that you ll read it more thanonce! Phil Hellmuth, Jr., 12-time World Champion of Poker and two-time WSOP Main Event Champion_____ A revolutionary approach to playing no-limit Texas hold em. If this book doesn t improve your game, you aren t payingattention. Doyle Brunson, 10-time World Champion of Poker and World Series of Poker Main Event Champion_____ Annie is one of the smartest people I know, and not too bad at poker either.

2 If you re still learning (and I know I am), you resure to profit from reading this book. Tom Durrrr Dwan, Internet high-stakes phenom and winner of the largest TV poker pot in history $ million_____ The brilliant mind of Annie Duke channeled through the magic voice of John Vorhaus how could Decide not rock? Vanessa Rousso, 2009 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship runner-up_____ You have to understand the game before you can kill it. Decide takes care of the first part. Bertrand ElkY Grospellier, co-auther of Kill ElkY and author of The Raiser s Edge, 2008 WPT Player of the Year Decide to PlayGreat Poker Other Books and DVDs by Annie Duke How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed, and WonMillions at the WSOP (with David Diamond)Masters of Poker DVDs by Annie Duke:Advanced Texas Hold em Secrets.

3 How to Beat the Big Boys (DVD)Beginner s Guide to Texas Hold em (DVD)Conquering Online Poker (DVD)Girl s Guide to Texas Hold em (DVD)Texas Hold em Supercourse (DVD) Other Books by John Vorhaus The Comic Toolbox: How to Be Funny Even If You re NotCreativity Rules: A Writer s WorkbookThe Pro Poker Playbook: 223 Ways to Win More Money Playing PokerKiller Poker: Strategy and Tactics for Winning Poker PlayKiller Poker Online: Crushing the Internet GameKiller Poker Hold em Handbook: A Workbook for WinnersPoker Night: Winning at Home, at the Casino and BeyondThe Strip Poker Kit: The Games Where You Get to See a Whole Lot More of Your FriendsKiller Poker Online, Vol.

4 2: Advanced Strategies for Crushing the Internet GameKiller Poker No Limit: A Winning Strategy for Cash Games and TournamentsKiller Poker Shorthanded (with Tony Guerrera)Under the Gun (novel)The California Roll (novel)The Albuquerque Turkey (novel) Decide to PlayGreat Poker A Strategy Guide toNo-Limit Texas Hold EmAnnie DukeandJohn Vorhaus HUNTINGTON PRESS LAS VEGAS, NEVADA Decide to Play Great PokerA Strategy Guide to No-Limit Texas Hold Em Published byHuntington Press3665 Procyon Vegas, NV 89103 Phone (702) 252-0655email: Copyright 2011, Annie Duke and John Vorhaus ISBN.

5 9781935396994 Library of Congress Control number: 2011922422$ Cover Design: Jon Hair, Laurie Cabot, Tanya MaynardChess Pieces: John Leaver, & Design: Laurie Cabot All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording,or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the copyright owner. Dedication This book is dedicated to my mother, Deedy Lederer, who was the smartest, quirkiest, and quickest intellect I have ever known.

6 Herpassion for games lives on in her children. Annie To my grandchildren, Evie and Liam. I can t wait to teach you what beats what. John Acknowledgments From Annie:It turns out that writing a book is really hard. Actually, it s not the writing of the book that s so difficult it s the finishing of the book. Especially abook of this nature that exposes one s intellect so nakedly. This book took me two years to finish. I have so many people to thank for kicking me inthe ass to get it done, because without them, I would have never found the courage to ship this and foremost, I have to thank my brother, Howard Lederer.

7 Without him, this book would never have been written, for it s my brother whoinstilled the love of poker in me and taught me to play the game. So much of what s contained in this book grew from the seeds sown in many longdeconstructions of poker sessions, back when I started playing in Billings, Montana. My brother spent seemingly endless hours on the phone withme listening to hand after hand I had played, giving me his input as to the lines of play I had chosen. It was through those sessions on the phone thatI learned this game and began my journey as a professional player and teacher.

8 Without him, I would never have become the player I am incredibly grateful for having worked with the most amazing co-author I could ever ask for, John Vorhaus, who lent such a readable and lighttouch to the dense theory contained herein. He created a breezy read of material that could have been a slog. More important, in the end hedelivered an ultimatum that finally got me to finish, and I truly believe that without him by my side, that would never have happened, which I surelywould have regretted for the rest of my life.

9 So thank you, John. You made me a better person in this process, and you certainly made my pokertheory eminently readable. I am so lucky to call you Curtis had nearly endless patience during the process while I worked through my own demons in finishing this book. Thank you for takingit on and, more important, for taking me on. Blair Rodman and Kevin Blackwood were both kind enough to read early versions of the manuscriptand lend their invaluable comments. They both made the book much better, and they lent their time just because they are passionate about writingand poker.

10 Thanks to my good friend Jon Hair for his tireless dedication and patience in creating my too-cool cover; he never ceases to amaze mewith his artistic flair. Glen Clarkson, my longtime manager, was a thorn in my side in the best possible way, nagging me constantly about finishingthis book. Everyone needs that guy in their life and I wouldn t want to ever trade Glen have to thank every poker student I have ever taught, both private students and the hundreds of people I ve lectured to in my poker seminars. Mystudents have forced me to a high standard of clarity of thought and expression about the game.