Poker is America?s national card game, and its popularitycontinues to grow. Nationwide, you can find a game in progresseverywhere. If you want to play, you can find poker games onreplicas of 19th century riverboats or on Native American triballands. You can play poker at home with the family or online withopponents from around the world. Like bowling and billiards beforeit, poker has moved out from under the seedier side of its rootsand is flowering in the sunshine. Maybe you?ve never played poker before and you don?teven know what a full house is. Poker For Dummies covers thebasics. Or perhaps you've played for years, but you justdon?t know how to win. This handy guide will help you walkaway from the poker table with winnings, not lint, in your pockets.If you?re a poker expert, you still canbenefit ? some of the suggestions may surprise you,and you can certainly learn from the anecdotes from professionalplayers like T.J. Cloutier and Stu Unger. Know what it takes to start winning hand after hand by exploringstrategy; getting to know antes and betting structure; knowing youropponents, and understanding the odds. Poker For Dummiesalso covers the following topics and more: Poker games such as Seven-Card Stud, Omaha, and TexasHold'em Setting up a game at home Playing in a casino: Do's and don'ts Improving your play with Internet and video poker Deciphering poker sayings and slang Ten ways to read your opponent's body language Playing in poker tournaments Money management and recordkeeping Knowing when and how to bluff Poker looks like such a simple game. Anyone, it seems, can playit well ? but that's far from the truth. Learningthe rules can be quick work, but becoming a winning player takesconsiderably longer. Still, anyone willing to make the effort canbecome a good player. You can succeed in poker the way you succeedin life: by facing it squarely, getting up earlier than the nextperson, and working harder and smarter than the competition. Foreword by Chris Moneymaker, 2003 World Series of PokerChampion.