There are a thousand books about poker. Almost all teach the dry theory of the game. Whether the game is stud, draw, hold ‘em or crazy pineapple, these books focus almost exclusively on the odds and strategy, the universe that exists within the four corners of the table. They focus on esoteric knowledge that only a few will ever practically apply, and they teach us little about human nature or ourselves.
But there is one book that is absolutely different. Poker: A Guaranteed Income for Life (by using the Advanced Concepts of Poker) by Frank R. Wallace (which is actually the pen name for Dr. Wallace Ward) is the very best book on the game that I have ever read, and possibly the best that will ever be written. Mr. Wallace (I am going to refer to him as such here) was not only a master of psycho-poker strategy, but a publisher, mail order magnate, infamous federal tax evader, successful Supreme Court litigant and founder of Neo-Tech philosophy. While I am only superficially familiar with Mr. Wallace’s many other achievements, this book is one I have studied carefully and regard as one of the great anti-addict treatises of all time.
The book teaches you almost nothing about poker. It assumes the reader already has a reasonably strong grasp of the game. Instead, the text focuses on the theory behind the table, the infinite intricacies of human nature that create the winning or losing player, and the way in which the individual can shape his or her own nature and manipulate others so that he or she can create a winning environment. It is much more than a book about a game. It is a book about human weakness and vice, and how to exploit these character flaws to your own advantage.
“Luck is a mystical illusion that does not exist in reality,” the author writes in a footnote on page 2. This is the essential basis for the whole book, which is broken down into chapters such as, “Tailor Made Game,” “Behavior,” “Cheaters,” and “Exploitation” to name but a few.
The thing that sets this book apart and makes it entertaining is the fact that each section is broken down into two parts. First, the author discusses the particular theory he is espousing. Then, through creative fiction, he illustrates these theories. Wallace creates a game filled with characters that represent several player types. “John Finn” is the guy applying the author’s theories, and therefore the big winner and manipulator of the game. “Quintin Merck” is the solid but too tight player who can be easily offended. “Scotty Nichols” is the guy with the inferiority complex. “Sid Bennett” is a card cheat. “Ted Fehr” is the compulsive gambler.
There are so many humorous and insightful passages contained in this book it is hard to choose just one to illustrate the overall astuteness of the work. But the following passage is, I believe, one of the best:
Professor Merck subconsciously suspects Sid of cheating. One night, Sid cheats him out of a $700 pot. After sitting in silence for several hands, Quintin suddenly leaves without a word and slams the front door…Knowing that Quintin detected Sid’s cheating and fearful that he might tell others, John pursues him out the door. Quintin stops under the streetlamp when he sees John approaching. For a moment, neither say a word.
“You saw it too?” Quintin asks with squinting green eyes.
“I see it every game.”
“Why haven’t you said something?” Quintin half shouts. “He should’ve been bounced from the game.”
“Who’s the biggest loser in the game?” John snaps. “It’s Sid. And you’re a big winner. In the past couple years, you’ve taken Sid for thousands of dollars. Sure he’s cheated you, me and everyone else out of pots. What if we’d thrown him out two years ago? We’d have done him a forty thousand dollar favor.”
Quintin’s mouth opens; he scratches his moustache.
“Sid’s a cheater and deserves to be punished,” John continues. “The best way to punish him is to let him play. We only hurt ourselves by bouncing him out of the game.”
Obviously, this passage reflects a cynicism and callous opportunism that many people may find offensive. And don’t get me wrong: I’m not suggesting that I’ve directly applied the principals of this book to my game or life. I’m no John Finn. If anyone, I’m a Ted Fehr, who is the worst player, a junkie. However, this work is extremely valuable on a number of different plains. By reading it, you could learn how to create, manipulate and take advantage of people at the poker table, and thereby make yourself a better player. Or you could expand this book into the greater lesson the author is really trying to teach you and practice manipulation, moral relativism and opportunism in the greater game of life. Finally – and this is the lesson I take from this great work and the lesson I hope you will also take from it – you can learn in a very unique way how cynicism, callousness, opportunism, deception, manipulation and greed form the basis for almost every interaction you engage in while you move about in the world. If you are an addict, even a functioning one, you are more susceptible to these pitfalls than most. Reading this book may help you avoid one or two of them in the future. And it can help you to know yourself more honestly and completely.
But there is one book that is absolutely different. Poker: A Guaranteed Income for Life (by using the Advanced Concepts of Poker) by Frank R. Wallace (which is actually the pen name for Dr. Wallace Ward) is the very best book on the game that I have ever read, and possibly the best that will ever be written. Mr. Wallace (I am going to refer to him as such here) was not only a master of psycho-poker strategy, but a publisher, mail order magnate, infamous federal tax evader, successful Supreme Court litigant and founder of Neo-Tech philosophy. While I am only superficially familiar with Mr. Wallace’s many other achievements, this book is one I have studied carefully and regard as one of the great anti-addict treatises of all time.
The book teaches you almost nothing about poker. It assumes the reader already has a reasonably strong grasp of the game. Instead, the text focuses on the theory behind the table, the infinite intricacies of human nature that create the winning or losing player, and the way in which the individual can shape his or her own nature and manipulate others so that he or she can create a winning environment. It is much more than a book about a game. It is a book about human weakness and vice, and how to exploit these character flaws to your own advantage.
“Luck is a mystical illusion that does not exist in reality,” the author writes in a footnote on page 2. This is the essential basis for the whole book, which is broken down into chapters such as, “Tailor Made Game,” “Behavior,” “Cheaters,” and “Exploitation” to name but a few.
The thing that sets this book apart and makes it entertaining is the fact that each section is broken down into two parts. First, the author discusses the particular theory he is espousing. Then, through creative fiction, he illustrates these theories. Wallace creates a game filled with characters that represent several player types. “John Finn” is the guy applying the author’s theories, and therefore the big winner and manipulator of the game. “Quintin Merck” is the solid but too tight player who can be easily offended. “Scotty Nichols” is the guy with the inferiority complex. “Sid Bennett” is a card cheat. “Ted Fehr” is the compulsive gambler.
There are so many humorous and insightful passages contained in this book it is hard to choose just one to illustrate the overall astuteness of the work. But the following passage is, I believe, one of the best:
Professor Merck subconsciously suspects Sid of cheating. One night, Sid cheats him out of a $700 pot. After sitting in silence for several hands, Quintin suddenly leaves without a word and slams the front door…Knowing that Quintin detected Sid’s cheating and fearful that he might tell others, John pursues him out the door. Quintin stops under the streetlamp when he sees John approaching. For a moment, neither say a word.
“You saw it too?” Quintin asks with squinting green eyes.
“I see it every game.”
“Why haven’t you said something?” Quintin half shouts. “He should’ve been bounced from the game.”
“Who’s the biggest loser in the game?” John snaps. “It’s Sid. And you’re a big winner. In the past couple years, you’ve taken Sid for thousands of dollars. Sure he’s cheated you, me and everyone else out of pots. What if we’d thrown him out two years ago? We’d have done him a forty thousand dollar favor.”
Quintin’s mouth opens; he scratches his moustache.
“Sid’s a cheater and deserves to be punished,” John continues. “The best way to punish him is to let him play. We only hurt ourselves by bouncing him out of the game.”
Obviously, this passage reflects a cynicism and callous opportunism that many people may find offensive. And don’t get me wrong: I’m not suggesting that I’ve directly applied the principals of this book to my game or life. I’m no John Finn. If anyone, I’m a Ted Fehr, who is the worst player, a junkie. However, this work is extremely valuable on a number of different plains. By reading it, you could learn how to create, manipulate and take advantage of people at the poker table, and thereby make yourself a better player. Or you could expand this book into the greater lesson the author is really trying to teach you and practice manipulation, moral relativism and opportunism in the greater game of life. Finally – and this is the lesson I take from this great work and the lesson I hope you will also take from it – you can learn in a very unique way how cynicism, callousness, opportunism, deception, manipulation and greed form the basis for almost every interaction you engage in while you move about in the world. If you are an addict, even a functioning one, you are more susceptible to these pitfalls than most. Reading this book may help you avoid one or two of them in the future. And it can help you to know yourself more honestly and completely.
Upon rereading this post I’d like to clarify something I wrote. I stated that by reading the book, “you can learn in a very unique way how cynicism, callousness, opportunism, deception, manipulation and greed form the basis for almost every interaction you engage in while you move about in the world.” Perhaps this is an overstatement of my belief. I think there’s a lot of love out there if you look for it. True friends do exist – people who legitimately want only your companionship and fellowship. Family, when it works, is an environment of love and caring. However, there is so much negativity, avarice, distrust and exploitation in the world, it is eminently important to guard against it.
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