Poker and Philosophy: Pocket Rockets and Philosopher Kings

by Eric Bronson

Book Overview

Does God play cards with the universe? Do women have better poker faces than men? What's the most existential poker movie ever made? Is life more meaningful when you go all-in? Is online poker really... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812695941
• ISBN13: 9780812695946
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Open Court
• Length: 222 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.7" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

For philosophers and poker enthusiasts alike

POKER AND PHILOSOPHY: POCKET ROCKETS AND PHILOSOPHER KINGS is for philosophers and poker enthusiasts alike, linking the moves and strategies of the game to ideas of prediction, civil order, calculated wins, and more. Chapters based on different poker moves allow for a more detailed, applied approach to the rules of philosophy and will intrigue any with an interest in either topic. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

Poker and Philosophy: What?

I'm a poker player and a former undergraduate philosophy major who always wanted to see if Wittgenstein could knock out Hegel in a five round grudge match. This book is heavier on the philosophy than it is on the poker. If you're looking for insights into playing poker, don't waste your time. Go get any of Brunson's or Cloutier's books and master them. But if you want to laugh and learn a little about philosophy in terms of poker, then read this book.

The Gist of the Game

My father plays poker; my son plays poker; and I just didn't get it. Well, now I do. Texas Hold'em as Bronson explains it is pretty intriguing - dare I say- compelling. It's fun to read about the tug of instinct and reason, the play between probability and luck, or the confrontation of what is known and what is assumed. Bronson forces us to pay attention to the national phenomena of poker night. The essays let us know how our adolescent sons and daughters prove their connection with the group yet exert their independence; how coeds swig the beer and demonstrate mental acuity simultaneously; or how backroom experts play with skill and win by instinct. With lots of anecdotal references, these essays are as entertaining as they are insightful. Bronson's compilation of essays gives clues, theory, and the itch to play. What fun.

A Surprisingly Good Read

I picked this book up because I so much enjoyed the author's previous book "Baseball and Philosophy." I did not expect much here because I really did not expect that poker would have the same interesting associations with philosophy that baseball clearly has. Boy, was I wrong. The author has done it again! Another great book. Lying, bluffing, Machiavelli, irrationality and Aristotle. They all have something in common, and the fun is in the reading. Bravo to the philosophers. They dealt a royal flush here.