If you were hoping Daniel Negreanu’s new book would reveal the secrets to his distinctive poker magic, then you might be a tad disappointed.

Otherwise, “Hold’em Wisdom For All Players” is a serviceable and useful effort from Kid Poker, whose all-world tournament results and good-guy table persona have made him one of today’s most popular players among poker fans.

However, the book might be more accurately titled “Hold’em Wisdom For Beginning Players.” A lot of the information was surprisingly elementary, but it stands to reason that the affable Canadian had a logical basis for taking this approach.

And that is, it’s probably near impossible to teach you how he plays. That’s because he has an innate gift for reading people, knowing where he stands in a hand and an extraordinary ability to keep his poise no matter the circumstances and stakes. These skills solidify his stronghold as probably one of the world’s top half dozen players and leave fans, and other tops pros for that matter, wondering … just how does he do it?

For instance, if you call a raise with 10-9 suited from the big blind and the flop comes Q-9-2, how do you know if your 9s are any good? Better yet, how does HE know they’re good? To this and similar questions, “Hold’em Wisdom For All Players” does not provide answers. That’s because the situations are complex and subjective – the opponent, position, etc. -- and there is no absolute answer to specific situations that arise.

In other words, Negreanu does not try to teach everything he knows because his is a greatness that can’t be taught in a textbook. To his credit, he emphasizes fundamentals and avoiding difficult situations, which probably does his readership a greater service than trying to turn them into the next Daniel Negreanu.

The back-to-basics approach serves as fine guide for beginners and good refresher for intermediate players. He encourages players to approach the game in three simple levels: focus first on what they have and what they need to make their hand; then try to put their opponents on a hand and, last, assessing what their opponents think they are holding. The chapter is three pages long, and its simplicity speaks to the book’s comfortable, grass-roots appeal.

His list of Top 10 rookie mistakes is right on, and the quick chapters cover myriad topics in a succinct style that provide valuable nuggets of information. One of the best is his section on bluffs, and how some ill-advised attempts by amateurs are so easy to read and should be avoided.

In a bit of a pleasant surprise, he dedicates a chapter to setting up a home game and gives some of the most beneficial information on the topic that this reader has ever seen in a poker book. From size of the stakes to setting up prize distribution, Negreanu’s advice is bound to make your home game a better one if it’s something you do on a regular basis, or a solid foundation to work from if you’ve thought of hosting one but haven’t started. It’s one of the book’s most valuable chapters.

In a lot of ways, “Hold’em Wisdom For All Players” mirrors Negreanu’s preferred method of playing poker. He likes to keep the pots small and keep chopping away. The book offers a lot of small pots worth of information and, over the long haul, there are enough of them that you’re left with a pretty big stack at the end.

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