Poker Essays II by Mason Malmuth. Success at poker does not come easy. However, poker can be extremely rewarding since it will allow you a degree of freedom that virtually no other profession can offer. Yet, very few people ever achieve this level of competence even though many try. The reason for this is that very few players are able to master all the skills that a top poker professional needs. Some are unwilling to make the effort--"these players usually come to gamble"--and others who try are not quite able to grasp the depth of sophistication that is required. This text contains those essays that this author wrote from 1991 through early 1996. Topics covered include: General Concepts, Technical Ideas, Structure, Strategic Ideas, In the Cardrooms, Quizzes, Erroneous Concepts, and Something Silly. In addition, advice is offered on handling rushes, moving up, poker skills, simulations, maximizing your expectation, betting when first to act on the river, whether limit hold'em should have two or three betting levels, playing the overs, adjusting to the big ante, how to play well, low-limit hold'em, how many hands you should play early in a tournament, chopping the blinds, cardroom theory, and much more. As with the original Poker Essays, this book is designed to make the reader do a great deal of thinking about the game. In fact, very few readers will agree with everything this text offers, but the information provides should help most people become better poker players.