Dan Kimberg's Serious Poker (318 pages, paperbound, $12.95) and Bob Riley's Gambling Expertise Through Basic Probability (92 pages, paperbound, $19.95) cover two different areas, with the same intent-to improve the player's game, to make him think, to help him understand what the best mode of play is, and perhaps earn the reader some money.

Kimberg, who holds a doctorate degree in cognitive psychology from Carnegie Mellon University, has been playing poker six years. Here, he takes the beginner from the small, limit game to the higher stakes games-where the money is serious.

He's divided the book into six sections. In order, he carries the nervous beginner through the game's fundamentals, rules and cardroom etiquette to the start of actual play. He follows with a basic strategy of two of the most popular games, hold'em and seven stud, explaining the terms, rules, options, strategies. Next he moves to discussions on expectations, variance; money management and record keeping. This is followed with material explaining the inner workings of poker tournaments with emphasis on how to avoid being cheated. A section on "Technical Stuff" readies the player to better understand poker probabilities; bankroll calculations; computers and poker; followed by a 65-page poker glossary of terminology.

Kimberg keeps the reader thinking-constantly questioning moves, the impact of luck, playing good starting hands, selecting the right tables, and knowing when to quit. He's quite flexible and open in his goal of getting players ready to belly up to the table for a game--which appeals to everyone in America it seems. They just have to know what to do when they get there. Kimberg's approach is to incorporate his own ideas with those of established experts (often making reference to other resources), while alerting the reader to potential good points and bad habits worth understanding about your own play.