Editorial Reviews:
Book Description
The original Super System, written and edited by Doyle Brunson, the acknowledged "Babe Ruth of Poker," is hailed by all players as the single most influential book ever written about the game of poker. Now, Super System II, pushes the envelope further, expanding on the original with new games, new strategies, and new experts. This is a brand new book-not an update. The who's who all-star studded lineup for SSII includes Chip Reese, who Doyle recognizes as one of the top three players in the world, if not the best; Johnny Chan, two-time WSOP champion and tied with Doyle for the most world series bracelets with 9, Doyle Brunson himself, two-time WSOP champion and the greatest poker player of all time, Lyle Berman, founder of the World Poker Tour, the world's best Omaha player, and owner of three WSOP gold bracelets; Bobby Baldwin, former WSOP champion and CEO of the Bellagio; Mike Caro, the greatest poker theorist and best-selling author; Jennifer Harmon, the best woman player in the history of poker and one of the top 10 overall; Todd Brunson, winner of more than 20 tournaments and the future successor to Doyle's throne; as well as Danny Niegro, and Barry Greenstein,. Super System II covers the essential strategies and advanced play on the most popular games played today-No limit Hold 'em, Limit Hold 'em, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud 8 or Better, 7 Card Stud High-Low Split, No Limit Omaha, Omaha 8 or Better, Limit Lowball Draw, High Draw Poker, Chinese Poker, Triple Draw Lowball-as well as important sections on professional poker play and poker psychology |
Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
 Too Many Notes, Jul 31, 2023
In spite of the obvious expertise, charm and charisma of Doyle Brunson, this second book is a disappointment. While it does contain some good information, there is little new, original or worthwhile that wasn't covered in the original "Super System" or covered better in some other book. This book is little more than a re-hash. Most poker buffs will probably buy it anyway, just to complete the set.
The other reviewers who complain that this book it too long make a valid point. It does more than just ramble. It is stuffed with unnecessary filling like the various contributors droning on and on praising each other. It rehashes the material from Super System I to such an extent that a lot of the worthwhile information that it does contain tends to get lost in the unnecessary verbiage.
To those who might think that the sheer bulk of this book (624 pages) might be necessary because of the complexity of poker, I would like to point out that "How to Gamble at the Casinos Without Getting Plucked Like a Chicken" does an admirable job of dealing with the entire subject of casino gambling in a little over 200 pages. Sticking to the facts and telling the truth usually doesn't require a mountain of paper.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
 The great and the not so great, Jul 28, 2023
I think it's a book that belongs on any serious poker player's bookshelf, but it shouldn't be one of your first books.
Let's start with what your expectations should be of the book, because the title is misleading. This isn't a coherent, unified system of approaching poker. Instead, it's a collection of essays from an all-star cast of contributing authors on a wide range of poker games. I think that's a fine thing, and I appreciate the different approaches and insights, but the title could lead you to expect something very different.
I think it's fair to say that I took away a profitable nugget from most every chapter. I play predominantly limit hold 'em, and Jennifer Harman's chapter on the game is fantastic. While most books I've read spend the bulk of their time on pre-flop hand selection (understandable), Harman does a great job of discussing how to approach common flop & turn scenarios. I ended up recouping the cost of the book the day I purchased it by following some of her advice on how I approach catching middle or low pair on the flop.
Downsides to the book:
Personally, I could live without the long waxing on Doyle's life history. Don't get me wrong, I'd happily buy a well written biography of Doyle's life, but I bought this for poker theory and strategy. (And Doyle shouldn't be the one to write the biography... he may be a brilliant poker player, but his writing is so so.)
Another reviewer mentioned this, but it deserves repeating: the plugs for Doyle's online poker site are annoying at best.
In the end I think this is a great follow-up book to any of the great fundamental books on the game.
fyi, by fundamental books on the game I mean...
For general poker theory: Sklansky and Malmuth
For hold 'em limit discussion: Lou Kreiger or Ed Miller
For no limit: Dan Harrington
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Strategies from a true legend, with a few flaws, Jul 13, 2023
Written by one of the true goliath's in poker history, I eagerly bought this book, excited by the fact that Doyle had enlisted the aid of a dozen other top poker authorities to each tackle a separate chapter, each discussing different poker games. The book, in my opinion, could have used a good editor, as it reads in an extraordinarily disjointed manner - I suppose that's inevitable when every chapter is written by a different author, but developing a consistent voice is one of the tasks of a good proof-reader or editor. That being said, I found the different writing styles somewhat refreshing, especially since the book covers so many different games, resulting in the stylistic differences not being nearly as noticeable as they otherwise would have been. I particularly liked the sections on limit hold'em and omaha, which are typically my two games of choice. I was somewhat disappointed with the NL hold'em section - I know that's Doyle's bread and butter, but I was at least hoping that he would have updated some of his material since Super System I - alas, I found many of the chapters had been lifted verbatim from that text, which incidentally isn't regarded all that highly by many of today's poker authors. Surely he has learned some new tips and tricks in the last 20 years that he could pass on to the reader, hasn't he??One thing I could have done without are the endless (and shameless) plugs Doyle makes for his own online website. I know we've all probably done some self-serving promotions in our time, but I thought Doyle's talk as though his website was the king of all online poker sites was sorely, sorely misguided - anyone who plays online will tell you that Doyle's site is no more than a bit player that nips at the heels of the larger sites such as Party, Empire, Stars, Ultimate Bet, and the like. Presenting it as the be all and end all of online poker I thought was quite misleading, although readers are naturally advised to draw their own conclusions. Regardless of what site you choose as your online home, you can find sign-up bonus codes floating around the internet that will make your sign-up far more worthwhile. Some reviewer here pointed out that pokercroaker.com kept theirs updated fairly frequently. Regardless, I have no reservations in recommending this book to anyone looking to improve their game, if for no other reason than Doyle is one of the living legends, and it gives fascinating insight into his poker game. That being said, I much preferred the chapters written by other authors, especially Harman and Negraneau.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
Gotta Get It , Jun 3, 2023
As the new generation of poker superstars are coming through the ranks, DB has released the new version of the original Super System. After reading some sections of the book, I can already see it as a nice reference for some time. Think of it as a legendary poker champion pulling you aside and telling you how to make it. Add the fact that Mike caro is practically giving away information for the price of this book and Jennifer Harmon doing a complete section on limit, very nice. I am no expert on Omaha or Stud, but I plan to reveiw those sections.
A lot of criticism has been placed on the messiness of the book. Consider that deadlines were pushed back due to the hectic tournament and business schedules of the pros that participated in this book. All of their chapters were just put together as they came in. I can overlook that and think of each section as a different mini-book. Some people criticized the waste of Daniel Negreanu on triple draw poker. First of all, Negreanu is awsome at explaining triple draw poker. But he will eventually write a Hold'em book of his own. Do you think he is going to give away hold'em tips in a Doyle Brunson book? The purpose of this book is to learn how Brunson kicked butt with his aggressive style. When Negreanu ever writes a book, the information will be a lot different. I would have like to see Brunson call on a lot more greats to contribute to sections, but this book is good and well worth the attention it has received. You may never see this many professionals combining their expertise into one book.
Hope this helped some of you. You know you have to get it and see for yourself. If you pick up one thing from it, you are going to play that much better at the tables.
2 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
 Great Book, Jun 1, 2023
this is One Big Book. It will take many hours to read, but when you are finished your game will thank you
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