Poker Book Review: ‘Pass the Sugar’ by Joe Hachem and Peter Ralph

mélange (n) -- a mixture or medley; hodgepodge

Pass the Sugar, the auto-biography of 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Joe Hachem, co-authored by Peter Ralph, is an entertaining but unpolished recounting of the life and times of the Lebanese-born Australian whose unexpected surge to the 2005 WSOP title set a sports-mad country on its ear. The book, of course, is titled after the catchphrase that Hachem used for years and made famous in his run to victory, where his “mates” cheered every big pot he claimed with elated cries of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!”

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mfrumar Beginner Posts: 0 Joined: Add as Friend Send Message	Spam Quote Reply Posted: 2009-07-10 07:00 d
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mfrumar Beginner Posts: 0 Joined: Add as Friend Send Message	Spam Quote Reply Posted: 2009-07-10 07:01 The worst poker book i have ever read, and it's not even close. Very few entertaining stories that mostly sound made up, alongside basic strategy that you would find in the first poker book you ever read. A real disappointment. Also look out for the shameless pokerstars plugs. And I must say that I like Joe Hachem.
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pokerking2015 Beginner Posts: 0 Joined: Add as Friend Send Message	Spam Quote Reply Posted: 2009-07-13 08:59 *** FIVE STARS BABY *** This book is highly unusual for a poker book in that there's no sex, drugs, crime or violence in it but it does prove good guys can sometimes come first. There is not much in the way of strategy either but as an autobiography I didn't expect it would. I found it unusual, entertaining and enjoyable. By the way Haley, the biggest hand at the final table was when Hachem got lucky and caught a queen on the flop against Aaron Kanter and not a king as you said in your critique.
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Mazza Beginner Posts: 0 Joined: Add as Friend Send Message	Spam Quote Reply Posted: 2009-07-15 23:36 The book isn't an instructional poker guide but it does provide you with a look at the former world champ's thought processes when playing some very big hands. I liked the story and thought that Joe's desire to win another big tournament which he did at the Five Diamond was perfectly natural and understandable and how this equated to having a chip on his shoulder is beyond me. Perhaps he could have revealed more about his inner self but frankly I'm sick of those all too revealing "I was hard done by" sob stories and you won't find any of that in this book....he seems genuinely grateful for everything that's come his way, be it a pair of jeans as a kid or the $7.5m he scooped up in 2005.
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MightyTigers Beginner Posts: 0 Joined: Add as Friend Send Message	Spam Quote Reply Posted: 2009-07-18 00:38 Finally a poker book that isn't that same old formulaic nonsense and actually has something I can use! I really enjoyed this reading Joe's book. I feel as though i got to know him as a person and what makes him tick and also what it takes to win the big one and make a buck consistently. Best part of the book is that the strategy aspects are different to what you get from other books. I know when to hold em and when to fold em and thankfully this sort of thing is avoided! It's a different kind of strategy book, he shows you how to win a tournament by example, which is why I want to read these kinds of books in the first place!!!!!!!!!! Thanks Joe.
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pocketaces101 Beginner Posts: 0 Joined: Add as Friend Send Message	Spam Quote Reply Posted: 2009-07-24 02:57 I haven't read the book but the review seems to be more about the reviewer than the content....melamge, media res and jung...for crissake it's a book about poker not something weitten by Shakespeare. And I love the first comment where the book's shitcanned and the guy finishes off saying he likes Joe. Why people add lame arsed comments like this in after canning someone is beyond me. The only helpful comment is the one that says there's no sex, drugs, crime or violence......that was enough to turn me off and I sure won't be buying. Check Raising the Devil by Mike Matusow is the stuff I want to read about. Great book!!!!
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mfrumar Beginner Posts: 0 Joined: Add as Friend Send Message	Spam Quote Reply Posted: 2009-07-30 06:22 'And I love the first comment where the book's shitcanned and the guy finishes off saying he likes Joe.' I made this point to accentuate what I thought about the book.It shows that i'd likely be biased towards praising it. I'll be sure to spell it out for the intellectuals such as yourself from now on
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