THE COMPLETE BOOK OF HOLD'EM POKER ( 313 pages, paperbound , $14.95), written by Gary Carson, has been in the works and anticipated by players for some time.

Carson, a veteran player since the mid-1980s, knows the game well and has been careful to cover it for both beginners and somewhat experience player. The latter, always interested in alternate theories regarding minimum opening or calling hands in a variety of situations for example, should find the information here quite useful. The book in fact is divided into two sections with the first 86 pages devoted to informing novices of the game's fundamentals (the first betting round; the flop; the last two cards); then moving to more advanced concepts.

The advanced material looks at picking the right table; picking a seat; poker theories; betting theory; a theory of the starting hand value; and the dynamics of game conditions. Carson later presents advice on table image; player stereotypes (aggressive or passive; loose-tight); kill games; and short-handed games. He devotes six-pages to tournament play and concludes with a comparison between no limit and pot-limit poker, a small section on charting and a small discussion on playing as professional.