During 2024, some great poker books were published, and one of them was “A New Queen’s Guide to Poker” by Sara O’Connor. It is aimed at amateur and intermediate players of cash games and live poker tournaments. The book contains very interesting interviews with casino workers, dealers and professional players.
Sara is 37 years old and an artist who started playing $1/$2 cash games in 2023 and eventually moved up to $2/$5 games where she feels comfortable today. She prefers to play cash games for the freedom, flexibility, and return on investment. But she played some tournaments, finishing fifth in a Ladies tournament and second in a $250 tournament at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, winning about $1,400. We got in touch with Sara to get more details about her book, the process of writing it, her experience as a woman in poker and her projects and goals for 2025. After the interview you can read a brief review of the book.
Interview with Sara O’Connor
How did the idea of writing the book come about?
I’ve always wanted to write a book, but always imagined it would be fiction. I had been frustrated with an online course I was taking – they were talking just above my comprehension, using jargon I didn’t understand. I felt stupid for not just “getting it”, because I’m a smart cookie. It was then I realized that there needed to be a bridge between a total beginner course and one of these more expert online courses. That’s what “A New Queen’s Guide to Poker” sets out to be.
What type of players is it aimed at?
The types of players this book is aimed at is predominantly beginners and intermediate players who know the value of studying and want to get better. This book is especially useful to players who don’t yet enter the casino or cardroom with confidence. Veterans might find the interviews from professional players to be insightful and helpful, though!
Tell us about the writing process and how long it took you to finish it. What were your favorite parts?
In the beginning of January 2024, I started writing an outline for A New Queen’s Guide to Poker in my phone’s notebook app and honestly didn’t switch over to working on my computer until about 3/4 of it had been written. It just flowed from me! By October, a short 10 months later, the book was published and in buyers’ hands.
My favorite parts are the interactive quizzes, the song lyrics to kick off sections and set the tone, my explanation of the different kinds of characters you’ll play against, and interviewing amazing professional players for their insights on how to help newer players excel.
In one part of the book you talk about your experience as a woman at the tables. Do you think there might be more women playing poker in the future? What would you tell them to encourage them to play?
I think there definitely will be more women in the future playing. There are great women-focused poker groups that are popping up now that I’m a part of, such as Pocket Queens and Women’s Poker Association. Things like my book and these groups will only help to grow the game. It’s an exciting time.
To get them to come join in the fun I’d tell them poker isn’t just a boy’s club anymore. There are stellar women players you can look to, follow online, and sometimes meet and play against! The cool thing about poker is you can play against the professionals as long as you’ve got the buy-in and moxie. It’s something worth trying and a lot of fun once you get a taste.
At the end of the book you talk to a lot of professional players who give you valuable advice. Was it difficult to get in touch with everyone? Were you surprised by the good disposition of most of them?
It was actually quite easy! Getting over some nervousness about approaching them about my book idea was the hardest part, because almost universally people who wanted to help jumped in gladly to assist while others who were too busy or disinterested simply didn’t respond. No one was rude. I wasn’t surprised by how good people’s dispositions are, because poker is a social game at it’s root. However, I was overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers who excel at our craft in speaking with me and being willing to be a part of my book adventure.
What reasons would you give our readers to read your book?
Great question! I’ll use the feedback on Amazon from some of my reviewers to answer this one!
“Sara takes readers on a journey that’s equal parts strategic and empowering, breaking down the game so clearly that even poker newbies can dive in with confidence. Her warm, conversational style feels like learning from a big sister who just happens to be a poker shark, and her wit keeps you turning pages with a smile”.
“Beyond the basics, Sara dives deep into the mindsets that make a winning player. It’s all here, from bluffing with confidence to reading opponents like a pro, and all in a tone that’s encouraging rather than intimidating. Love the interactive quizzes.”
“Sara has created a book that’s not just about poker, but about lifting each reader up, reminding them that poker is not just for the pros—it’s for anyone with a hunger to learn and a little competitive spirit. A must-read for any aspiring poker queen!”
“I’ve read a lot of ‘how to’ books in my 68 years. This is by far the best I’ve even seen. Sara has a knack for taking something from the beginning and making it totally interesting even if you’re not really reading something you didn’t already know.”
“She has tied beginning poker rules and how to play to win and a no nonsense style in an easy to read and entertaining read at that. I can take what I’ve learned right to the tables and apply it. And I plan on doing that very soon.”
“I watch a lot of YouTube videos that do a pretty good job of explaining play. But they never ever start you at the beginning as Sara has, and they assume you know more than you do. Sara does not do that. I gotta say even those videos make more sense now after reading Sara’s book.”
What do you think are the advantages of playing cash games instead of tournaments?
As I discuss in my book, cash games and tournaments are very different. Some players only play cash, some players only play tournaments, and some players play a mix of both. Probably about 90% of the time I’m playing, I’m playing cash games.
The advantages include but are not limited to being able to seat change, being able to table change, the ability to leave the table whenever you want to go on a short or long break, and having (I believe) a greater chance of walking home with money in hand if you know what you’re doing. Variance is feistier with tournaments. I just love the freedom and flexibility of cash games so freaking much!
What goals do you have as a player for 2025?
I have a few goals for 2025:
- I want to make five figures playing this game or at least be in profitville
- I will be donating a portion of the money I win in high hands to a charity for an initiative I’m calling #HighHandsForHope, which anyone can also join
- I want to try a handful of live tournaments
- I want to teach a beginner poker course
- I want to sell more copies of “A New Queen’s Guide” and publish my two others books
Would you like to write a new book in the future?
Yes, and in fact I’ve got two more almost done! One is called “Shuffle Up and Deal With It”. I interviewed dealers from across the globe for their stories on the felt and turned those interviews into incredible stories that anyone in the poker world is sure to enjoy. Additionally, I’m publishing the full interview of professional players in a book called “Behind the Blinds: Interviewing Poker Professionals”. I expect both to be published in 2025.
Poker Book Review: A New Queen’s Guide to Poker
The book contains 5 main parts. In the first part, the author introduces herself, talks about her experience in her first year as a player and describes the objective of the book. In the second part, the rules, positions and types of games are explained. In part 3, the different bets and bluffs are described with advice on when to make them. In part 4, the casino workers are shown with interviews with dealers and tournament directors. The different types of players at the tables are also shown. And in the fifth and last part, the author talks about the bankroll, her experience as a woman, the mental game and closes the book with interviews with well-known professional players, men and women.
It is important to clarify that this is a book for beginner players of low stakes cash games and live tournaments. It is ideal for someone who has never played in a casino, since after reading it they will be very well prepared. It can also be of great help to a woman who wants to play for the first time, since the author tells of her experience and will make them more confident when playing. It can also be useful for $1/$2 and $1/$3 players who have never read a book and want to improve their game.
The book has several positive aspects and one of them is that it never gets boring. Each chapter begins with a song related to the topic and ends with a great playlist that can be listened to before or during the games. Another point worth highlighting is the interviews. Being able to read the words of a dealer and a director of a Poker Room helps a lot to get into the world of poker and also to have empathy with them, especially the dealers who often do not receive the good treatment they deserve.
The final part of the book is the icing on the cake and closes in the best way with advice from professional players such as Chris Moneymaker, Jonathan Little, Andrew Lichtenberger, Maria Ho, Andrew Brokos, Dara O’Kearney, Alex Fitzgerald, Caitlin Comeskey, Alec Torelli, Andrew Neeme, Jeff Platt, Brad Owen, Kathy Liebert, Matt Berkey and many more. It is a real treat to read what they think about common mistakes, cash and tournament tips, tells, disputes and table etiquette, crucial skills, losing streaks, taxes, bankroll and women in poker, among other topics.
Book Information: By The Numbers
- Title: “A New Queen’s Guide to Poker: The Art of Playing Cash Games Like a Pro for Beginning and Intermediate Players”
- Author: Sara O’Connor
- Year of Publication: 2024
- Pages: 352
- Amazon Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
- Prices: $14,99 Paperback / $9,99 Kindle
- Where to buy it? Amazon
- You can read an excerpt of the book here
Those who read the book, don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon, as it is a great help to the author.
About The Author
