Burnham takes a different approach than most people do when they learn how to play poker. Instead of telling you what to do, he tells you what not to do and why it's important that you avoid doing these things idn poker. The biggest mistake that novice players make is that they don't have a clear picture of how their game is likely to play out, and they are tempted to play in ways that are likely to lose them more money than it is worth. Burnham has this in mind when he teaches you how not to make these mistakes.