As I have watched my stats progress on officialpokerrankings.com, I have realized that I money between 40% and 50% of the time in every HORSE tournament I play. After a couple of months of observing this, it finally occured to me (genius that I am) that I ought to see if there are any larger HORSE tourneys available online (bigger buy-ins than the daily for $26...and hence, bigger pay outs.) I found that on Sundays Full Tilt runs a $200 buy-in HORSE. I have to admit...I was a little skittish. $26 to $200...that's a big jump. I decided to play two $10 satellites in the afternoon and see if I could win my way in. On the first one, I fell out rather early, but on the second I made it to 3rd place. The only problem? They only gave seats for the first 2 places. So I was stuck with a measley $24. I was so annoyed that I decided to enter the $200 event anyway.
Good thing I did. Even after my aces were cracked in Hold 'Em by A 4 off suit with two tables to go, I still ended up making the final table and finishing 6th. I was disappointed because by the time I made it that far I was obviously hoping to win and take home that beautiful prize that topped $10K, but all-in-all I really can't complain. My first "major" buy-in tourney online resulted in a final table cash. And I took home just under $1500 for my efforts. Not too shabby for a night spent on my couch in shorts and a t-shirt. (My lucky shirt actually. Which is not to say that it is lucky, only that it has a picture of the Lucky Charms lepruchan on it and it actually says "Lucky" on the front. So it is, by definition, my lucky shirt.)
It should also be mentioned that Fourth of July was fun. I met Chisum in Mesquite and we ripped up the 4-8 Omaha game. After we played for a few hours we went to eat at the steak house and catch the fireworks. As we were racking up (I tripled my buy-in and he doubled his), Chisum turned to me and said, "Look...no one can understand how the drunk donkeys are leaving with all the chips." I love playing drunk donkey! Especially in Omaha...so fun.
Until next time...may all your gambles pay off!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Poker Chick...Who's That?
It's obviously been WAAAYYYY too long since I posted on this blog and I have no legitimate excuse for that. Life has been quite hectic, but that doesn't excuse the neglect to the poor blog. I've been doing a lot of real estate stuff lately (you can check that out at bluewaterdev.com), so poker has taken a back seat again, but I've still been playing online semi-regularly and I make it down to the tables every couple weeks or so.
The real story for me online has been the HORSE tourney on Full Tilt. I have worked my stats up to have an in the money average of 41% for that tourney. For those of you that don't know (and those of you that do can take this as a little brag) that's CRAZY good! A couple of weeks ago, I had back to back final table appearances and finished ninth, second, and fourth. I think I need to go scour the other sites and find some HORSE tourneys with higher buy ins. Maybe get into town once and a while and play some real life HORSE events.
As for casino play, my most recent venture was to Ceasar's. I met a couple of friends down there, Ben and Chisum, and Chisum and I took a piece of each other in the nightly tournament. For those of you that have never played the regular nightly tourneys at Ceasars they are quite good. The structure is decent and the starting chips vs. blinds is high enough that you aren't involved in a crap shoot. I got knocked out in the third round when I got it all in after the flop with QQ against another guy's under pair to the board - 99. I was eliminated when (you guessed it) a nine fell on the river...nice. Anyway, I headed out to the 1-3 live NL and made about $400 playing for the next three hours. During that time, Chisum made it to the final two tables and then helped orchestrate a 14 way chop for 1st. So I at least got my entry fee back out of it.
As always, playing in the casino provided me with some interesting encounters. A guy wearing a loud pin stripe suit, fedora, and gaudy fake jewelry sat down at my table and bought in for $300. He immediately began attempting to bully the table with ridiculous bluffs and lost his $300. When a seat opened up directly to his left, halfway through his second buy-in, I moved over next to him. He immediately began berating me, asking if I had come over because I thought he was a fish. I told him that I just liked the end seats at the table, but he wouldn't quit. He kept going on about how he'd been playing poker since before I was born and he didn't play TIGHT like me. On and on he went about how TIGHT I played. I didn't say anything. I only managed to get myself into two pots with him before he lost his third and final buy-in. On one of them I bluffed him off of his hand with two complete rags (which I didn't show because I was still hoping he'd stick around a while) and on the other I got him to call me down when I flopped two pair.
About half an hour after he had disgustedly left our table, I took a bathroom break and stopped to say hi to Ben who was at another game across the room. I came up laughing and started talking loudly, "Man you wouldn't believe this guy who was at our table a few minutes ago," I began, "sitting there trying to be all Gangster with his fake Versace suit and a toupee that looked like an animal died on his head." It was just like you see in the movies. Ben's eyes got really big while I was talking and then as soon as I came up for air he grabbed my hand and spoke in a low tone, "You mean that guy over there in the two seat?" "Oh no!" I thought. I peered around the dealer and, sure enough, there he was in the two. I couldn't help but laugh at myself. "Oooops," I said. I know he heard me. Everyone at the table must have. I felt bad. Well, not that bad. He had been a jerk. But I always figure that losing their money is enough of a punishment for jerks like that. I don't have to rub it in.
Until next time...remember to look both ways before you berate an absent player.
The real story for me online has been the HORSE tourney on Full Tilt. I have worked my stats up to have an in the money average of 41% for that tourney. For those of you that don't know (and those of you that do can take this as a little brag) that's CRAZY good! A couple of weeks ago, I had back to back final table appearances and finished ninth, second, and fourth. I think I need to go scour the other sites and find some HORSE tourneys with higher buy ins. Maybe get into town once and a while and play some real life HORSE events.
As for casino play, my most recent venture was to Ceasar's. I met a couple of friends down there, Ben and Chisum, and Chisum and I took a piece of each other in the nightly tournament. For those of you that have never played the regular nightly tourneys at Ceasars they are quite good. The structure is decent and the starting chips vs. blinds is high enough that you aren't involved in a crap shoot. I got knocked out in the third round when I got it all in after the flop with QQ against another guy's under pair to the board - 99. I was eliminated when (you guessed it) a nine fell on the river...nice. Anyway, I headed out to the 1-3 live NL and made about $400 playing for the next three hours. During that time, Chisum made it to the final two tables and then helped orchestrate a 14 way chop for 1st. So I at least got my entry fee back out of it.
As always, playing in the casino provided me with some interesting encounters. A guy wearing a loud pin stripe suit, fedora, and gaudy fake jewelry sat down at my table and bought in for $300. He immediately began attempting to bully the table with ridiculous bluffs and lost his $300. When a seat opened up directly to his left, halfway through his second buy-in, I moved over next to him. He immediately began berating me, asking if I had come over because I thought he was a fish. I told him that I just liked the end seats at the table, but he wouldn't quit. He kept going on about how he'd been playing poker since before I was born and he didn't play TIGHT like me. On and on he went about how TIGHT I played. I didn't say anything. I only managed to get myself into two pots with him before he lost his third and final buy-in. On one of them I bluffed him off of his hand with two complete rags (which I didn't show because I was still hoping he'd stick around a while) and on the other I got him to call me down when I flopped two pair.
About half an hour after he had disgustedly left our table, I took a bathroom break and stopped to say hi to Ben who was at another game across the room. I came up laughing and started talking loudly, "Man you wouldn't believe this guy who was at our table a few minutes ago," I began, "sitting there trying to be all Gangster with his fake Versace suit and a toupee that looked like an animal died on his head." It was just like you see in the movies. Ben's eyes got really big while I was talking and then as soon as I came up for air he grabbed my hand and spoke in a low tone, "You mean that guy over there in the two seat?" "Oh no!" I thought. I peered around the dealer and, sure enough, there he was in the two. I couldn't help but laugh at myself. "Oooops," I said. I know he heard me. Everyone at the table must have. I felt bad. Well, not that bad. He had been a jerk. But I always figure that losing their money is enough of a punishment for jerks like that. I don't have to rub it in.
Until next time...remember to look both ways before you berate an absent player.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
BricktopUS No Longer
Well, although I have been to Oklahoma City twice in the last three weeks, I haven't made it down to the casino yet. I will definitely have to make that a priority on my next trip and report back on the action.
I did, however, get online a few days after my 4th place finish in the $24K guarantee and took 8th place in the $14,500 guarantee 6 handed Hold 'Em tourney. That made for back-to-back top ten finishes in MTT play. Hooray!
After that last cash, I decided to withdraw some funds out of my Full Tilt account. I went through their silly verification process and then just as the check was supposed to be mailed, they decided to close my BricktopUS account. A while ago, I had created a second account for a friend of mine to use and that is apparently against Full Tilt policy (although I never played on the second account.) The frustrating thing was that Full Tilt didn't seem to have any interest what-so-ever in dealing with the two account situation UNTIL I tried to withdraw money from my BricktopUS account. Then they decided that they needed to shut down the Bricktop account and make my other account the primary account. They moved all of my funds from Bricktop to my new account, but now I have to go through their stupid verification process again in order to withdraw money from the account. I have heard other people complain that they have had trouble getting money OUT of Full Tilt. I really hope that this isn't a bad sign. If any of you out there have any experience in withdrawing funds from Full Tilt, good or bad, drop me a line and let me know. I'm curious to see if these sorts of delays are normal.
So the other downside to this operation is that I can no longer continue to improve my ranking on the Bricktop account. With my recent MTT finishes, I had worked my way up to the top 99% of Full Tilt players on officialpokerrankings.com Now I'll have to start all over with my other account. Oh well. At least I'll be a wolf in sheep's clothing for a while. For those who are interested, my new screen name is kartenkatze. I haven't played any MTTs on there as of yet, but hopefully I'll find time here in the next week or so.
Meanwhile, I just recently got back from a great ski trip to Tahoe. I was up there for four days and the whole trip was almost charmed. The weather was absolutely perfect...sunny and crisp, the snow held up fabulously and made for almost ideal conditions, and the company was wonderful. I had a really great time and have arrived back in Vegas refreshed and ready to conquer the world. I'll post a photo of me on the slopes.
Until next time...don't forget to take time away from the tables to enjoy all that this beautiful planet has to offer!
I did, however, get online a few days after my 4th place finish in the $24K guarantee and took 8th place in the $14,500 guarantee 6 handed Hold 'Em tourney. That made for back-to-back top ten finishes in MTT play. Hooray!
After that last cash, I decided to withdraw some funds out of my Full Tilt account. I went through their silly verification process and then just as the check was supposed to be mailed, they decided to close my BricktopUS account. A while ago, I had created a second account for a friend of mine to use and that is apparently against Full Tilt policy (although I never played on the second account.) The frustrating thing was that Full Tilt didn't seem to have any interest what-so-ever in dealing with the two account situation UNTIL I tried to withdraw money from my BricktopUS account. Then they decided that they needed to shut down the Bricktop account and make my other account the primary account. They moved all of my funds from Bricktop to my new account, but now I have to go through their stupid verification process again in order to withdraw money from the account. I have heard other people complain that they have had trouble getting money OUT of Full Tilt. I really hope that this isn't a bad sign. If any of you out there have any experience in withdrawing funds from Full Tilt, good or bad, drop me a line and let me know. I'm curious to see if these sorts of delays are normal.
So the other downside to this operation is that I can no longer continue to improve my ranking on the Bricktop account. With my recent MTT finishes, I had worked my way up to the top 99% of Full Tilt players on officialpokerrankings.com Now I'll have to start all over with my other account. Oh well. At least I'll be a wolf in sheep's clothing for a while. For those who are interested, my new screen name is kartenkatze. I haven't played any MTTs on there as of yet, but hopefully I'll find time here in the next week or so.
Meanwhile, I just recently got back from a great ski trip to Tahoe. I was up there for four days and the whole trip was almost charmed. The weather was absolutely perfect...sunny and crisp, the snow held up fabulously and made for almost ideal conditions, and the company was wonderful. I had a really great time and have arrived back in Vegas refreshed and ready to conquer the world. I'll post a photo of me on the slopes.
Until next time...don't forget to take time away from the tables to enjoy all that this beautiful planet has to offer!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Away From the Tables
Funny how sometimes, without even closing a door, the Universe will open a window. By keeping ourselves open to the amazing opportunities that surround us every day, we can sometimes stumble into experiences and relationships that change our lives. Two weeks ago, I was a hard working poker player, enjoying my freedom but struggling under the pressure of relying on a game to make a living. I have found that the times when I have enjoyed poker the most, have been the times that I was doing something else to earn money at the same time. There's something comforting about not HAVING to play every day. I enjoy it more when I do play, and I seem to play better as well.
So I had been thinking lately about getting involved in another real estate venture. I love real estate almost as much as I do poker. I came up with an idea involving purchsing REOs and rehabbing them for rent here in the Vegas market. I was still just in the "thinking stage" of things when, to make a fairly long story short, a couple of weeks ago, I met Howie. We met in a social setting and started talking real estate. Within a few days we realized that we wanted to work together. A few days after that, we realized that we work really well together. And less than two weeks after first meeting we had a signed contract for work in Oklahoma City. Seems that the hard money lender that I had approached to fund my REO deal, had a group of houses in Oklahoma City that he had foreclosed on in various stages of disrepair. I pitched him the idea of allowing us to rehab his properties and then help him sell them for a profit instead of taking a loss on the project. He agreed. Amazing how things can change in such a short time.
So with my new time commitments to the Oklahoma project, I haven't had much time in the last couple weeks for poker. And I miss it a lot. I really wanted to go play tonight, but I was so tired from the week that I decided to just stay home and play a few MTTs online. I only entered three events...the $4K guarantee HORSE, the $11K 6 handed NL Hold 'Em, and the $24K guarantee NL Hold 'Em...all on Full Tilt.
I was super thrilled when I ended up taking 4th out of over 1500 entrants in the $24K. I collected over $2300 for my efforts. The final hand was a heartbreaker. I woke up with AKs in the BB. UTG raised and the button shoved all in. The button had me just barely covered. I actually thought about it briefly, but it is almost impossible to fold AKs at a four handed final table. I called. UTG mucked and the button turned over AQ. I was stoked. If I won the hand and doubled up, I would be chip leader by a fairly sizable margin with essentially three players left. When the queen came off on the turn, I felt a wave of disappointment. So close to having a great chance at winning the whole thing. I got over the frustration quickly though and decided to focus on the positive. I have a great new "job" that I'm working on, and in my first night playing in the last two weeks, I took fourth in a large tourney and made over $2K...not bad, not bad at all.
Of course, one of my tasks in Oklahoma City will be to locate that casino that Scotty Nguyen represents. I haven't played poker in Oklahoma yet...I'm looking forward to adding that notch to my belt. I'll keep you posted.
So I had been thinking lately about getting involved in another real estate venture. I love real estate almost as much as I do poker. I came up with an idea involving purchsing REOs and rehabbing them for rent here in the Vegas market. I was still just in the "thinking stage" of things when, to make a fairly long story short, a couple of weeks ago, I met Howie. We met in a social setting and started talking real estate. Within a few days we realized that we wanted to work together. A few days after that, we realized that we work really well together. And less than two weeks after first meeting we had a signed contract for work in Oklahoma City. Seems that the hard money lender that I had approached to fund my REO deal, had a group of houses in Oklahoma City that he had foreclosed on in various stages of disrepair. I pitched him the idea of allowing us to rehab his properties and then help him sell them for a profit instead of taking a loss on the project. He agreed. Amazing how things can change in such a short time.
So with my new time commitments to the Oklahoma project, I haven't had much time in the last couple weeks for poker. And I miss it a lot. I really wanted to go play tonight, but I was so tired from the week that I decided to just stay home and play a few MTTs online. I only entered three events...the $4K guarantee HORSE, the $11K 6 handed NL Hold 'Em, and the $24K guarantee NL Hold 'Em...all on Full Tilt.
I was super thrilled when I ended up taking 4th out of over 1500 entrants in the $24K. I collected over $2300 for my efforts. The final hand was a heartbreaker. I woke up with AKs in the BB. UTG raised and the button shoved all in. The button had me just barely covered. I actually thought about it briefly, but it is almost impossible to fold AKs at a four handed final table. I called. UTG mucked and the button turned over AQ. I was stoked. If I won the hand and doubled up, I would be chip leader by a fairly sizable margin with essentially three players left. When the queen came off on the turn, I felt a wave of disappointment. So close to having a great chance at winning the whole thing. I got over the frustration quickly though and decided to focus on the positive. I have a great new "job" that I'm working on, and in my first night playing in the last two weeks, I took fourth in a large tourney and made over $2K...not bad, not bad at all.
Of course, one of my tasks in Oklahoma City will be to locate that casino that Scotty Nguyen represents. I haven't played poker in Oklahoma yet...I'm looking forward to adding that notch to my belt. I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Poker Books Part 2
Today we continue with Happy Donkey's list of worthy poker reading material:
2. Harrington on Hold ‘Em by Dan Harrington and Bill Robertie
Until the Full Tilt Strategy Guide came out, this three volume set was the authority on tournament play. Dan Harrington is a renowned tournament player with many accolades. He has won major tournaments as recently as last year. Dan has done a great job of writing a piece that helps players develop their entire strategy from the ground up.
The series is divided into three volumes. Volumes One and Two are essentially one book split in two. Volume Three is a workbook that allows for more hand analysis and is the least critical of the three to read. Online, the books are frequently referred to as HoH.
Early tournament play is very different from play during “the bubble” (the time just before everyone ends up in the money), and short handed and heads up play is very different from the first two stages. Volume One (V1) deals primarily with the earlier stages of the tournament. V1 introduces you to Dan’s main method of conveying information: detailed hand analysis. Experienced tournament players might not find V1 as compelling as newbies, but it contains several concepts that merit the time taken to read it. {Tamara: I agree with this analysis. I found V1 fairly slow and felt that I had a pretty good grasp on most of the concepts conveyed before I read the book. There are good little tidbits scattered throughout though, so I'm still glad that I took the time to wade through it.}
Where HoH earns its money, however, is V2. V2 contains what is arguably the single most important concept in tournament play: “M.” M (which stands for Magriel, the last name of a famous backgammon author who developed the concept) is equivalent to the total of the small blind, big blind, and antes for one orbit, basically the total amount that it costs you to see on orbit of hands. Once you calculate how many M your stack is, (as well as what your opponent’s stacks are) you can develop your entire tournament strategy around this information. (Many online tournament players consider stack size in relation to the number of BBs, or Big Blinds, instead of M. While M is a more accurate method, BB is an easier method. Serious poker players should understand the benefits of and be conversant with both methods.) To be clear: if you don’t understand this concept, you will have your butt handed to you on a regular basis. {It is fascinating to me how many people play in tournaments semi-regularly and do not understand how to take M into account when making important decisions. If you play in tourneys and do not have an in depth understanding of M, the red zone, and other issues surrounding stack dynamics, then you need to educate yourself as soon as possible.}
V2 also discusses short handed and heads up play, something that some cash (ring) game players {especially those who play low or mid limits} are unfamiliar with. Once again, the main format is detailed hand analysis based on real tournament hands.
While natural talent and extensive experience will carry a tournament player a long way, HoH is one of the most critical set of books available today.
3. Card Player magazine
If you play poker in a card room, you’re probably familiar with Card Player magazine. It’s free, it’s well put together, and many pass time reading them during lulls in action at the table (when they really should be observing their opponents.) Many poker players seem to take this publication for granted, and they really don’t know what they are missing. Barry and Jeff Schulman have put together a very well organized magazine that provides information on many different aspects of the game.
Aside from the dozens of features and sections that you would expect to find in a poker oriented trade magazine, there are numerous regular columns that help hone your game. The regular contributors are highly regarded poker players, some selected for their writing and educational skills (David Aposolico, Barry Tannenbaum, Bob Ciaffone), some for their marquis names (Daniel Negraneau, Todd Brunson, Phil Hellmuth). Craig Tapscott does a great job of interviewing players and getting inside their heads on specific hands that they’ve played. Aside from the online forums, this bi-monthly publication is the most up to date method of obtaining information on current concepts and popular strategies that are being developed daily. {I agree wholeheartedly about the value of reading Card Player. Not only do the articles help develop aspects of your game, but they allow you to get inside the minds of your fellow players. Sometimes reading about how other players are approaching certain plays, will allow you to develop a strategy to counteract that style of play. In my opinion (and I think that this would be a great topic for a blog post all its own) poker styles move in cyclical waves...much like the economy. For a while, it was considered "correct" to play very tight, conservative poker. Loose aggressive players were regarded as donkeys or maniacs and very few serious pros took this approach to the game. Now loose aggressive play is regarded as the pinnacle of poker achievement. Being able to enter and "mix it up" in a large number of pots and still come out ahead is thought to be the hallmark of a great player. Understanding these tendencies within the poker playing community can help you to adjust your game to take maximum advantage of the trends. And Card Player helps you keep your finger on the pulse of that community. (Yeah, I definitely need to do a post on the changing face of poker...there is so much that could be said on that topic.)
If you can’t get enough current material there are a few other magazines out there that are very much worth reading. Poker Player News headed by Mike Caro and Bluff magazine both provide more information and different perspectives.
All of these magazines are available for free in the various casinos and card rooms. For those that don’t have easy access to these outlets, you can subscribe to them for a reasonable cost. Just google the publications and order them online.
4. The Tao of Poker by Larry Phillips
This is a great little book that helps you develop a solid, healthy approach to poker. While most other books are about specific concepts like selecting your starting hands or when you need to get into “push or fold” mode, this book helps you develop more of a mindset for the game. Everything needs balance, as does your education in poker.
For those that have studied the Tao, you might be surprised or even a bit disappointed at first that the book doesn’t seem to address the Tao more directly. But if you understand the Tao, read through the book, and then reflect back on the information, you find that it is very Taoist and does help you mold your game into a more fluid approach.
If you find that you explode easily, take bad beats harder than most, or wish that you did not let your emotions affect your game as much as it does, this would be a good read for you. {I found this book interesting but not indispensable. I would actually recommend it as a great addition to your bathroom library. Reading it all in one sitting makes it easy for you to gloss over the little tidbits of inspiration and wisdom. Reading a couple of pages each day would probably make for more effective and constructive absorption of the material.}
5. Honorable Mention: Super System
Props have to be given to Doyle Brunson for putting together Super System. Perhaps the most famous poker player ever, Doyle compiled the first book at a time when very few poker books existed. Doyle was very wise in assembling the best players at the time and getting them to extol their knowledge with the intent of educating newcomers and pros alike. Mike Craig unashamedly cites Super System as his model for The Full Tilt Strategy Guide, Tournament Edition. It is very likely that if polled, Super System would appear at the top of the list of first poker book read by new players. {Well if the new players started playing in the 90s or before (as I did) then that would probably be the case. Now days, I'm not sure how many new players are reading it...especially the first edition.} This is why Super System has been referred to as “the Bible of Poker.”
In Doyle’s heyday, tournaments were overshadowed by the cash (ring) game, and that is what this book focuses on. (After all, it was only a few years before Doyle wrote the book that the winner of the WSOP was established by popular vote!) The book provides new players with a solid foundation on how to play the cash NLH game as well as several other poker styles.
Why this book is not more essential, is because the material is dated. You can certainly gain a lot of information from Super System, but as you become more aggressive about honing your game, you realize more and more that poker is not only evolving, it is evolving rapidly. The strategies in this book are too tight and conservative to be effective. {I'm not so sure about that...I think that in a world increasingly dominated by loose aggressive players, the niche for tight conservative players is growing somewhat. More on this concept in a future post.} They’ll keep you out of trouble as you improve your game, but for the experienced player who is looking to maximize their educational bang, there are a lot of newer books that subscribe to the current school of thought that you need to be aggressive to win. To be fair, Doyle has subsequently compiled Super System 2, a good sequel enlisting more prominent, successful players to contribute. {I have not yet read Super System 2 but it is on my list of things to do.}
6. Honorable Mention: David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth
Prolific writers, Sklansky and Malmuth wrote most of the early books on poker. You cannot go wrong reading any of their books (published by 2+2 Publishing), although most of their information has been assimilated into the other more current publications. These authors forged the path for others to follow, and while they are a bit dry for the times, their content is still very valid and applicable. {Sklansky and Malmuth are the once and always kings of the mathematics behind the game. The first poker books that I read were written by these guys. I actually HIGHLY recommend getting your hands on at least one Sklansky/Malmuth book and digesting the material. Math plays an important role in poker and (in my opinion) before you can move on to the intricacies of psychological play and "people factors" you need to have a solid foundation in the probabilities and statistics that define the game. If you don't, your education will be lopsided and incomplete.}
One final recommendation is for those that have read the essential books and are looking for something different. Barry Greenstein’s Ace on the River is a great book for someone that is looking to take their poker game from being a money making hobby to being the centerpiece of their lifestyle. The beautiful book stays away from the technical side of a poker and focuses on some very important intangible concepts. These concepts include how high-stakes players interact with each other, strategy on keeping live players in the game, and a frank discussion of the downswings that all professional players inevitably go through. You will not learn how to pull off a triple barrel bluff in this book, but you might learn some life skills that will be necessary to survive if you aspire to be a professional poker player. {I LOVED Barry's book and if this were my list (and not Happy Donkey's) I would have placed it much closer to the top. There are plenty of great technical and "how to" poker books on the shelves today, but only one Ace on the River. Barry's discussion of life as a pro hit home with me. It was great to realize that I'm not the only one who has experienced the frustrations that sometimes accompany making your living at this game. Just knowing that successful pros have faced the same temptations and challenges (with varying degrees of success) makes me feel more hopeful that I will be able to work through them in my own life/game. If you play for a living...or want to someday...you must read this book.}
The list above is certainly not comprehensive nor exclusive. It does, however, provide you with a list of essential reading and you can feel confident that the books listed are a worthy investment of your time. Feel free to post your suggestions in reply!
2. Harrington on Hold ‘Em by Dan Harrington and Bill Robertie
Until the Full Tilt Strategy Guide came out, this three volume set was the authority on tournament play. Dan Harrington is a renowned tournament player with many accolades. He has won major tournaments as recently as last year. Dan has done a great job of writing a piece that helps players develop their entire strategy from the ground up.
The series is divided into three volumes. Volumes One and Two are essentially one book split in two. Volume Three is a workbook that allows for more hand analysis and is the least critical of the three to read. Online, the books are frequently referred to as HoH.
Early tournament play is very different from play during “the bubble” (the time just before everyone ends up in the money), and short handed and heads up play is very different from the first two stages. Volume One (V1) deals primarily with the earlier stages of the tournament. V1 introduces you to Dan’s main method of conveying information: detailed hand analysis. Experienced tournament players might not find V1 as compelling as newbies, but it contains several concepts that merit the time taken to read it. {Tamara: I agree with this analysis. I found V1 fairly slow and felt that I had a pretty good grasp on most of the concepts conveyed before I read the book. There are good little tidbits scattered throughout though, so I'm still glad that I took the time to wade through it.}
Where HoH earns its money, however, is V2. V2 contains what is arguably the single most important concept in tournament play: “M.” M (which stands for Magriel, the last name of a famous backgammon author who developed the concept) is equivalent to the total of the small blind, big blind, and antes for one orbit, basically the total amount that it costs you to see on orbit of hands. Once you calculate how many M your stack is, (as well as what your opponent’s stacks are) you can develop your entire tournament strategy around this information. (Many online tournament players consider stack size in relation to the number of BBs, or Big Blinds, instead of M. While M is a more accurate method, BB is an easier method. Serious poker players should understand the benefits of and be conversant with both methods.) To be clear: if you don’t understand this concept, you will have your butt handed to you on a regular basis. {It is fascinating to me how many people play in tournaments semi-regularly and do not understand how to take M into account when making important decisions. If you play in tourneys and do not have an in depth understanding of M, the red zone, and other issues surrounding stack dynamics, then you need to educate yourself as soon as possible.}
V2 also discusses short handed and heads up play, something that some cash (ring) game players {especially those who play low or mid limits} are unfamiliar with. Once again, the main format is detailed hand analysis based on real tournament hands.
While natural talent and extensive experience will carry a tournament player a long way, HoH is one of the most critical set of books available today.
3. Card Player magazine
If you play poker in a card room, you’re probably familiar with Card Player magazine. It’s free, it’s well put together, and many pass time reading them during lulls in action at the table (when they really should be observing their opponents.) Many poker players seem to take this publication for granted, and they really don’t know what they are missing. Barry and Jeff Schulman have put together a very well organized magazine that provides information on many different aspects of the game.
Aside from the dozens of features and sections that you would expect to find in a poker oriented trade magazine, there are numerous regular columns that help hone your game. The regular contributors are highly regarded poker players, some selected for their writing and educational skills (David Aposolico, Barry Tannenbaum, Bob Ciaffone), some for their marquis names (Daniel Negraneau, Todd Brunson, Phil Hellmuth). Craig Tapscott does a great job of interviewing players and getting inside their heads on specific hands that they’ve played. Aside from the online forums, this bi-monthly publication is the most up to date method of obtaining information on current concepts and popular strategies that are being developed daily. {I agree wholeheartedly about the value of reading Card Player. Not only do the articles help develop aspects of your game, but they allow you to get inside the minds of your fellow players. Sometimes reading about how other players are approaching certain plays, will allow you to develop a strategy to counteract that style of play. In my opinion (and I think that this would be a great topic for a blog post all its own) poker styles move in cyclical waves...much like the economy. For a while, it was considered "correct" to play very tight, conservative poker. Loose aggressive players were regarded as donkeys or maniacs and very few serious pros took this approach to the game. Now loose aggressive play is regarded as the pinnacle of poker achievement. Being able to enter and "mix it up" in a large number of pots and still come out ahead is thought to be the hallmark of a great player. Understanding these tendencies within the poker playing community can help you to adjust your game to take maximum advantage of the trends. And Card Player helps you keep your finger on the pulse of that community. (Yeah, I definitely need to do a post on the changing face of poker...there is so much that could be said on that topic.)
If you can’t get enough current material there are a few other magazines out there that are very much worth reading. Poker Player News headed by Mike Caro and Bluff magazine both provide more information and different perspectives.
All of these magazines are available for free in the various casinos and card rooms. For those that don’t have easy access to these outlets, you can subscribe to them for a reasonable cost. Just google the publications and order them online.
4. The Tao of Poker by Larry Phillips
This is a great little book that helps you develop a solid, healthy approach to poker. While most other books are about specific concepts like selecting your starting hands or when you need to get into “push or fold” mode, this book helps you develop more of a mindset for the game. Everything needs balance, as does your education in poker.
For those that have studied the Tao, you might be surprised or even a bit disappointed at first that the book doesn’t seem to address the Tao more directly. But if you understand the Tao, read through the book, and then reflect back on the information, you find that it is very Taoist and does help you mold your game into a more fluid approach.
If you find that you explode easily, take bad beats harder than most, or wish that you did not let your emotions affect your game as much as it does, this would be a good read for you. {I found this book interesting but not indispensable. I would actually recommend it as a great addition to your bathroom library. Reading it all in one sitting makes it easy for you to gloss over the little tidbits of inspiration and wisdom. Reading a couple of pages each day would probably make for more effective and constructive absorption of the material.}
5. Honorable Mention: Super System
Props have to be given to Doyle Brunson for putting together Super System. Perhaps the most famous poker player ever, Doyle compiled the first book at a time when very few poker books existed. Doyle was very wise in assembling the best players at the time and getting them to extol their knowledge with the intent of educating newcomers and pros alike. Mike Craig unashamedly cites Super System as his model for The Full Tilt Strategy Guide, Tournament Edition. It is very likely that if polled, Super System would appear at the top of the list of first poker book read by new players. {Well if the new players started playing in the 90s or before (as I did) then that would probably be the case. Now days, I'm not sure how many new players are reading it...especially the first edition.} This is why Super System has been referred to as “the Bible of Poker.”
In Doyle’s heyday, tournaments were overshadowed by the cash (ring) game, and that is what this book focuses on. (After all, it was only a few years before Doyle wrote the book that the winner of the WSOP was established by popular vote!) The book provides new players with a solid foundation on how to play the cash NLH game as well as several other poker styles.
Why this book is not more essential, is because the material is dated. You can certainly gain a lot of information from Super System, but as you become more aggressive about honing your game, you realize more and more that poker is not only evolving, it is evolving rapidly. The strategies in this book are too tight and conservative to be effective. {I'm not so sure about that...I think that in a world increasingly dominated by loose aggressive players, the niche for tight conservative players is growing somewhat. More on this concept in a future post.} They’ll keep you out of trouble as you improve your game, but for the experienced player who is looking to maximize their educational bang, there are a lot of newer books that subscribe to the current school of thought that you need to be aggressive to win. To be fair, Doyle has subsequently compiled Super System 2, a good sequel enlisting more prominent, successful players to contribute. {I have not yet read Super System 2 but it is on my list of things to do.}
6. Honorable Mention: David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth
Prolific writers, Sklansky and Malmuth wrote most of the early books on poker. You cannot go wrong reading any of their books (published by 2+2 Publishing), although most of their information has been assimilated into the other more current publications. These authors forged the path for others to follow, and while they are a bit dry for the times, their content is still very valid and applicable. {Sklansky and Malmuth are the once and always kings of the mathematics behind the game. The first poker books that I read were written by these guys. I actually HIGHLY recommend getting your hands on at least one Sklansky/Malmuth book and digesting the material. Math plays an important role in poker and (in my opinion) before you can move on to the intricacies of psychological play and "people factors" you need to have a solid foundation in the probabilities and statistics that define the game. If you don't, your education will be lopsided and incomplete.}
One final recommendation is for those that have read the essential books and are looking for something different. Barry Greenstein’s Ace on the River is a great book for someone that is looking to take their poker game from being a money making hobby to being the centerpiece of their lifestyle. The beautiful book stays away from the technical side of a poker and focuses on some very important intangible concepts. These concepts include how high-stakes players interact with each other, strategy on keeping live players in the game, and a frank discussion of the downswings that all professional players inevitably go through. You will not learn how to pull off a triple barrel bluff in this book, but you might learn some life skills that will be necessary to survive if you aspire to be a professional poker player. {I LOVED Barry's book and if this were my list (and not Happy Donkey's) I would have placed it much closer to the top. There are plenty of great technical and "how to" poker books on the shelves today, but only one Ace on the River. Barry's discussion of life as a pro hit home with me. It was great to realize that I'm not the only one who has experienced the frustrations that sometimes accompany making your living at this game. Just knowing that successful pros have faced the same temptations and challenges (with varying degrees of success) makes me feel more hopeful that I will be able to work through them in my own life/game. If you play for a living...or want to someday...you must read this book.}
The list above is certainly not comprehensive nor exclusive. It does, however, provide you with a list of essential reading and you can feel confident that the books listed are a worthy investment of your time. Feel free to post your suggestions in reply!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Poker Books Part 1
In various conversations with poker buddies as well as emails that I have received recently, the subject of poker books has come up quite frequently. Several people have asked me if I read these books and which ones I recommend. The answer is that I absolutely do read poker related material: books, articles, other blogs and forums. I think that this type of ongoing education is critical to the success of anyone even remotely serious about the game. In light of the recent questions and comments, Happy Donkey decided to put together a list of some of our favorite poker related books. I am going to post his contribution in two separate blog entries. Here is Part 1 from Happy Donkey:
"If you are not aware that poker is a rapidly evolving game, then you are not paying enough attention and will likely be outplayed tomorrow by players who are less skillful than you are today. This is especially true when it comes to No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em (NLH), currently the most popular form of the game. That said, anyone who believes that they are taking poker seriously, is kidding themselves if they are not reading about it regularly. There is just so much information being generated on a daily basis, that if you ignore it, you will get left behind. If you are trying to improve your game, you need to develop a system for assimilating this information. One of the easiest ways to start out is to visit and participate in one of the myriad online forums. Not only is this a great interactive way to learn the new strategies and techniques that are being tested and developed, but it’s clearly the most current information available. Post a question, hand history, or theory on a forum and you could have multiple replies within hours. There are a lot of forums out there to choose from: Every online poker site has a forum, as does Card Player magazine’s website. (http://forums.cardplayer.com/forums/ ) Two other good forums are the 2+2 forum http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/ and http://www.cardschat.com/ .
While getting your information online is a great tactical way to work on certain elements of your game, there are many good books out there to help you develop your major strategic concepts. A good book will have been organized to provide you with a systematic method to building your strategy from the ground up. This structure is especially important when new to the game. (Realize that when expanding your game from live cash (ring) games into tournament play or vice versa, you should look at it as being new to the game.) {Tamara: I can attest to the truth of this statement. As you all know, I have been moving from being almost exclusively a cash player to participating in MTTs online, and I can tell you that it is like trying to learn how to swim all over again. MTTs are COMPLETELY different from cash games and the first thing I did was to start reading as much good stuff as I could on tournament play.} As the list of books that have been written rapidly grows, it might be hard to determine which books you should read. After all, reading these books will require a reasonable time commitment, so you want to be sure to select the best books to give you the best return on your time. With that in mind, we have compiled a list of essential books that we think you shouldn't miss:
1. The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide, Tournament Edition by Michael Craig
Whether you are just starting out playing tournaments, or you consider yourself a tournament specialist, this is the most important book to read. Michael Craig has compiled a book with each section written by some of the best players on the circuit today, and the information they convey is critical to playing competitively in tournaments. It is no exaggeration to say that not understanding the information in this book and playing tournaments anyway is like being at the controls of an airplane without having a pilot’s license. {And Happy Donkey would know about that pilot thing!} Chris Ferguson’s explanations, especially with regard to post-flop play, are perhaps the most valuable contribution to the book. Andy Bloch’s section on pre-flop play and how to value starting hands is a crucial concept that every tournament player needs to have down. Also, do not deceive yourself into skipping the chapters that don’t have to do with NLH, because NLH is, after all, poker, and the information in the other chapters will help you understand important concepts that pertain to all forms of poker. {Omaha players will tell you that their Hold 'Em game has often benefited greatly by the application of pot building concepts that they learned from PLO. Other poker games can often help you see your Hold 'Em game in a new light. Plus if you want to be a well rounded player, you should really know how to proficiently play all poker games.} Phil Gordon says in the forward that people ask them why they are giving away their secrets, why they are writing a playbook for their opponents to beat them. He replies that they have made enough money, it is now about being the best and seeking out the best opponents and beating them. {For the record, I don't buy this philanthropic crap. I think that they wrote the book to gain exposure, which boosts their sponsorship appeal, which is where the big money is in poker today. But if it gives you warm fuzzies to think that Phil Gordon really wants you to be the best that you can be, then by all means go ahead and think that.} After reading this book it is clear that they are truly attempting to educate the poker world to elevate the level of play across the board. If you are to read one book about poker, this is the book. {I completely agree with that statement. The Full Tilt Guide is hands down the best poker book I have ever read. In fact, I should really re-read it. In fact, I think I'll go do that now.}"
I will post the rest of the list in the next blog entry.
Until next time...go read the book...what are you waiting for? Go now!
"If you are not aware that poker is a rapidly evolving game, then you are not paying enough attention and will likely be outplayed tomorrow by players who are less skillful than you are today. This is especially true when it comes to No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em (NLH), currently the most popular form of the game. That said, anyone who believes that they are taking poker seriously, is kidding themselves if they are not reading about it regularly. There is just so much information being generated on a daily basis, that if you ignore it, you will get left behind. If you are trying to improve your game, you need to develop a system for assimilating this information. One of the easiest ways to start out is to visit and participate in one of the myriad online forums. Not only is this a great interactive way to learn the new strategies and techniques that are being tested and developed, but it’s clearly the most current information available. Post a question, hand history, or theory on a forum and you could have multiple replies within hours. There are a lot of forums out there to choose from: Every online poker site has a forum, as does Card Player magazine’s website. (http://forums.cardplayer.com/forums/ ) Two other good forums are the 2+2 forum http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/ and http://www.cardschat.com/ .
While getting your information online is a great tactical way to work on certain elements of your game, there are many good books out there to help you develop your major strategic concepts. A good book will have been organized to provide you with a systematic method to building your strategy from the ground up. This structure is especially important when new to the game. (Realize that when expanding your game from live cash (ring) games into tournament play or vice versa, you should look at it as being new to the game.) {Tamara: I can attest to the truth of this statement. As you all know, I have been moving from being almost exclusively a cash player to participating in MTTs online, and I can tell you that it is like trying to learn how to swim all over again. MTTs are COMPLETELY different from cash games and the first thing I did was to start reading as much good stuff as I could on tournament play.} As the list of books that have been written rapidly grows, it might be hard to determine which books you should read. After all, reading these books will require a reasonable time commitment, so you want to be sure to select the best books to give you the best return on your time. With that in mind, we have compiled a list of essential books that we think you shouldn't miss:
1. The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide, Tournament Edition by Michael Craig
Whether you are just starting out playing tournaments, or you consider yourself a tournament specialist, this is the most important book to read. Michael Craig has compiled a book with each section written by some of the best players on the circuit today, and the information they convey is critical to playing competitively in tournaments. It is no exaggeration to say that not understanding the information in this book and playing tournaments anyway is like being at the controls of an airplane without having a pilot’s license. {And Happy Donkey would know about that pilot thing!} Chris Ferguson’s explanations, especially with regard to post-flop play, are perhaps the most valuable contribution to the book. Andy Bloch’s section on pre-flop play and how to value starting hands is a crucial concept that every tournament player needs to have down. Also, do not deceive yourself into skipping the chapters that don’t have to do with NLH, because NLH is, after all, poker, and the information in the other chapters will help you understand important concepts that pertain to all forms of poker. {Omaha players will tell you that their Hold 'Em game has often benefited greatly by the application of pot building concepts that they learned from PLO. Other poker games can often help you see your Hold 'Em game in a new light. Plus if you want to be a well rounded player, you should really know how to proficiently play all poker games.} Phil Gordon says in the forward that people ask them why they are giving away their secrets, why they are writing a playbook for their opponents to beat them. He replies that they have made enough money, it is now about being the best and seeking out the best opponents and beating them. {For the record, I don't buy this philanthropic crap. I think that they wrote the book to gain exposure, which boosts their sponsorship appeal, which is where the big money is in poker today. But if it gives you warm fuzzies to think that Phil Gordon really wants you to be the best that you can be, then by all means go ahead and think that.} After reading this book it is clear that they are truly attempting to educate the poker world to elevate the level of play across the board. If you are to read one book about poker, this is the book. {I completely agree with that statement. The Full Tilt Guide is hands down the best poker book I have ever read. In fact, I should really re-read it. In fact, I think I'll go do that now.}"
I will post the rest of the list in the next blog entry.
Until next time...go read the book...what are you waiting for? Go now!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
The Bucket List
I went this evening to see "The Bucket List." If you're looking for a fast paced movie that will make you either laugh or sit tensely on the edge of your seat, then I wouldn't pick this one, but if you want to see something that will make you think, and cry a little, and feel just a little more grateful to be alive than when you went in, then I'd definitely check it out. The movie centers around two men who discover on the same day that they have terminal cancer and only months to live. They embark on a mission to experience life in a way that they never have before they die.
As I was watching, I couldn't help but wonder how many people on this planet will come anywhere close to crossing off all the things on their list before they die. Even sadder, how many people don't have a "bucket list" at all? How many people just sort of float through this life without bothering to consider what it is that they really hope to accomplish or experience before they leave this world?
I decided that I need to write my own bucket list. Maybe it's something everyone should do. I'm going to start mine and post it on the blog, where I can add to it as things come to mind. I encourage anyone else who reads this to consider starting a list of their own. We owe ourselves that much in life don't we?
Until next time...call someone you love and remind them that you're happy they're in your life!
As I was watching, I couldn't help but wonder how many people on this planet will come anywhere close to crossing off all the things on their list before they die. Even sadder, how many people don't have a "bucket list" at all? How many people just sort of float through this life without bothering to consider what it is that they really hope to accomplish or experience before they leave this world?
I decided that I need to write my own bucket list. Maybe it's something everyone should do. I'm going to start mine and post it on the blog, where I can add to it as things come to mind. I encourage anyone else who reads this to consider starting a list of their own. We owe ourselves that much in life don't we?
Until next time...call someone you love and remind them that you're happy they're in your life!
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