As students of the game, we tend to be enticed by books written by known names who have found unadulterated success. However, as Hellmuth's offerings have proved, this trail doesn't always lead us in the right direction. So, as I picked up 'Mastering No-Limit Hold'Em' by Russell Fox and Scott T. Harker I maintained an open mind and reminded myself that you don't have to be a 'poker celebrity' to write a good book on the game we love.
At first glance, we see that the production value isn't quite up to the standards of 'Ace on the River'. This is pure poker. No pictures, no colour, no spaced out text. In fact, no sprucing up anywhere. The aim is to produce a poker book without relying on any of these decorations. As a result, the book doesn't stand out, rather it needs to be discovered. But if it's good, then who cares?!
Considering that these two chaps are unknowns to the average poker fan, we are spared the long, and sometimes tediously page filling, biography. A few words from Phil Gordon, followed by a brisk introduction, and then we're off, thrown headfirst into the poker cauldron.
In fact, they don't mess around at all. Chapters are brief and fast-paced, rarely dwelling long enough for you to reach levels of boredom. The advantage here is if they start to waffle on about a topic that doesn't interest you, they soon move on to something else, not allowing themselves to get bogged down. This in turn keeps the book fresh and prevents the reader from becoming too tied up in a topic that they have seen regurgitated numerous times before.
This is a book based solely on cash games with most examples coming from specific stake tables. As a result, the book can focus its teaching around this one game type, therefore avoiding the potential confusion that can arise when discussing multiple structures. Decisions tend to be partly dependent on the limits being played, so it makes sense to not mislead the reader by analysing poker in terms of all levels. Fox and Harker appear to concentrate on middle limits, say $1/2 and $2/4. I see this as somewhat of a middle ground, which therefore makes it accessible to the maximum amount of people.
Having said that however, I think this book is best suited to intermediate players. Whilst advanced players might extract the odd handy tip, the crux of the book is based on strategy that they ought to already be aware of. Similarly, beginners may struggle due to the lack of baby steps and the hectic structure of the book. The authors don't waste time by explaining any of the basics, so it's clear that the rookies aren't a target audience.
What will disappoint advanced players the most is the slightly black and white view of Fox and Harker. Although a lot of what they preach is good solid strategy, it never really develops into anything beyond that. They tell you what decision you ought to make, but too often fail to acknowledge other, and more unpredictable, possibilities. The quiz section near the end is a perfect example of this. I've always been a fan of offering multiple views on these quizzes, just so readers aren't encouraged to embrace a single idea. Unfortunately, and this occurs throughout the book, these alternative moves are never really accepted as viable options.
The book's strong point is its ease of read. Although hand descriptions can become muddled, the book on the whole flows pretty well. They have adopted a very direct approach, so that no space is wasted. They tell you something, explain their reasons, and then move on. No beating around the bush or page filling, just short and sweet poker advice.
On the flipside, this approach can make it all seem a bit convoluted. Everything is thrown into the melting pot at once rather than form part of a gradual progression. Personally, I prefer a book to become more complex as it progresses, rather than switch back and forth. I also favour spaced out text and division of chapters, just so things are clearer. For me, this makes the information easier to absorb.
Although the spine of the book is centred on poker strategy, there are some useful sections on how to approach the game, regardless of your cards. The 'Managing Your Game' chapter was particularly useful as it took a step back from the intensity of table tactics and began to examine the psychology of poker. 'Taking Notes', 'Reading', and 'Vacations' are just some of the topics discussed in this section. They may be of greater use to beginners and intermediates, but they also contain advice that even the advanced players need reminding of.
The closing pages of the book contain various appendices. One of which is an eight hour no limit Hold 'Em session played out at the Bicycle Casino. Initially, I was quite intrigued by the prospect of this and sincerely hoped to come across a few new ideas or snippets of information. However, to my chagrin, the player in question merely adopted a solid strategy of ABC poker, nothing more nothing less. The hands also became tedious. No scenario was commented on in any way, instead, we are simply moved on to the occurrences of the next hand. Perhaps a shorter session with some comments added would have been more constructive.
Finally, before the obligatory charts and glossary, we are treated to a section on 'Further Reading' which suggests various other material. As a keen student of the game, I welcomed this chapter with open arms. There were quite a few listed, and you do sometimes question the motive behind highlighting various books, but it brings other options to the forefront nonetheless. It's vital in poker not to become too attached to one set of guidelines, but to search for other views and opinions. This chapter gives you the stepping stone from which to start your search and, for a poker book, that makes a refreshing change.
To summarise, if you're an intermediate looking for solidarity in your game, then this is a gem of a book. I can't emphasise that enough. Beginners and advanced players, however, will need to be more selective. Whilst first-timers will find difficulty keeping up with the fast-paced no nonsense approach, veterans of the game may be disappointed by the lack of open mindedness and flexibility regarding the various poker strategies.
However, as the authors state themselves, 'Our view on books is that if we obtain at least two good ideas from a book, then the book is worth purchasing.'
Well, I certainly extracted more than a couple, but still found going over old ground too repetitive. So, the decision's yours.
I give it 6 blonde stars out of 10.
At first glance, we see that the production value isn't quite up to the standards of 'Ace on the River'. This is pure poker. No pictures, no colour, no spaced out text. In fact, no sprucing up anywhere. The aim is to produce a poker book without relying on any of these decorations. As a result, the book doesn't stand out, rather it needs to be discovered. But if it's good, then who cares?!
Considering that these two chaps are unknowns to the average poker fan, we are spared the long, and sometimes tediously page filling, biography. A few words from Phil Gordon, followed by a brisk introduction, and then we're off, thrown headfirst into the poker cauldron.
In fact, they don't mess around at all. Chapters are brief and fast-paced, rarely dwelling long enough for you to reach levels of boredom. The advantage here is if they start to waffle on about a topic that doesn't interest you, they soon move on to something else, not allowing themselves to get bogged down. This in turn keeps the book fresh and prevents the reader from becoming too tied up in a topic that they have seen regurgitated numerous times before.
This is a book based solely on cash games with most examples coming from specific stake tables. As a result, the book can focus its teaching around this one game type, therefore avoiding the potential confusion that can arise when discussing multiple structures. Decisions tend to be partly dependent on the limits being played, so it makes sense to not mislead the reader by analysing poker in terms of all levels. Fox and Harker appear to concentrate on middle limits, say $1/2 and $2/4. I see this as somewhat of a middle ground, which therefore makes it accessible to the maximum amount of people.
Having said that however, I think this book is best suited to intermediate players. Whilst advanced players might extract the odd handy tip, the crux of the book is based on strategy that they ought to already be aware of. Similarly, beginners may struggle due to the lack of baby steps and the hectic structure of the book. The authors don't waste time by explaining any of the basics, so it's clear that the rookies aren't a target audience.
What will disappoint advanced players the most is the slightly black and white view of Fox and Harker. Although a lot of what they preach is good solid strategy, it never really develops into anything beyond that. They tell you what decision you ought to make, but too often fail to acknowledge other, and more unpredictable, possibilities. The quiz section near the end is a perfect example of this. I've always been a fan of offering multiple views on these quizzes, just so readers aren't encouraged to embrace a single idea. Unfortunately, and this occurs throughout the book, these alternative moves are never really accepted as viable options.
The book's strong point is its ease of read. Although hand descriptions can become muddled, the book on the whole flows pretty well. They have adopted a very direct approach, so that no space is wasted. They tell you something, explain their reasons, and then move on. No beating around the bush or page filling, just short and sweet poker advice.
On the flipside, this approach can make it all seem a bit convoluted. Everything is thrown into the melting pot at once rather than form part of a gradual progression. Personally, I prefer a book to become more complex as it progresses, rather than switch back and forth. I also favour spaced out text and division of chapters, just so things are clearer. For me, this makes the information easier to absorb.
Although the spine of the book is centred on poker strategy, there are some useful sections on how to approach the game, regardless of your cards. The 'Managing Your Game' chapter was particularly useful as it took a step back from the intensity of table tactics and began to examine the psychology of poker. 'Taking Notes', 'Reading', and 'Vacations' are just some of the topics discussed in this section. They may be of greater use to beginners and intermediates, but they also contain advice that even the advanced players need reminding of.
The closing pages of the book contain various appendices. One of which is an eight hour no limit Hold 'Em session played out at the Bicycle Casino. Initially, I was quite intrigued by the prospect of this and sincerely hoped to come across a few new ideas or snippets of information. However, to my chagrin, the player in question merely adopted a solid strategy of ABC poker, nothing more nothing less. The hands also became tedious. No scenario was commented on in any way, instead, we are simply moved on to the occurrences of the next hand. Perhaps a shorter session with some comments added would have been more constructive.
Finally, before the obligatory charts and glossary, we are treated to a section on 'Further Reading' which suggests various other material. As a keen student of the game, I welcomed this chapter with open arms. There were quite a few listed, and you do sometimes question the motive behind highlighting various books, but it brings other options to the forefront nonetheless. It's vital in poker not to become too attached to one set of guidelines, but to search for other views and opinions. This chapter gives you the stepping stone from which to start your search and, for a poker book, that makes a refreshing change.
To summarise, if you're an intermediate looking for solidarity in your game, then this is a gem of a book. I can't emphasise that enough. Beginners and advanced players, however, will need to be more selective. Whilst first-timers will find difficulty keeping up with the fast-paced no nonsense approach, veterans of the game may be disappointed by the lack of open mindedness and flexibility regarding the various poker strategies.
However, as the authors state themselves, 'Our view on books is that if we obtain at least two good ideas from a book, then the book is worth purchasing.'
Well, I certainly extracted more than a couple, but still found going over old ground too repetitive. So, the decision's yours.
I give it 6 blonde stars out of 10.
