New Book Announcement
I'm putting this both here and on the Books and Publications Forum.
David Sklansky and I are working on a new book tentatively titled No-Limit Hold 'em: Examining Hold 'em Concepts and Scenarios Other Writers Don't Address. It'll be awhile before it's available, but we are making progress.
Hell yeh!
I want!
Please give us a hint, one of these concepts or scenarios that other writers don't address.
Will it be published on papyrus ?
Without wanting to sound like a jerk: Sounds like a book authors put out when the game passed them by a couple of years ago.
Without wanting to sound like a jerk: Sounds like a book authors put out when the game passed them by a couple of years ago.
You’re right. You do sound like a jerk. However, assuming we get the book done and published sometime next year, you’ll be able to get a copy and judge for yourself. Also, in the near future I’ll post one or two chapters from the book right here in this thread.
Here's the first excerpt from the book:
.......................................When They Move In Preflop
It’s much more common in a tournament than a cash game but the criteria to use to call a pre-flop move-in are very similar. And it’s possible to calculate with precision exactly what you need to be favored when you call this bet. But using guidelines is almost as good.
First, we assume that there are no players behind you that might overcall. If there are, you might tighten up from these guidelines. But maybe not since you’ll now be getting better odds.
There are basically three types of hands that non desperate players move in with. They are:
1. A pocket pair.
2. An ace.
3. Two non-ace big cards.
If you somehow knew which category you faced, the hands you should call with could almost use simple common sense to determine whether to call. (Keeping in mind that you should probably fold if you deem it close.) But also keep in mind that you are getting odds. (Usually, a bit worse than 3-to-2 ina tournament.) You typically want hands that should win close to half of the time,
Here are some specifics:
1. When he has a pair, you want a bigger pair or two overcards,
2. When he has an ace, you want a bigger ace, a pair, or two cards higher than the opponent’s lowest card.
3. When he has two big cards that do not include an ace. you want an ace, a card bigger than his highest card, or any pair. (Also, when we say two high cards that do not include an ace we’re including hands like jack-ten offsuit and queen-ten offsuit in the all-in player’s range. If you do not think this opponent will include hands like this when he moves all-in, call a little tighter than is indicated above.)
The above guidelines are hands that are usually at least 45 percent against their category.
Notice that if an opponent will move-in with any of these hands he’s much more likely to have ace-x than the other hands. And frankly, if you just assumed he had ace-eight offsuit every time your conclusions as to what hands you should call him with would be approximately correct. But it’s not that hard to go into a little more detail and we’ll do that below.
Some All-in Match Ups
If your opponent will move all-in with any ace, two big cards that do not include an ace, or a pair, the ace is about as likely to be his hand as the other two hands combined. If you have ace-five offsuit, you’re about 55 percent against two big cards that do not include an ace. Against another ace, you’re about 40 percent. Against a pair, you’re on average about 33 percent. And if you’re against a range that contains all of these hands, it’s about 43 percent. Thus, considering your pot odds, this is about the minimum you need to call most all-in bets. Of course, if your ace-five was suited, it would certainly be correct to call.
When you have a pair of deuces, you’re about19 percent against a pair and about 51 percent against an ace or two big cards. This comes out to about 45 percent for the deuces, which again meets the minimum to call.
King-queen offsuit is about 41 percent against a pair (which can include aces or kings). Against two big cards that do not include an ace it’s about 68 percent. Against an ace its about 39 percent. Against a range that includes all of these, the king-queen offsuit is about 46 percent. It’s a call but king-jack offsuit is right on the borderline, and king-ten-offsuit is a fold. If the king-jack and king-ten were suited, they would be a call. But king-nine suited is a fold.
Wow! This is truly groundbreaking material! I feel like my game just jumped a level after reading this excerpt. Can't wait for the book to come out. Thanks!
Wow! This is truly groundbreaking material! I feel like my game just jumped a level after reading this excerpt. Can't wait for the book to come out. Thanks!
I don't know about you, but when my opponent has a pair I usually try and have the smaller pair. For me, this is groundbreaking stuff to read!
Here's the first excerpt from the book:.......................................When They Move In Preflop It’s much more common in a tournament than a cash game but the criteria to use to call a pre-flop move-in are very similar. And it’s possible to calculate with precision exactly what you need to be favored when you call this bet. But using guidelines is almost as good. First,
If I have QQ, and I three bet someone and they four bet me,
How often will they have AA or AK or KK if they’re four bet range is AA AK KK or A5s 20% of the time they get it
TOP was a great book but poker has long past Sklansky by. He's no different than any other dusty old min buying nit in games these days.
Hi, will read and review an early copy if anyone would like.
Without wanting to sound like a jerk: Sounds like a book authors put out when the game passed them by a couple of years ago.
You’re right. You do sound like a jerk. However, assuming we get the book done and published sometime next year, you’ll be able to get a copy and judge for yourself. Also, in the near future I’ll post one or two chapters from the book right here in this t
Seems like we were both right.
I'm just curious but how do you know this? Have you played poker with David? Do you even know him?
Yes I've played plo with him at the Wynn in Vegas and have friends who have played nl with him all since covid reopenings.
No I don't know him personally other than the probably 5-6 times I've played with him.
Yes I've played plo with him at the Wynn in Vegas and have friends who have played nl with him all since covid reopenings.
No I don't know him personally other than the probably 5-6 times I've played with him.
This says to me you have very little knowledge of what David knows and understands. At least you're honest. In the future, I suggest that you don't insult people who you know very little about.
This says to me you have very little knowledge of what David knows and understands. At least you're honest. In the future, I suggest that you don't insult people who you know very little about.
He plays 1-2 hands an hour and sits out of bomb pots despite min buying which is a massive advantage in double board bomb pots. If you didn't know who he was you'd think he was just another old guy who plays like a typical old guy. From what people told me in NL he does the same thing (except generally no BPs in those games.)
Like I said TOP was a great book. I learned a lot from it. I'm sure he's forgotten more math than I'll ever know. I don't really think me reporting what I've seen from him is insulting. Poker has changed a ton in the last decade let alone since TOP, which was way ahead of its time when it was written. Like you said I'm just being honest. I've said nothing about him as a person or anything else about him other than what I've seen from him at the poker table.
I've never played with you so I would never comment on your play. For all I know you might wipe the floor with me in NL.
Maybe it turns out to be a great book. But I see nothing wrong with talking about someone's recent poker play on a poker forum about a poker book.
"Poker has changed a ton in the last decade let alone since TOP"
Interesting. I think of that scene in the movie Hoosiers where the coach takes measurements and shows his players that it the same as back home. Right now I can go to GTO Wizard's Blog, RIO, RCP, and CLP and read/view content that is TOP paraphrased.
He plays 1-2 hands an hour and sits out of bomb pots despite min buying which is a massive advantage in double board bomb pots. If you didn't know who he was you'd think he was just another old guy who plays like a typical old guy. From what people told me in NL he does the same thing (except generally no BPs in those games.)Like I said TOP was a great book. I learned a lot f
It seems like you have a problem with David. I suggest that the next time you see him you try talking to him to see if he's out of date.
By the way, David does play bomb pots. However, I don't. In my book Cardrooms: Everything Bad and How to Make Them Better on page 74 I wrote the following:
Next, I want to mention what is known as bomb pots which have become popular in some cardrooms. For those who don’t know, a bomb pot is when all players agree to put a predetermined amount of money in the pot when they receive their first two cards. Then, the real betting action begins on the flop.
It should be clear that bomb pots not only change the structure of the game, but that they affect the balance of luck and skill towards luck. But they also have another much bigger problem. Bomb pots allow each player to not only see his starting two cards but the flop as well (and two flops in double board bomb pots). In addition, there will be a lot of money in the pot before the real betting starts. This creates an ideal situation for players who want to collude, and because of this fact, no poker room should ever allow bomb pots.
Since I wrote this, I think it would be hypocritical of me to play bomb pots. And again, in my opinion, no poker room should ever spread them.
I'm just curious but how do you know this? Have you played poker with David? Do you even know him?
As a dusty, old min-buying nit myself, I'm not sure that was an insult about David.
Yes, I knew him many years ago, although I do not recall ever playing poker against him.
Was he a nit ? I can say his only observation watching my live play in a low level cash game was, "You know, you don't have to play every hand"
I thought it was pretty funny, perhaps intentionally so.
