New Milestone

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Everyone:

The growth of these forums still continues to amaze. We've just had our first 24 hour period where there were more than 5,000 posts.

Thanks again to everyone for all the support.

Best wishes,
Mason

[nothumb]

Hi Mason,

Thank the Red Sox and Yankees. I think they were responsible for about 20% of those posts.

NT

[bisonbison]

Congrats.

[The Dude]

What % of those are from "other other topics"?

[whiskeytown]

or politics...sure it'll get quieter when we re-elect the Commander in Thief. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

rb

[astroglide]

yes, and it's all SPORTS POSTS in the OTHER TOPICS FORUM :'( please fork

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
or politics...sure it'll get quieter when we re-elect the Commander in Thief. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

rb

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah but those people who said they are going to leave the country will have internet access there as well.

[DrSavage]

As Bart Simpson had to write on a blackboard a few times at the beginning of some episode:

"I will not celebrate meaningless milestones. I will not celebrate meaningless milestones. I will not celebrate meaningless milestones. I will not celebrate meaningless milestones. I will not celebrate meaningless milestones. I will not celebrate meaningless milestones."

[uw_madtown]

I deem your sample size insufficient.

Someone had to say it.

[jrobb83]

[ QUOTE ]
What % of those are from "other other topics"?

[/ QUOTE ]

Who cares? It's a testament to the success of these forums that even this topic would cause a flurry of postings on a poker strategy based forum.

Congrats Mason, and keep pumping out the highest quality gambling literature in the business.

[Mike Gallo]

Mason,

When can I get a tee shirt or hat?

I think you should get them for your first 10 members. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[jrobb83]

[ QUOTE ]
Mason,

When can I get a tee shirt or hat?

I think you should get them for your first 10 members.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would even be willing to pay actual money for a 2+2 t-shirt or hat.

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi jrobb83:

We actually want to get some logo wear. I've talked to a couple of people hoping to make this happen but so far no luck.

Best wishes,
Mason

[astroglide]

you'll need a good logo before you can make good logo wear!

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Astro:

I think we have a pretty good logo. It looks something like

2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif + 2/images/graemlins/club.gif = 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif

Best wishes,
Mason

[GWB]

[ QUOTE ]
2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif + 2/images/graemlins/club.gif = 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif



[/ QUOTE ]

That is blatant Spade /images/graemlins/spade.gif discrimination.

[The Dude]

I've got news for you, Mason. 2+2's does a very poor job graphically. Your books look terrible, and that logo is not "pretty good." If you're talking about selling merchandise that has the 2+2 logo on it, you really need something bettter than that.

[Ray Zee]

two plus two sells itself. it is a collection of the best info, pokerplayers, books, and people around. it doesnt need no stinkin pretty pictures.

[DrSavage]

Have you even read the thread ? Books may sell themselves but tshirts won't.

[scrub]

Inthacup has already written on his wildly fashionable Mason hat. Those author bio photos from HFAP, etc. are a potential goldmine....

Couldn't you see a replacement for the Johnny Damon shirts? "Mason is my homeboy!"...

scrub

[Mayhap]

It's a private club.

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
If you're talking about selling merchandise that has the 2+2 logo on it, you really need something bettter than that.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've always thought that next time I go to Vegas I'm going to get a shirt or hat made with a brown trout on it, just to see if anyone down there notices.

[spamuell]

I've always thought that next time I go to Vegas I'm going to get a shirt or hat made with a brown trout on it, just to see if anyone down there notices.

You should get one of a brown cod, just so that if anyone does ask whether it's a brown trout you can look at them like they're a complete moron and say, "uh... no, it's a cod. duh."

[thomastem]

[ QUOTE ]
two plus two sells itself. it is a collection of the best info, pokerplayers, books, and people around. it doesnt need no stinkin pretty pictures.

[/ QUOTE ]

McDonalds doesn't have the best food yet they out sell most if not all restaurants. Quality is great but perception is better.

McDonalds, Micro Soft, and several other business leaders lead their industries with an inferior product. They do it with marketing.

If your goal is to be like Apple Computers then I would stick with the current logo.

[The Dude]

[ QUOTE ]
two plus two sells itself. it is a collection of the best info, pokerplayers, books, and people around. it doesnt need no stinkin pretty

[/ QUOTE ]
Personally, I couldn't care less what the covers look like. I know they're the best books available, and the cover doesn't influence my buying decision. But it does for many, many people. If the goal of 2+2 is to sell books, there's absalutely no reason to not have a decent cover.

If I hired a graphic artist to produce a book cover, and they came up with the sh[/i]it that's on 2+2 books, I'd be changing design firms.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
I know they're the best books available, and the cover doesn't influence my buying decision. But it does for many, many people.

[/ QUOTE ] A short anecdote.

When I bought my first 2+2 book, Sklansky's "Texas Hold 'Em"(not the advanced version), I first thought when I looked at it, "wtf is this, haha, this looks like its made by some amatuers, especially compared to that shinny book by Hellmuth", well I was wrong of course, the book was awesome and it completely changed my game. But I imagine quite a few people see the covers of these books and think the same thing, especially if you had never heard of 2+2 or Sklansky(the horror!) and his cronies.

BTW, I am glad I bought the book too, but you could sell way more if you updated them to the style of the 21st century.

[theBruiser500]

ray zee, you should write more poker books. are going to?

[theBruiser500]

ray zee, you should write more poker books. are you going to?

[Ray Zee]

no because i cant find anyone to make a pretty cover and no one would buy it without one. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

maybe someday.

[ThaSaltCracka]

I'll make one for you, my price is low too, perfect right?

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Dude:

Our graphics designer just retired. The replacement is a lot younger. The first cover he did is SSH.

By the way, Ray Zee should retire pretty soon.

Best wishes,
Mason

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Salt:

The cover of Hold 'em Poker is an amatuer design and was designed by amatuers. We used the original design from the 1976 edition as a way to help preserve the historical value of this text which we consider to be the first modern poker book.

Best wishes,
Mason

[astroglide]

that was new? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[The Dude]

[ QUOTE ]
The replacement is a lot younger. The first cover he did is SSH.

[/ QUOTE ]
No offense, but he's just as bad. Have you ever thought of hiring a real graphic design firm? There is no doubt in my mind it would boost sales, and not just a little.

[Mars357]

To be blunt, I don't want 2+2 selling more books. Let the masses walk up and pick a pretty book that will make it easier for me to take their money! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Mason Malmuth]

We had that cover deliberately designed so that it would mimic the covers in the for Advanced Players series. Our next books will be his first true effort.

By the way, all art wort, including covers, is done by Digital Color Network, which is part of Creel Printing Company here in Las Vegas.

Best wishes,
Mason

[Mars357]

[ QUOTE ]
Our next books will be his first true effort.

[/ QUOTE ]

Any chance of teasing us with the topics of your "next books?"

[ThaSaltCracka]

That book is like the ugly duckling.... oh well, I am glad I was able to discover it.

[The Dude]

I would strongly suggest changing the cover for your existing books the next round of printing. Keep a box of copies for sentimental value if you wish, but all 2+2 books will sell more to new players if they have better covers.

[Sponger15SB]

c'mon but every time i see 83o it means something to me /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[cbruno]

I have a love-hate relationship with 2 + 2 publishing and the forums.

On the one hand, its a great source for the best poker information and discussion--you cant beat Malmuth and Sklansky's books.

On the other hand, they get the info out there, and the games in turn get tougher to beat!!!!!!

Read my concern regarding the Efficient Poker Hypothesis in the poker theory forum...

[TomCollins]

[ QUOTE ]
c'mon but every time i see 83o it means something to me

[/ QUOTE ]

Double Down!

[Blarg]

I kind of feel the same way to a certain extent. I don't want 2+2's book sales to cut into my chance of one day being able to afford a hairstyle like Donald Trump's.

[judgesmails]

I agree with the sentiments of others above regarding your covers and logo. They are antiqated and unappealing to the masses.

Without doubt, Two Plus Two Publishing's (TPTP) content stands alone as the best source of poker information - both online and book forms. This may be enough to satisfy the stakeholders of TPTP. If it is not, and you desire more commercial business, you should consider a new marketing and branding effort.

The market for your products has never been better, and may never get any better. If ever there was a time to capitalize on the quality of your product with equal quality marketing - it is now.

I live in Las Vegas, have an MBA, and through my work experiences know an expert in this field. PM if you want her contact information.

[Senor Choppy]

[ QUOTE ]
Our graphics designer just retired.

[/ QUOTE ]

You actually had someone on the payroll for this?

There are probably 50-100 people that post here that have a copy of Photoshop/Illustrator that would be happy to design something a logo and book covers that are a lot more professional looking.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

LOVE the ridiculous hands chosen for the cover of SSH. TOTALLY appropriate.

al

[Sundevils21]

Mason,

don't change the covers for the "advanced series". I love the 2+2 artwork. When I was new to poker I would go to the "Gamblers General Store" in LV. When you don't know much about authors or anything, its kinda like picking a needle out of a haystack. Luckily, I picked up HPFAP(instead of most other books). Then I found this site and realized that HPFAP was way over my head at that point.
All of that because I liked the cover and the way HPFAP was organized. 3 /images/graemlins/club.gif8 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif FOREVER!

[scalf]

/images/graemlins/grin.gif actually, mason, one of the key points you made in posts regarding the 2 + 2 forum; aside from being high quality and truthfull; you wanted to also have some fun; ..

yeah....fun

i hope you do not lose this aspect of the forum

gl

/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /images/graemlins/heart.gif