TJ’s advice

If I remember correctly, writers Natedog and Greg Raymer said, on this forum, that TJ’s no-limit and pot-limit book is worthless. One of them presented the idea that he thought that the book is meant to be a “curve ball” against TJ’s opponents.

I agree that the book is messy and badly written. But as I said earlier, the book has influenced the way I play. By the way, I play almost exclusively in cash games and not in tournaments.

1) Does the book contain any harmful advice? If so, what’s the advice?
2) Does the book contain advice that is useful in tournaments but bad in cash games, without this being clear to the reader. If so, what’s the advice?
3) Is anyone, who has played with TJ, willing to describe situations where TJ usually doesn’t play the way he recommends in the book.

These questions are only about the book “Championship no-limit and pot-limit hold’em”. His Omaha book is clearly a piece of junk.

[Greg (FossilMan)]

I have made negative comments about this book, but not the "curveball" comment. I have never played a cash game with TJ, only tourneys, so I can't speak to differences of that sort.

It has been a long time since I read the book, and I do not recall anything specific anymore. My main recollection is that the book is simply a recipe for weak-tight play, and that it is also poorly worded.

Finally, the 7-2 story in that book (I'm pretty sure it was that book, but it might have been another) is so annoying that even if the rest of the book was good I'd still hate it.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[shaniac]

What's the 72 story?

[drewjustdrew]

I think he is referring to the advice that sometimes it is just time to make a move with a 7-2 when you are low and facing the blinds. Either that or McEvoy or TJ raised UTG with 7-2 because people would expect a stronger than usual hand here. He got called and flopped a full house. Haven't read it in a couple years though.

I liked some of the advice, but it was fairly weak play. It was mainly suited toward the WSOP, so it is probably decent advice for a cash game where stacks are deep. In a normal weekly tournament, I think you want to play a little looser and more aggressive since you start with a smaller relative stack.

I also hated the repetitive stories that added flavor. I didn't realize this book was targeted at people interested in the human side of the poker world. Poker for Dummies has good biographical stories of champs - I was browsing it in the bookstore yesterday.

[Greg (FossilMan)]

This is a weak paraphrase, as I don't recall exactly how it was worded.

TJ was in a tourney, and had raised quite a few hands in a row and successfully stolen the blinds. I forget if he was the chip leader, or if he had been so short he needed to gather chips, and had just happened to receive a few good hands in a row. In either event, he now got dealt 72o, and decided he could raise again anyway and steal again. Instead, he got called this time, but the flop came 227, and he won a very big pot.

This is all fine. He thought he could steal, but misjudged and got lucky. However, after describing the 72o hand, he makes a comment to the effect "You see, it's all about timing."

Gag me. Timing my ass. He misjudged and got lucky, nothing else. Now, if he had gotten dealt AA and realized he was going to get played with this time and raised again (as opposed to slowplaying it), then he would have something to teach us. Similarly, if his next hand had been a strong but very vulnerable hand like ATs and he passed, knowing he was getting played with this time, we could learn. But getting caught with 72o, flopping a house, and then saying it was due to his good timing is a BIG load of crap.

Either that or he's using the word "timing" to mean "luck".

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[Guy McSucker]

Either that or he's using the word "timing" to mean "luck"

I'm pretty sure that's what he's doing. He does it elsewhere too I think. It drives me mad, especially when coupled with lines like "Another great quality top players have is timing" and such.

Guy.

I really didn't want to post this, but feel like if I didn't, I would be passing due to the overall view of this thread. I found T.J.'s book to not only be very entertaining, but also very informative. Granted, my experience in pot-limit and no-limit is most likely much less than the other posters here, but since reading his book, I have improved a great deal and am substantially on the plus side of the tournaments I've entered. I also have read and re-read a number of other tournament books and have found that one can always learn something new and profitable, even if there are parts that one disagrees with in theory.