Are these Celeb poker boot camps worth it?

[PokerPaul]

hellmuth runs one, lederer has one, WPT runs one.

i have never considered one, from what i recall they are quite expensive, but from those who may have taken them..are they worth it for you? Or just worth it for the organizers to cash in on their name.

[Dan Mezick]

Get some real coaching instead.

You are much better off spending your money it on private coaching with pro tournament champ Jim Bucci at

www.pokercoaching.com (http://www.pokercoaching.com)


All the info you need on this is found on the web site.

[benkahuna]

I've never heard of this Jim guy, but given the successes of Ben Affleck, Jennifer Tilly, Jennifer Harman's husband, Men the Master's students, Barry Greenstein's proteges and other professionally coached players (including Feeney), it seems that coaching from top pros as well as top theorists can elevate most people's games to a fairly high level.

[benkahuna]

Oh yeah, and Mike Caro's students have gone on to do great things. Best example? Todd Brunson.

[henrikrh]

Get the best coach there is: Theory of Poker! He won't even back-talk you when you make a shitty play.

[RatFink]

I attended one of the tournament boot camps you named. I won't mention the specific one, since my experience may not be typical of others. The instructors were great, and the stories from the pro were also fun. However I found the material quite elementary. If you are just getting started in tournament play, or looking to learn some of the more basic elements then it is probably worth-while. But if you've already won enough to pay for the cost of the course then you'll find yourself staring at your shoes when they are talking about starting hands and pot-odds. What I found most lacking in the experience was any individual coaching time to discuss your specific issues.

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
I've never heard of this Jim guy, but given the successes of Ben Affleck, Jennifer Tilly, Jennifer Harman's husband, Men the Master's students, Barry Greenstein's proteges and other professionally coached players (including Feeney), it seems that coaching from top pros as well as top theorists can elevate most people's games to a fairly high level.

[/ QUOTE ]

1 on 1 is one thing. A poker bootcamp is another.

You can get just as good/if not better coaching here on the forum. Even from some of the people you named. Many of the best players aren't even in the limelight.

The answer to the original question is, yes, you are paying for the name. I'd sooner be tied up and whipped than to attend a Hellmuth bootcamp.

b

[colgin]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd sooner be tied up and whipped than to attend a Hellmuth bootcamp.

[/ QUOTE ]

POTD.

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi benkahuna:

I never heard this claim before. When was it made?

Best wishes,
Mason

[benkahuna]

I assume you're referring to Feeney here.

Feeney talks a little bit about coaching by Sklansky in his book. It wasn't signficant, mainly consisting of a few phone calls.

Haven't you read the book? :P page 104.

[Mason Malmuth]

No. I'm referring to what you just wrote.

[ QUOTE ]
Mike Caro's students have gone on to do great things. Best example? Todd Brunson

[/ QUOTE ]

MM

[Matt Flynn]

I believe it is in The Professor, the Banker and the Suicide King. The author reports that Doyle did not teach Todd and in fact when Todd went to him for help he instead got Mike Caro to tutor him for 10 hours. Just my recollection, cannot site chapter and verse.

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Matt:

I find that just amazing. Anyway, it's the first I ever heard it, and Todd has been around playing poker very successfully for a bunch of years.

Best wishes,
Mason

[Ray Zee]

ill set the record straight on that one. i just called todd up and asked him. he said mike did give him some lessons for just a few hours when he was like 19 or something. that was his exact words.

[benkahuna]

[ QUOTE ]
ill set the record straight on that one. i just called todd up and asked him. he said mike did give him some lessons for just a few hours when he was like 19 or something. that was his exact words.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm glad you called to straighten that out. Heh.

It was from TPTBATSK that I took that one.

I might have been chomping at the bit saying Todd was Mike's most successful student, but obviously he's done very well.