[nate1729]

Disclaimer. I was uniquely disposed to like this book. Matt Matros went to Yale, was a math major (but never took a course in game theory), is an avid poker player, and got his MFA in creative writing. I am a week away from graduating from Yale; I'm a math major (who never took a course in game theory,) but I want to be a writer; I'm an avid poker player. Let's just say a whole lot of the book hit close to home.

Narrative. There's a lot to be enjoyed just in following Matt through his early tournaments and home games. His RGP fanaticism is a little much, but just about everything else is engaging. For serious players, reading about his first home games will probably bring back memories; for beginners, reading about big-time casino experiences will probably provide a vicarious thrill. (And just about everyone will enjoy the afterword, wherein he describes his WPT run. It's the McManus Effect: hearing about someone else's run through a big tournament is far more captivating than there's any good reason for it to be.

Strategy. Lots of good stuff. The game theory excursion was one of the most enjoyable sections; it was enough to get me to resolve to learn some of this stuff. Part of me wishes he'd have described more of his tournament hands in strategic detail, but there's already a lot of content.

Annoyances. The recommended reading is a short step from insane. I'm just going to hope that Matros recommended Ken Warren's book for sentimental reasons, because Ken Warren couldn't give coherent poker advice if his life depended on it.* HEPFAP is only given "Other Interesting Books" status, and he says to ignore what I believe is good material on loose games and shorthanded games. Also, earlier in the book he says that HEPFAP is just a set of opening standards and a collection of plays, and I don't think that's a fair grounds for criticism; if you understand all the material you'll be able to play well without being told explicitly what to do with Nth pair on every street. Also, there is a slight problem with his recommendation of The Mathematics of Poker; as I understand, the book isn't out yet. That would have been a good thing to mention.

Also, there are more grammatical mistakes than are comfortable to read. Sklansky and Malmuth almost take pride in punctuating incorrectly, but if you're not going to be obnoxious about it, at least get it right. (Isn't that what proofreaders are for?)

Overall. Good stuff. Worth the fifteen bucks.

--Nate




*Sample Ken Warren advice:
-You should be sadder to lose your money to a tight player than a loose player.
-You should stretch your hand requirements against a loose player, so you win his money before everyone else does.
-Don't raise AK preflop except under very special circumstances... you don't even have a pair yet!