Book Review Request for Al Schoonmaker

[MushashiAce]

is this the type of boof a novice player, who's read Sklansky, supersystem, etc.. but playes with newbies, fishes, and other inexperienced players, should read? Or will it just confuse and dazzle me???

[jedi]

[ QUOTE ]
"We advise that you play a more daring, aggressive, and attacking style than any 'small stakes' book ever written. We do not want to turn rank beginners into successful recreational players. We want to turn eager students of the game into experts. We want you to play well enough to earn $50,000 a year or more playing $3-$6 online. We want to provide you with the skills necessary to move up to $30-$60 games and higher. We do not want you to beat small stakes games. We want you to CRUSH them!"
Regards,
Al

[/ QUOTE ]

Do these skills apply for the higher limit games as well? Ones where there aren't 6 people seeing every flop? I think it's hard to imagine that I'll be able to use this book if and when I move up to the higher limits, simply because people will be playing better and I can't exploit some of the lower limit thinking that this book will have us prey on.

[Al Schoonmaker]

It will help you because it is designed for serious players who play against poor ones. HPFAP is for serious players who play against medioce and better ones.
Regards,
Al

[Al Schoonmaker]

It will be useful on a few subjects such as counting outs, but players in those games would benefit more from HPFAP. Two plus two has deliberately aimed books at narrowly defined markets. My book is "A textbook for poker psychology 101." John Feeney's book is for more advanced players. Ditto Small Stakes and Advanced HE.
One of the greatest weaknesses of nearly all poker books is that they are NOT designed for specific markets. I have read material aimed at beginners in books that claim to be for advanced players. And most poker books have no market except poker players in general.
ALL well crafted books have a defined market. If a book claims to be "The complete book" of anything,you can be absolutely certain that it does not clearly match the needs of any type of readers.
Regards,
Al

[Ed Miller]

Do these skills apply for the higher limit games as well? Ones where there aren't 6 people seeing every flop?

It depends on the particular games, but many of the ones I play in (when I play for income) fit within the scope of the book. For instance, two weeks ago I spent the weekend playing $40-$80 at the Commerce. That game was loose, and many of the ideas from the book applied.

In fact, I got to use a tell-based play in that game that is almost directly from the book.

A loose and weak player limped in first in from middle position. I raised from late position with A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. The blinds folded and the limper called (heads-up for two bets... this was NOT common for this game... most hands were at least four-handed). The flop came 9 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]4 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. He checked, I bet, and he called immediately. The turn was the 8 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. He checked, holding eight chips in his hand, and then he suspended those chips directly over the table in a gesture that meant, "I'm calling if you bet." That gesture is a weak one... I interpreted it to mean that he had a very small pair. He didn't like his hand, but he was going to call. So I checked.

He bet the river dark. It was the Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. I raised, and he showed five-four (offsuit) and mucked. The tell let me know exactly what he had, and exactly how weak he was. I knew that he would likely release to a bluff-raise on the river, especially when a big card like a queen or king came off.

I have an example of a very similar situation in the book.