Slotboom on SSHE

[B 1329 O]

[ QUOTE ]
I hope that you don't take this the wrong way, but your understanding of hold 'em leaves a lot to be desired. If you want to improve at the game, I suggest you read and reread my books and then start posting on the Microlimits and Small Stakes forums.

I know you question somewhat fundamentally the concepts in my books, but I can assure you with the greatest confidence that your concerns are illusory.

[/ QUOTE ]

Let me take the effort to thank you for time and effort to assist me in understanding these issues. You are quite right I guess when you state that I don't know what the hell I am talking about when it comes to Holdem. If it was easy then everyone would be playing, right?
I have read your books. I have reread them and studied them to the point that I literaly have sucked a highlighter marker dry. I am willing to spend the time that is needed to be able to win. I was winning when I picked up my first 2+2 book and when I try to implement what they say I just loose. Not only do I loose more than normal I loose faster and more, lots more. I have posted hands and am told that I played them more or less correctly or sometimes I am berated for bothering the "experts" here.
I do question your concepts, but it is on mostly and emotionial level. Intellectually I have to say that I agree with most of your ideas because I can follow them and they make sense. I understand the logic and thought processes that you use to explain hands and I am willing to take on faith what I don't understand and apply it to my play. The fact remains that I can not seem to get them to work for me.
I am going to take a few days to get my feces coagulated, think about what I want from poker (it is not $$$), and set some realistic goals. Thank you for your input, you know more than I do. I would appreciate it if you have any thoughts on where or how I should start my poker reeducation if I decide to continue. If I do I will be starting from scratch. Good luck to you Sir, sorry I kind of hijacked this thread.

[MicroBob]

Nice post.
The ability to point the finger at oneself is SO important.


I suggest you kinda/sorta start from scratch.
Reading Ed Miller's newer beginner book Getting Started in Holdem might be a good start.

Keep posting and thinking about things over in the micro-limit strategy forum here and I think you'll be on your way.

[Clarkmeister]

You are more patient than me. I wouldn't have even bothered to respond to this bozo after your first attempt.

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi binions and everyone else:

I sure hope that no one here takes any of the Slotboom ratings and his advice too seriously. In my opinion he is just very confused on poker and how to play it well. This especially applies to limit hold 'em.

Our book Small Stakes Hold 'em creates a major problem for him. Even though he tries to be professional in his comments, he can't get by the fact that if SSH is correct or even reasonably correct, then most of his advice should be ignored since the book directly contradicts not only much of the specific advice that he gives, but his general overall weak tight philosophy.

For example, consistent with his view of the world he has given at least decent reviews to books like Championship Hold 'em by Cloutier and McEvoy, No Fold'em Hold'em by D.H. Shear, Play Poker Like the Pros by Phil Hellmuth, The Secret to Winning Big in Tournament Poker by Ken Buntjer, and Winner's Guide to Texas Hold 'em Poker by Ken Warren. (In fact, I think he has given at least decent reviews to every book he has reviewed. Perhaps someone will correct me if I'm wrong.)

If you just happen to believe that any of these books are at least okay, then SSH surely creates a problem for you. But the problem is even touger than this since SSH has been so well received by virtually everyone. Thus we see a review where he gives the Small Stakes Hold 'em his highest rating ever but makes statements like the following.

[ QUOTE ]
Mr. Sklansky's comment in the introduction that "making well over $50,000 per year playing $3-6 hold'em is now no big deal" (p. 2). In addition to the obvious question "How would he know - he probably has never played $3-6 in his entire life in a normal casino, let alone by multitabling on the Internet",

[/ QUOTE ]

Well Rolf, you have now exposed us, and David and I (along with Ed Miller) will now come clean. We use "magic" to arrive at our conclusions.

Best wishes,
Mason

[Wired Jokers]

[ QUOTE ]
I am going to take a few days to get my feces coagulated, think about what I want from poker (it is not $$$)...

[/ QUOTE ]

Would you like a hug instead?

[MicroBob]

[ QUOTE ]
he has given at least decent reviews to books like Championship Hold 'em by Cloutier and McEvoy, No Fold'em Hold'em by D.H. Shear, Play Poker Like the Pros by Phil Hellmuth, The Secret to Winning Big in Tournament Poker by Ken Buntjer, and Winner's Guide to Texas Hold 'em Poker by Ken Warren.

[/ QUOTE ]


He has? I don't read Rolf enough to have known about this. Interesting.

I have to admit I do like Rolf a bit more than many of the other card-player writers for some reason even though he is ridiculously weak-tight.

Even Ed said that Rolf's comments on that hand weren't THAT unfair...but I have to agree that his advice on limit hold-em does strike me as a bit odd sometimes.

The fact that he has postively reviewed some of the books you have listed there is REALLY noteworthy imo.



[ QUOTE ]
How would he know - he probably has never played $3-6 in his entire life in a normal casino, let alone by multitabling on the Internet",

[/ QUOTE ]


This criticism kind of surprises me too.
Obviously Sklansky also has his own forums at his disposal to determine what is really going on at the limits that he doesn't play.
As long as he knows that players really CAN play decent ABC poker on 4 (or more) online-tables at once then it is obvious that $1k a week ($25/hr X 40 hours) is VERY possible.
The fact that he can confirm this via those who have ACTUALLY DONE THIS should hold some weight also.



[ QUOTE ]
David and I (along with Ed Miller) will now come clean. We use "magic" to arrive at our conclusions.


[/ QUOTE ]


Crap!!
I freaking KNEW it!!

Forget all that sillyness I just said about confirming it via those who are actually doing it.

[Rudbaeck]

[ QUOTE ]
As long as he knows that players really CAN play decent ABC poker on 4 (or more) online-tables at once then it is obvious that $1k a week ($25/hr X 40 hours) is VERY possible.
The fact that he can confirm this via those who have ACTUALLY DONE THIS should hold some weight also.

[/ QUOTE ]

I tried explaining that to Slotboom, but I got a snotty response. Might have had something to do with my joke that Ed was a wee bit weak-tight who doesn't raise ATs UTG at 3/6...

[bygmesterf]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
he has given at least decent reviews to books like Championship Hold 'em by Cloutier and McEvoy, No Fold'em Hold'em by D.H. Shear, Play Poker Like the Pros by Phil Hellmuth, The Secret to Winning Big in Tournament Poker by Ken Buntjer, and Winner's Guide to Texas Hold 'em Poker by Ken Warren.

[/ QUOTE ]


He has? I don't read Rolf enough to have known about this. Interesting.

[/ QUOTE ]

He tends to find some redeming value in most poker books.

[ QUOTE ]

I have to admit I do like Rolf a bit more than many of the other card-player writers for some reason even though he is ridiculously weak-tight.

Even Ed said that Rolf's comments on that hand weren't THAT unfair...but I have to agree that his advice on limit hold-em does strike me as a bit odd sometimes.

[/ QUOTE ]

He's writing from the perspective of somone playing in game with a really brutal rake, say 10/20 Euro with 5% to 10Euro rake. In those games, you really can't afford to see alot of flops unless you are going to win them, defening your blinds liberally is typically a sucker play since the rake is so high for a heads up pot.

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi bygmesterf:

You're making excuses for him. Whether your point is valid or not, it doesn't mean that all of a sudden a terrible book is now pretty good.

Also, on his site he writes:

[ QUOTE ]
Every book is rated on a scale from 1 (terrible) to 10 (extremely good).


[/ QUOTE ]

But the lowest rating I see is a 4.5 (and there's only one of those), and the highest rating is an 8.5, so this certainly is not the case.

Best wishes,
Mason

[binions]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi binions and everyone else:

Our book Small Stakes Hold 'em creates a major problem for him.

Best wishes,
Mason

[/ QUOTE ]

Interesting observation. I will say that Rolf gave SSHE an extensive and mostly glowing review.