Done reading HOH 2....anyone else ? lets discuss

[rockythecat99]

I am going to be the first to predict that the Inflection point theory will be misused by many to justify going all in with trash. I obviously need to reread it but after reading it once I just wonder how bad online tourneys will be now. I always here some idiot trying to justify his play by taking something he read on a book and completely misusing the concept.

Other than that 2+2ers will really benefit from it. Anyeone finished with it so we can discuss?

[Gallopin Gael]

I'm just finishing up chapter 9. I know it's going to change my game up quite a bit. I've always still waited for a better than average hand when I hit the Red Zone. Now I know not to let it happen and to make a move much sooner than with 2 rounds left.

[rockythecat99]

This is definitely true. It is funny but the last final table I got to I got there by playing the correct way when I thougth I was being a maniac. I went in with any two and picked the blinds and antes 2-3 times in a row while I was in the red zone. This built my stack up and some doubles ups with actual decent hands got me to the final table.

[jojobinks]

i'm on p. 200.

it'll certainly be used. misused? i don't think so. in short, he's saying a move with any two when you're first in and in the redzone is very often correct. kinda hard to misuse that, right?

that being said, the fish don't read books like this one. they read hellmuth, if anything.

i <3 you, dan harrington, for providing these two books.

[BarronVangorToth]

Many of the concepts are certainly groundbreaking and, even though I have gotten more out of volume 1 as I've read it so many times, I think there's a good chance volume 2 ends up being the most profitable and revolutionary of the two.

Regardless, of the poker names putting out books, Harrington has definitely set the bar VERY high for those coming out with new books in the future.

Barron Vangor Toth
www.BarronVangorToth.com

[TheShootah]

Frankly, seeing people talk about it makes me pissed I didn't preorder. I was thinking, hmmm, I will just stop by B&N one day after work. Needless to say, it isn't in yet, and I am crying about it. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[MVicuna]

Hi,

I read it last night. I'm must missing the revolutionary bits. All of what was discussed is 'common' knowledge in the MTT and SnG forums.

It is nice to have Harrington confirm the strategies discussed in those forums as being good and profitable.

Thanks,
MarkV.

[rockythecat99]

Well Mvicuna I think Harrington does a way better job at explaining concepts and showing new ones like M factor. I really don't think that people other than paul phillips in this board are at that level. It is funny how much credit you give people on these boards as even Greg Raymer didnt realize what Harrington was doing when he reraised Raymer and Arieh with 62o. He commented on it during his espn commentary that that hand was not in his mind.

[MVicuna]

Hi,

The 62o is just a regular old resteal vs two loose active players. Good players do this with AK and 77-99, experts do this with 62o.

The 'M' factor now has a name. Maybe the forum posters learned this from pros and passed it on to the forums, but never named it.

Its widely discussed that when you have less then 8-5BB you should be open pushing looking to double up. This is because your a bigger underdog to win or a big cash then 72o is to AA with less then 8BB.

Thanks,
MarkV.

[holman3rd]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi,

The 62o is just a regular old resteal vs two loose active players. Good players do this with AK and 77-99, experts do this with 62o.

The 'M' factor now has a name. Maybe the forum posters learned this from pros and passed it on to the forums, but never named it.

Its widely discussed that when you have less then 8-5BB you should be open pushing looking to double up. This is because your a bigger underdog to win or a big cash then 72o is to AA with less then 8BB.

Thanks,
MarkV.

[/ QUOTE ]

The difference is that a lot of the threads here on short stacks refer to your stack in terms of xBB. Harrington's M ratio is based on BB+SB+Antes, or what it costs you per orbit. Yeah, some of you are thinking "well, duh", but it was an eye-opener for me, as I'm a relatively new player (< 2 years experience)

I realize the concepts of how to use the ratio are the same (between what's discussed here and what Harrington talks about in his book).

Up to this point, I've kept a close eye on my stack in terms of xBB. Now that I include SB and antes, I realize that I approach the red zone a lot quicker than I think.

Before reading this book, I basically had two modes--Green Zone and Red Zone. Now I have two other zones in between to be aware of, as well as how to better calculate the ratio (M) that determines which zone I'm in.

What will be interesting to see is whether I go from green to red faster, given that my game will have to open up and become more aggressive as I move through yellow and orange (vs. previously where I was TAG until I reached red). The result, hopefully, will be that I cash more, but exit earlier when I don't cash. It will be interesting to contrast this to my tournament experiences up to this point where I either build a big stack early and eventually make the money, or bleed my chips away in what i thought was the green zone, when actually I was moving through the orange and yellow zones on my way to the red and dead zones.

I realize that more advanced players here may already know all of Harrington's concepts, but they've helped me.

Edit: I realize that stack size and M are not the only important concepts in tournament play. My comments are focused on this aspect only.