Nick Christenson suggests some topics.

[NickChristenson]

Matthew suggested that I suggest some topics that might be good ones for discussion. I'll do that here.

First, as Matthew indicated, I've written a large number of gambling book reviews. One of my reviews of a poker book appears in every-other issue of "Poker Player" newspaper, which can be picked up in just about any U.S. poker room or downloaded on the Internet at http://www.pokerplayernewspaper.com/. My archive of gambling book reviews that I've written is available at: http://www.jetcafe.org/~npc/reviews/gambling/.

There are very few gambling books that I've read that aren't reviewed there, so if your question is, "What did you think of some book?" if a review isn't up on the web site, it's unlikely I've read it. I just updated the web site today so it's 100% current.

Oh, I usually wait 30 days or so before putting up reviews that have just been published in "Poker Player", so my review of Tony Korfman's "Texas Hold'em: Tournaments, Cash Games, and Embarrassing Social Gas" that appeared in the latest "Poker Player" is not yet up on my web site.

Currently, I'm reading Tommy Angelo's "Elements of Poker". Next up on my reading list is Des Wilson's "Ghosts at the Table".

As was mentioned in another thread, Russ Fox and I recently co-authored the book "Winning Strategies for No-Limit Hold'em". I provided some information on what this book is about in another thread, but I'm happy to take any questions on it.

Also, again, as Matthew indicated in my intro, I'm the maintainer of a web page titled "Las Vegas Casino Death Watch". It's online at http://www.jetcafe.org/~npc/gambling/casino_death_watch.html. It tracks Las Vegas casino news, emphasizing closings. I recently did this year's version of an annual Q&A on the topic that I do for the web site http://www.VegasTripping.com. The interview can be found here: http://www.vegastripping.com/features/feature.php?feature_id=132&page=1

That's the stuff I expect to be of interest to folks at this forum, although I'm willing to entertain questions on other topics as well.

Fire away!

[ciaran]

Winning Strategies for No-Limit Hold'em is also available in the ITH store (at a discount for the month of March) and Free Gift Offer.

[jfletcher]

Hello Nick. I notice that your co-author, Russ Fox, also wrote a no-limit book with Scott Harker. I've read that one, and found it somewhat useful, but pretty elementary.

In what ways is your book significantly different from that one?

(I'm probably still going to buy yours, because with poker books I find that even I get just one useful idea out of the whole book, it's well worth $20 or whatever.)

[NickChristenson]

jfletcher:

Russ and Scott wrote "Mastering No-Limit Hold'em", which I would describe as a good book for those new to NL hold'em or coming to NL from limit poker. Its target audience really isn't experienced NL players.

Our new book, "Winning Strategies for No-Limit Hold'em" assumes familiarity with the game. I would say that it is aimed at the "intermediate" NL player, although I hope that most advanced players will learn some things from it, or at least take a look at what they already know from a new vantage point.

Another thread in this forum contains a more detailed description of the topics we discuss, but I hope this answers your question.

[toom]

Nice collection of reviews on your site.

Two questions:

1) Is the Hwang Omaha book on your list? This one is generating a LOT of discussion as possibly the best PLO book to come down the pike (it has small sections on LO8 and PLO8 too).

Having picked up two buy-ins at live PLO last weekend kind of stokes that interest a little too

Given the currency of this book, it might make a great review for PPN.


2) I look forward to reading your book as well. Bet sizing post-flop always feels like a weakness to me, so I should gain something. NLHE cash turns out to be a grind for me, because I feel like I'm overbetting too much with the best hand. I'm confident in my value calls, but I think I'm leaving chips on the table when I have the best hand. How will your NLHE book address this?

[NickChristenson]

toom said:
Nice collection of reviews on your site.

Thanks! I'm pretty proud of it at this point.

toom said:
Is the Hwang Omaha book on your list?

It's a book that intrigues me, but I don't yet have a copy. I have plenty to read, so I don't know when/if I'll get around to it. I like the stuff Hwang writes on casino company finances for Motley Fool (there is a lot of overlap with what I track for the Death Watch), but I just don't know when I'd get to his PLO book.

toom said:
I look forward to reading your book as well. Bet sizing post-flop always feels like a weakness to me, so I should gain something.

This sort of thing makes you sound like an ideal candidate to read our book. I can't guarantee you'll agree with everything we have to say about bet sizing, but I can all but guarantee we'll say some stuff on the topic that makes a big difference in how you approach this particular nuance of the game. I would be interested in hearing back from you whether this is the case or not.

toom said:
I'm confident in my value calls, but I think I'm leaving chips on the table when I have the best hand. How will your NLHE book address this?

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure how the book will address this topic. I think it will help some on this particular question, but I'm not sure how. I'll take one flier on this topic, though.

When playing winning limit poker, it is important to make those thin value bets on the river to increase you're overall win rate. In no-limit this isn't the case. Betting your semi-strong hands on the river in many circumstances will get you into a lot more trouble than you'll gain. If your opponent has been sandbagging or hit their draw, you'll get popped and lose a lot of money, whereas if your opponent misses he'll just fold a much smaller pot. In any case, it's correct to just check down a lot of NL hands that one ought to bet for value in the same situation in limit poker.

So, maybe it will be the case that after reading our book you'll decide that you're not leaving chips on the table with your river play. I don't know.