Comment on Greenstein Rating

[barryg1]

I want to thank Maurile, Mason, Felicia and many others for their glowing reviews. It is probably not politically correct for me to do this, since it is a little like praising people for complimenting me. I take their comments to mean that they got a lot out of the book.

I looked at the negative reviews also, because I wanted to understand what kinds of players I didn't resonate with. It seems that a lot of my material isn't relevant to players who play solely on the Internet and who don't value my advice on personal interaction. I also suspect that these players don't have children since many players with families have told me that I have handled the family issues well. Also, my detractors don't seem to care about writing ability or the beautiful photographs. Hopefully, once they get their "systems of play" solidified from experience and reading 2+2 books and other books, they will revisit what I have to say when they play in the higher-limit brick and mortar cash games and tournaments.

I have already gotten numerous e-mails from players who have had their best session or best tournament finishes after reading my book. I think that the closest summary of their comments is that I made their thinking about hands and about themselves more focused on the right things.

Barry

[TransientR]

[ QUOTE ]
I want to thank Maurile, Mason, Felicia and many others for their glowing reviews. It is probably not politically correct for me to do this, since it is a little like praising people for complimenting me. I take their comments to mean that they got a lot out of the book.

I looked at the negative reviews also, because I wanted to understand what kinds of players I didn't resonate with. It seems that a lot of my material isn't relevant to players who play solely on the Internet and who don't value my advice on personal interaction. I also suspect that these players don't have children since many players with families have told me that I have handled the family issues well. Also, my detractors don't seem to care about writing ability or the beautiful photographs. Hopefully, once they get their "systems of play" solidified from experience and reading 2+2 books and other books, they will revisit what I have to say when they play in the higher-limit brick and mortar cash games and tournaments.

I have already gotten numerous e-mails from players who have had their best session or best tournament finishes after reading my book. I think that the closest summary of their comments is that I made their thinking about hands and about themselves more focused on the right things.

Barry

[/ QUOTE ]

In addition, Barry, the ever vigilant and critical 2+2 typo police have been uncommonly quiet re. the editing of your book.

If poker doesn't pan out for you; ask the powers-that-be at 2+2 about proofreading consulting [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Frank

[MicroBob]

[ QUOTE ]
the assumption is that you are already an excellent player!

[/ QUOTE ]


I am enjoying the book a bit more now.
But I never expected it to make me a $4k/$8k player.

I don't need a book to tell me, "Hey....if you suck at betting sports then don't blow all your money on that."
or, "If you win a lot but spend it all you won't have a lot of money left."

I also am thinking about the section near the beginning where he runs through the different people in a poker-room and mentions that you should probably be tipping them if they do something for you.


If you are already an advanced poker-player and don't already know, "Hey...you should be tipping the dealers and chip-runners" then I don't think this book is going to help you figure that out.


He has some interesting perspectives on the game and the society. And his background sheds some light as to why he seems to have had some serious money management problems (basically....he got pretty good quite quickly and had a lot of money when he was young).

But at many parts it is NOT an advanced poker-guide nor is it directed to an advanced audience.
Stuff like "Don't spend everything you win" does NOT qualify as solid money-management advice.
Stuff like "Tip the dealers because they count on your tips" does NOT give me an advanced look into the world of the poker-room that I just wasn't aware of before.
What about tipping the floor-man when I get a phone-call that there is someone fishy in the big-game? Shouldn't this be obvious to the big-game players.
I think it's interesting that Barry gets phone-calls about this....but for most of the readers it isn't like the 'advice' is very practical. It's just an interesting side-note that he gets a phone-call when a 'live' one is at his table.


Anyway, some of the book is just 'fluff' and I would rate the book more of a 7 or 8.
Not because I was expecting the book to make me into the next WSOP champ or ultra-successful 'big game' player.

I was NOT expecting anything too tactical.

I just expected it to be more interesting all the way through.
There are PARTS that are terrific. But the beginners' fluff is just a little bit silly imo.


Sorry Barry - I hope you don't hold it too much against me if ever we were to get the opportunity to meet.
I am enjoying the interesting parts of the book immensely.
I'm perhaps just being overly-critical of the stuff I think is a bit 'filler-ish'.

[steamboatin]

You are a class act and that is good for poker.

[slavic]

I finished this book lastnight and I'm off to read the latest Harry Potter.

This is without a doubt the best poker book that I could have read at this time. As a warning if you don't have a foundation of playing reasonably well on autopilot then it probably won't do much for you, but I can tell you that the sections that people have been calling trash are absolutly sound and well worth the read.

[Nick B.]

Mason, do you know who is the noted poker author who kept limping in the sb with the maniac who would raise his BB everytime?

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Nick:

No. But for sure it's not David or myself. He also states that this happened in the early 1990s, and that only leaves one other author, as far as I know, who would have been playing that game at that limit.

Best wishes,
Mason

[-Skeme-]

Did anybody order it from Overstock? I preordered a few weeks ago and it still hasn't arrived.

[Nick B.]

Mason,
I know that it was first quoted that the book would cost around $100, were there any changes to make it $25 or is it the same. I think it was an enjoyable book for $25, but would probably disappointed if it were $100.

[johnnybeef]

[ QUOTE ]
This is without a doubt the best poker book that I could have read at this time. As a warning if you don't have a foundation of playing reasonably well on autopilot then it probably won't do much for you, but I can tell you that the sections that people have been calling trash are absolutly sound and well worth the read.

[/ QUOTE ]

spot on imo. this book is not for those who are looking for the ins and outs of how to play a hand. rather, it is for those who already know how to play a hand and want to take it to the next level.