Question for Mason and the 2+2 authors about shorthanded NL

Albert Moulton · #1 08-19-2007, 11:38 AM

Have you guys approached the 6-max video creators at Cardrunners.com about collaborating on turning that information into a short-handed NL book?

I suspect that since they don't spread short-handed games live that the target market for such a book might be small, but I'd buy it. And based on the traffic the NL forums, 6-max NL is VERY popular with the online crowd.

Have you given any thought to either that kind of a book and/or that kind of a collaboration with those guys on the subject?

Thanks.

fraac · #2 08-19-2007, 02:02 PM

Surely there are more online players than live?

Professionalpoker · #3 08-19-2007, 03:46 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Surely there are more online players than live?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes but do they buy books?

Taylor Caby · #4 08-19-2007, 03:57 PM

We'd definitely consider doing this if given the opportunity. TT mentioned we might be able to work with 2+2 and I know the rest of the team has said they would consider contributing. No idea how much interest there would be in this type of book, though.

tc

phydaux · #5 08-19-2007, 08:08 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Surely there are more online players than live?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes but do they buy books?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, they read forums and subscribe to video sites.

phydaux · #6 08-19-2007, 08:23 PM

[ QUOTE ]
We'd definitely consider doing this if given the opportunity. TT mentioned we might be able to work with 2+2 and I know the rest of the team has said they would consider contributing. No idea how much interest there would be in this type of book, though.

[/ QUOTE ]

I predict you will soon find out.

In fact I predict that, after the reply I just quoted, you will get no rest because of all the hounding you will receive from people begging you to write something.

I actually think that you should comb through your video archive, pick out a bunch of hands that illustrate various points, then use animation software like the production team at Expert Hold'em uses to animate the hands. You could even animate the HUD stats over the table for authenticity.

Then just re-narrate the action and commentary. You and your team could probably knock out 3-4 60 min DVDs without too much trouble.

Albert Moulton · #7 08-19-2007, 10:08 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Surely there are more online players than live?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes but do they buy books?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, they read forums and subscribe to video sites.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't agree that the books wouldn't sell. The books would reach a broader audience world wide than the CDs, I think. And if this book, "Winning in Tough Hold 'em Games: Short-Handed and High-Stakes Concepts and Theory for Limit Hold 'em (Paperback) " has a market, then I suspect a "Winning in Tough No Limit Hold 'em Games: Short-Handed and High-Stakes Concepts and Theory for No Limit Hold 'em (Paperback)" would sell better.

My point is that the poker book market is pretty well saturated right now. But this area of short-handed NL theory and practice for mid-to-high stakes is wide open for somebody to publish something meaningful. I think the first publisher with a very good book in this space will do MUCH better than whoever comes a long 2nd or 3rd.

Mason Malmuth · #8 08-19-2007, 10:46 PM

Hi Taylor:

I would not be very optimistic. Right at this moment we have two books on no-limit hold 'em. Seven or eight months from now we expect to have five, and I'm not sure if adding any more would be a good strategy for our company. It all depends on exactly what the sales are of these no-limit books after all five are published.

On top of that, the author teams that are currently working on these no-limit books have each expressed interest in doing additional books. This possibly could be no-limit hold 'em, or it could be a different topic such as pot-limit Omaha. But I have told tese two groups that it is too early for us to make any committments.

In addition, we have no knowledge as to your book writing capabilities. Doing a book, especially if the material is complex as a six-max no-limit book would probably need to be, can be a tough task even if you're an expert in the content that the book would need to contain. So this means we would probably need to see a completed manuscript before Two Plus Two could even consider moving forward.

Best wishes,
Mason

Albert Moulton · #9 08-19-2007, 11:23 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Right at this moment we have two books on no-limit hold 'em. Seven or eight months from now we expect to have five, and I'm not sure if adding any more would be a good strategy for our company.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mason,

Thank you for your response.

If one of the 3 coming books in NL is Volume 2 of PNLHE, are either of the other two addressing shorthanded NL play specifically? Or has this fact,

[ QUOTE ]
Doing a book, especially if the material is complex as a six-max no-limit book would probably need to be, can be a tough task even if you're an expert in the content that the book would need to contain.

[/ QUOTE ]

... prevented 2+2 (and everybody else) from publishing a book on this topic?

Of all the widely played, big-money games out there, I think NL 6-max has the least published information about it.

Mason Malmuth · #10 08-20-2007, 01:00 AM

Hi Albert:

The three no limit books are the two Harrington on Cash Games volumes and Professional No-Limit Hold 'em: Volume II. I haven't seen any of this material so it is possible that the six max games will be covered, or it may be considered that there isn't really much difference between the six-max and full ring games. I don't know.

Best wishes,
Mason