Preliminary Kill Phil Comments

Mason Malmuth · #1 12-24-2005, 11:39 PM

Hi Everyone:

I've read about 140 pages of Kill Phil and my initial impression is that this is a very good book. Assuming the rest of the text is at the same qulity level as what I've read so far, it will get a 10, the highest possible, on my review scale.

Best wishes,
Mason

cwsiggy · #2 12-24-2005, 11:52 PM

Thanks for that. Tried to get it today from a gift card I got at work. This book is sold out in three Borders and Barnes and Nobles I've been to. That may not be saying much as they might have had a low first run printing, but still....

jmillerdls · #3 12-25-2005, 01:23 AM

I've applied much of this book's advice into my $11 SNG strategy.
Before: 2k @ 11% ROI
Since: 250 @ 33% ROI

Clearly I am running hot, but if I don't drop by more than 15% in the next 700...I'm going to be very happy with my purchase [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I feel like this book was designed for online SNG's at Party...even if that wasn't their intention. In these low buyins, the all-in play is really the only move when 8-10 tabling, and this book provides some great opportunities that I was clearly missing.
I'll be trying it on Stars after the new year...hope it translates.

wmspringer · #4 12-25-2005, 01:45 AM

Looks like it's time to stop putting off buying this..

binions · #5 12-25-2005, 02:48 AM

I thought you might dig it, Mason. If Sklansky had really thought about it, Kill Phil is what he would have come up with for the improved "System" in TPFAP.

#6 12-25-2005, 03:39 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for that. Tried to get it today from a gift card I got at work. This book is sold out in three Borders and Barnes and Nobles I've been to. That may not be saying much as they might have had a low first run printing, but still....

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't believe that at this point, Borders and Barnes & Noble have ordered this book to carry in their store. They can order it for you and have it delivered in about 2-3 weeks.

I did pick mine up at a Barnes & Noble a few weeks ago, but was told that this was a copy that was special ordered but never picked up.

RowdyZ · #7 12-25-2005, 11:46 AM

I think BArnes and Nobles around my area are carrying it. I was in Greenville, SC a couple of weeks ago and I called both stores in town, the first one said they had had some copies but were out and the one across town had 1 left. I wasn't able to get by to pick it up so when I got back to my hometown I called the local store said they had 1 left out of 5 ordered. What was funny was the lady talked to was a poker fan/player and loved the cover(She knew who Hellmuth was) and I had to talk her into letting me have that copy and ordering more for her and the store.

jimitilt · #8 12-25-2005, 12:13 PM

I must have missed the rush... I got mine Nov 21 from Amazon at a discount no less and it took only 5 days with free shipping. Now the site is asking full price and saying it will take 2-3 weeks. "Fortune favors the ...quick"

RowdyZ · #9 12-25-2005, 12:32 PM

This site has it in stock and at a good price as well as several other poker books.

http://www.pokergurus.com/

Rod

Shandrax · #10 12-25-2005, 06:58 PM

There is somewhat of a conceptual problem that is bothering me with the pure all-in/fold strategy. Let's assume you win a couple of hands early and manage to build up a huge stack. What happens is this: You will tighten up so much waiting for aces or kings that you become a spectator. In the meantime the blinds will shoot up and other players will eliminate each other which leads to survivors with pretty big stacks also. Sooner or later you will be forced to go all-in again against people that can hurt or even bust you. That's ok you might think, but actually you are giving up a major advantage of a big stack and that is the ability to bully the small stacks.

Basically you are using your stack to buy time (waiting for others to go broke) instead of putting pressure on other players and stealing pots. I wonder if that can be the "correct" approach.

Assuming you are a strong player, it is also interesting to find out what is better: Playing many hands for small pots or playing only a few hands for big pots. In my opinion, playing many hands for small pots should reduce the short term luck factor in the tournament, simply because the number of hands is bigger. If you put your tournament on just 5-6 hands, short term luck should play a much bigger role.