Barry: most poker books are written by losers

[uDevil]

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Phil Helmuth and T.J. Cloutier are great players, it is fishy that their books are useless.


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It's possible they are like natural athletes who are very good at what they do, but don't really know how they do it, much less how to explain it to someone else.

[Sharagoz]

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Barry claims that Ace On The River is the first poker strategy book written by a winning high-stakes professional player.

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He said "poker book" not "poker strategy book", didnt he?
I dont think Barry has ever claimed it to be a strategy book. Remember what the material started out as. It was supposed to be a section in SS2 that to complement the technical material, teaches you how to make money at poker.
There's a lot more to it than what to do with pocket 7's in the cut off seat. This book deals with that.
I loved it.

[Sunny Mehta]

Barry saying he thinks something is "bad advice" is valid criticism, particularly if he points out why. Citing the "winning high stakes professional" thing is obtuse because:

a) high stakes players make up a minority of poker players, and are not the majority demographic of poker book consumers

b) proving someone a "winner" at any level is a fairly speculative task - futile too since the point of a poker book is to make the READER a winner

c) the best players often do not make the best teachers

I somehow doubt Barry would disagree with any of that though, and I'm sure him harping on the "high stakes" thing is just normal marketing shtick for his book.

[7n7]

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I think that Barry has a very good game selection. That's one of the most important skills indeed.

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Not much game selection at the limits he plays.

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Dynasty:

I don't completely agree. While there are many poker titles on the market, most of them have very small sales. So when Greenstein makes a carless statement like this, many people will think that he's talking about our books. Furthermore, if he was more familiar with the actual content of our books he would know that we have been very critical of weak-tight advice going all the way back to our original publications in 1987 and 1988.

Best wishes,
Mason

[Dynasty]

Barry comments on 2+2 books himself here.

I read all the poker books I could find when I was in high school and college. I don't remember them helping. If 2+2 books existed at that time in my career, I'm sure they would have helped me.

[dirty banana2007]

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Barry comments on 2+2 books himself here.

I read all the poker books I could find when I was in high school and college. I don't remember them helping. If 2+2 books existed at that time in my career, I'm sure they would have helped me.


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I am sure there are people who have the same thoughts about ken warren [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[*TT*]

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Hi Dynasty:

I don't completely agree. While there are many poker titles on the market, most of them have very small sales. So when Greenstein makes a carless statement like this, many people will think that he's talking about our books. Furthermore, if he was more familiar with the actual content of our books he would know that we have been very critical of weak-tight advice going all the way back to our original publications in 1987 and 1988.

Best wishes,
Mason

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Mason:

Careless - yes. Intended to be a slight on 2+2 - unlikely (its possible of course, but still unlikely). Barry's head seems to be in the clouds at times when there is a camera on, it sounds like a sound bite gone wrong. I'd venture to guess that he would clarify the statement if asked showing he had no ill will towards 2+2.

[CasinoR7]

Barry Greenstein has said that he reads most of the books that come out. When he says in that interview that there are no poker books written by professional players, he is clearly stating his opinion on the authors of 2+2 books as well, because it's obvious that he is aware of the 2+2 books and their content.

But he gives another expression when he wrote the following on this forum: "I read all the poker books I could find when I was in high school and college. I don't remember them helping. If 2+2 books existed at that time in my career, I'm sure they would have helped me." On camera he wants to appear strong and give an expression that he is the best, which is good for his marketing in that circumstance. On this forum he has to appear humble for people to like him and buy his book. My conclusion is that Barry's intentions of his statements are only to sell more of his own books.

[7n7]

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Barry Greenstein has said that he reads most of the books that come out

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Source?