Green Book Review

[BuyFerrari]

Today I need your opinion about my book review. Any tips for making better reviews?

Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book Reviewed By BuyFerrari

Most think this is the number one book for NLHE cash games. It’s practical. First there are listed the common traits of great players. After that come the common mistakes bad players make.
Simple but often forgotten truth:Big hand big pot,small hand small pot. Great players seldom go broke with just one pair. You see this happen online all the time in the case of lesser players.
Book describes Phil’s style of play. You’ve seen him on TV and know it works. His style is not the only way to play winning poker.

‘The most important decisions in NLHE take place before the flop:Should I play the two cards I’ve been dealt?’ Starting hands quidelines from various positions/situations are covered on from page 261. The plays with differend hands and positions are discussed throughout the book,too. Examples for before and after the flop. Hands to bring down to war,two pair,set etc. (Take off fives and tens from the deck and try to make a five card straight).

Aggressiveness is stressed in the book and therefore comes the questions which concern raising the right amount. You must also consider the stack sizes.
Heads up play is simpler than against multiple opponents. There are examples for both cases.
Drawing hands are overrated in NLHE if your opponent knows what he is doing. Often it’s too expensive to go for a draw. “Biggest Online Winner” brings a delightful exception to this view. More about BOW later.

‘One of the scariest situations in NLHE is when a good player just calls. Normally they raise or fold.’
Phil check-raises on the river less than one out of ten times the play is available.
Tells and reverse tells are also discussed on pages 118 - 135. After that come the tournament strategies. Staying alive is essential. Target the average stacks,not big nor short ones. Do not press a desperate foe too hard. Examples for how often you should steal the blinds. Big stack and short stack strategies in tourneys.

Next comes the percentage and math section. – Simple enough for everyone to grasp.
Some examples of matchups of certain hands,also interesting and unexpected ones.
Small but useful table concerning opponent’s bet relation to the pot size and necessary chances (outs) to break even if you call.

I felt the need to be more concentrated with page numbers less than 191. After that Phil discusses about psychological aspects of the game. Mastering the psychology is even more important than the numbers,according to the author. To win at NLHE you must be capable of making a big laydown,he continues and shows a check list which factors to consider. Forming a game plan is a necessity against different kinds of opponents.

Of course any NLHE book wouldn’t be complete without some words about bluffing and the bankroll management. Phil likes to play with the maximum buy-in. That or any other advice in the book aren’t cast in stone,as the author states in several occasions. If you have a good reason to do otherwise,just go ahead.

A few pages about online poker and SNG tournament structure at FullTiltPoker,where you can watch and play against Phil Gordon,,Chris Ferguson,Phil Ivey,Jennifer Harman and other stars.
Next come the player profiles of Gus Hansen,Dan Harrington,Phil Hellmuth Jr,Chris “Jesus” Ferguson,Howard Lederer,John Juanda and finally the expected “Biggest Online Winner” whose real and screen names may remain secret. BOW’s principles: Get in cheaply. Massive overbet with some premium draws.Massive overbet with the nuts. With a following table you can see with examples,why the BOW wins. Gordon also introduces a counter strategy against BOW. Notice that you need a huge bankroll to play like BOW.
I suggest you check some updates and new thoughts at www.philgordonpoker.com/littlegreenbook.html

[Mason Malmuth]

This reads more like an advertisement for Phil Gordon and not like a book review. What is your relationship with him?

MM

[BuyFerrari]

Relationship. I don't know him personally. Just want to practice writing better,and getting some feedback.

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Buy:

[ QUOTE ]
Relationship. I don't know him personally. Just

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks. I wasn't sure based on the way the review was written since it does read as an advertisement/overview more than as a review.

Best wishes,
Mason

[ECDub]

I agree that it did have an advertisement feel to it, especially when you mention the poker site and list all the people I can play with if I go there.

[Chomp]

This reads more like a summary of the book rather than a review. It's like the notes you'd take during a college lecture.

So as a review, it's poor. As a precis of the book's main points, it's reasonable.

Here's how my first 2 paras of a review would look:

"There has long been something of a dearth in the poker literature of books about No Limit Hold 'Em and, more specifically, NLHE cash games. Phil Gordon's LGB book goes some way to addressinng this and should be of use to both tournament and cash-game players alike. Despite being a relatively short book, it provides a treasure trove of advice and tips on all aspects of NLHE.

The book's subtitle - "Lessons and Taechings in NLHE" - is a clue as to the book's style. It is conversational rather than deeply analytical, and is organised through a series of general thoughts and musings rather than any the step-by-step approach seen in many books. While the book does work through the traditional Pre-flop/Flop/Post flop sequence, this is merely a way for Gordon to organise his miriad thoughts on all aspects of the game.

Etc...."

That's more how a review would read IMO (although I think it's crap as I wrote it in 2 minutes!)

[Ribsauce]

[ QUOTE ]
I agree that it did have an advertisement feel to it, especially when you mention the poker site and list all the people I can play with if I go there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Its not much different in the actual book. That sentence is probably lifted right off a page.


I really did enjoy the book a lot though. It is a great quick read.

[captain2man]

I posted this a week or so ago....I like the book as well - it's my poker bathroom reading....but I really hate one of the examples he gives:

The thread with my criticism can be found here:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showth...rue#Post6577409

[Al Mirpuri]

I have skim read chunks at the bookstore of it. It seems well written enough with a nice cover but there did not seem to be anything new in it. For example, he states that you should observe you opponents in between hands. Correct. But not new in print. Does this book suffer from the law of diminishing returns, that is, for anyone familiar, with the poker literature is there very little to be gained from this book? I think yes.

Any thoughts?

Tx in advance for any and all replies.

[JJay1231]

I personally thought the LGB and LBB were excellent. Some of my favorite reads.