REVIEW
Not
only did Dan Harrington win the main event
at the World Series of Poker (in 1995),
but he also had a final table finish in
the same event in 1987 and finished in
the top four in two consecutive years
(2003 and 2004) in the two largest fields
to ever enter a World Series event. "Action
Dan", an ironic nickname for someone known
for his solid play, collaborates with
renowned backgammon champion and author,
Bill Robertie, to present his thoughts
on playing no-limit tournament hold'em.
Harrington has so much to say on the subject
that this book represents the first of
an expected two volume set.
Volume 1 of Harrington on Hold'em
covers most of the topics that a no-limit
hold'em tournament player would want to
know, focusing on the play in earlier
parts of the tournament. More advanced
topics, special situations, and how proper
strategy changes late in a tournament
will be discussed in Volume 2. Still,
weighing in at almost 400 pages, Volume
1 is a pretty substantial effort.
Harrington
and Robertie start with some introductory
material, but this is pretty brief. Harrington
on Hold'em, Volume 1 is clearly aimed
at readers with at least some no-limit
hold'em tournament experience. Someone
who hasn't played in these events before
would probably be well advised to get
their feet wet with another book before
tackling this one.
With
the introductory material out of the way,
the authors then move on to some general
theoretical advice. This includes an examination
of common playing styles, tournament types,
advice on getting a feel for one's table,
and information on odds and hand analysis.
This is all basic but necessary stuff,
and it is presented here in a straightforward
style. There's a lot of information here,
although as with many Two Plus Two books
the density of words per page isn't all
that high. In any case, the writing style
is straightforward and reasonably easy
to digest.
The
last two hundred pages cover the sort
of material one would hope to find in
a book like this. Here the authors examine
the play of hands on each betting round.
These sections are filled with examples
where the reader is guided through a careful
analysis of many real-life situations.
Many poker authors have written books
who know how to play hands, but Harrington
clearly not only knows how to play them,
but understands the reasons why a certain
play is correct and can communicate this
clearly to his audience. This seems to
be a rare and valuable combination of
gifts in the poker world.
There
are some places where I would like to
have had the authors explain some situations
in a little more detail, but overall the
analysis done in this book is remarkable.
Harrington on Hold'em, Volume 1
affords an excellent opportunity for aspiring
poker champions to get inside the head
of someone who thinks deeply and carefully
about the game. The examples provided
in this book are excellent. Moreover,
even though the book is aimed at tournament
play, I believe that the analysis is general
enough and valuable enough that most no-limit
cash game players would strongly benefit
from reading this book as well.
The
bottom line is that I believe that overall
this is the finest new poker book I've
read in at least the last three years,
and I've read a lot of poker books in
that time span. The writing is clear,
the analysis is well-reasoned, and the
topics are thought provoking. I highly
recommend this book to any intermediate
or advanced no-limit hold'em players,
whether they play tournaments or cash
games, and I anxiously await the release
of Volume 2.
Capsule:
Harrington
and Robertie have produced an excellent
book on no-limit hold'em tournament poker.
The ideas in this book are well-reasoned
and clearly expressed. This may not be
a great book for inexperienced players,
but it is an excellent book for those
with a even a modest amount of experience.
Although Harrington on Hold'em
focuses on no-limit tournament poker,
I believe this game is valuable for no-limit
cash game players as well. Consequently,
I would recommend that all no-limit hold'em
players eventually pick up and study this
book.
Nick
Christenson
Gambling
Book Reviews
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