Title: “Tournament Poker For Advanced Players”
Author: David Sklansky
Facts: “Tournament Poker For Advanced Players” contains 346 pages. It is available in 3 formats on Amazon but we recommend the expanded edition, with a paperback cost of $22.47.
About The Author
David Sklansky needs no introduction in the world of poker or gambling. He is the number one authority when it comes to statistics and the math of the game, having been responsible for training various successful players and aiding thousands through the books written. Read more about him here!
Review
Just as the name implies, this poker book is a part of the Advanced Players series launched by Two Plus Two. It is assumed that the reader already knows basic poker tournament strategy and understands how to play cash games well. The book does have information included but you will not find much. The less experienced poker player should stay away from “Tournament Poker For Advanced Players” and opt for a tournament book that is more introductory.
The Gap Concept
As soon as you finish the introduction, you start to get information that is useful for an advanced player, with the introduction of The Gap Concept. To put it simple, this is about folding when you are raised in tight games. There are different books that tell you to do this but this is one of the few that actually explains why. You need to clearly understand this as a tournament will feature a tighter set of players when compared to cash games.
Tournament Versus Cash Game Skill
The expanded edition does bring in new advice and improves the one offered in the first edition. This is why it is recommended. One of the really interesting concepts is exactly the one here. Cash game pros will usually excel in the deep stack stage of a tournament. This is where Sklansky tells you to play many hands. The tournament specialists will sometimes not even show up during this part of the tournament but the truth is that it is quite a good idea to consider the advice offered by Sklansky. The edge that a cash game player has in deep stack play is something that can help as opposed to the stronger decision making ability of the professional tournament player.
The System
For most readers this will be the part of “Tournament Poker For Advanced Players” that will shine and gain attention. Sklansky talks about “The System”, which is a no limit Hold’Em tournament strategy. It is a really simple strategy that is explained and is effective, covering 134 pages of the entire book. Make sure that you read absolutely everything written here, especially if you enjoy playing in such no limit tournaments.
Criticism
We have to all agree with the fact that most of the ideas are properly explained. The problem is that so much more can be said about various topics that are discussed in the book. As a very simple example, you will be told about evaluating a 2 people deal when reaching the heads-up stage of the tournament. While the explanation is great, you have so much more than could be said.
Conclusions
On the whole, we can say that “Tournament Poker For Advanced Players” has to be considered among the best books written on the topic of tournament poker. Many actually say that it is the best. All people that are interested in playing poker tournaments, especially no limit events, should buy the book and start reading. However, you have to remember that this is not a book that you can simply read and end up with the skills needed to be successful. You have to digest all the information offered and keep in mind that many already read this book. Do not lag behind, read it and then try to improve your poker tournament game! Never buy this book unless you are already an advanced tournament poker player with some success or an experienced ring game player.
- Readability: 7 out of 10
- Examples: 8 out of 10
- Advice Quality: 9 out of 10
- Advice Accuracy For Current Play: 8 out of 10
- Information Offered: 8 out of 10
- Overall: 8 out of 10