There have been some gaping holes in available poker literature, but none larger than online poker from people successful as primarily online players (I love Doyle Brunson, but please, just stop it). And while a number of books provide solid A-B-C tournament strategy, which works well for low- to medium buy-in tournaments, nobody has focused on the subtleties and intricate thinking required to win at the highest levels.

“Winning Poker Tournaments” kills both birds with one stone, and does it brilliantly. The three authors, long-time PocketFives members and PokerXFactor instructors, provide some of the secrets and techniques they’ve used to become three of the most respected pros in the game. The book doesn’t spend time on generalities or high-level concepts. We dive right into the hand analysis, almost 200 in all, taken directly from their own private hand histories. PearlJammer gives you his strategies for pot control and small-ball poker early in tournaments. Rizen‘s all-around game is on full display, consistently finding spots to pick up pots. Apestyles takes every edge, applying constant pressure and letting the table know you may play for your whole stack when you enter a pot with him.

The authors are very smart about the hands selected for analysis. Much attention is paid to suited connectors & 1-gappers, play from the blinds, A-K & A-Q, and medium pairs, since these hands typically produce the biggest flaws in how we play. We see not only situations where the reads are correct and our heroes rake a big pot, but also where they lose flips, take bad beats, and get their money in terrible. Project coordinator Matthew Hilger, who also wrote the book’s forward and introduction, however, selects the truly revelatory hands. Hilger puts forth 20 hands, and lets the authors independently give their thoughts and state their actions.

What’s fascinating about these hands isn’t how differently they’d play them – but how different thought processes often lead the authors to the same conclusion. Another commonality lies in how all three pros never seem to take a pot off, especially on the later streets. If you asked me for one reason why these three, and other great tournament players, have the success they do…it’d be their persistence in taking every opportunity presented to them.

The book is organized based on blind levels. Each author presents hands from Level 1 in various buy-in tournaments, then Levels 2 and 3, and on up to the money bubble. This means many other important factors (Rebuy, freezeout or satellite? Big, medium or short stack? Early, middle or late position?) get lumped together. It would be wonderful if an electronic version of the book, be it in a Wiki or other format, could allow the reader to sort hands by situation or tactical play. When does PearlJammer re-steal early in a tournament? When does Rizen call or re-raise with small pairs? What is Apestyles thinking when he has to make a big river laydown?

This isn’t a book for beginning players. If you’re a donator in the $1 to $10 MTTs on the various sites, much of what’s written in this book will only serve as a diversion from straightforward tactics, which are often correct for micro buy-ins. But if you, like thousands of other P5ers, are struggling to be successful in the mid-stakes and up, this is easily the best book available to help you improve, without question. I would expect this to remain true for approximately the next seven months…until Volume 2 of “Winning Poker Tournaments” comes out, where Rizen, Apestyles and PearlJammer provide instruction about end-stage and Final Table play.

I’m counting the days…

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Winning Poker Tournaments One Hand at a Time
by Rizen, apestyles and PearlJammer

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