Customer Reviews

Elements of Poker

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Tommy Angelo is a well known poker teacher/consultant. A good teacher doesn't drill information into your memory. He teaches you how to think.

I just received my copy yesterday. This book is written from the perspective of how to approach the game of poker in order to play your best more often.

I am familiar with some of the concepts from reading: 1) Tommy's website, tiltless.com, and 2) other articles previewing the book.

Certainly, his Reciprocality essay on his website is pure gold, and parts of it are repeated in the book. Basically, Reciprocality means money flows when you do something different from the norm. For instance, there is information reciprocality. Many players will show their hands from time to time. This gives away information. If you never show your hand, you win the game of information reciprocality. Over time, money flows to you. There is tilt reciprocality. Many players will tilt from time to time. If you tilt less often and for less duration than the norm, you win the game of tilt reciprocality. Over time, money flows to you.

One of the concepts in the book that I find extemely useful: the way to look at position. Basically, according to Tommy, there are 4 positions outside the blinds: Early Position, Hijack, Cutoff, and Button. He eschews the concept of Middle Position. It's all Early, until you get to the last 3 seats to act. He then gives you the percentage of hands you should play in each position, ranging from 10% in Early Position to 40% on the Button.

This one concept will help you play your A game, and avoid your C game, at least preflop.

Another concept I found intriguing - breathing. He spends several pages on breathing and meditation and how to remain calm at the table, which of course will help you win the battle of tilt reciprocality.

I look forward to reading the rest of the book. What I have read so far is certainly thought provoking. This book promises to be among the best poker psychhology texts available.

This review was published in Card Player magazine on February 21, 2008:

To discover what we really need in a new poker book, let's first examine what we really don't need. A list of starting hands. A reminder that "tight is right." How to play a flush draw in limit. I could go on.

So what do we need? We need Tommy Angelo's excellent new book that covers 144 "elements" of poker (the title, no doubt, harks to The Elements of Style by Strunk and White). We need to develop our own selection of starting hands, by position; he provides a chart. We need to learn to play "mum poker," which "is not about not talking. It's about not talking about certain things, namely, poker things." We need to learn about "the path of leak resistance" (say, avoiding the pits: "When a poker player plugs the leak, or tries to, he walks the path of leak resistance"). We even need to learn how to fold: not what to fold, but how to fold: you "fastfold" when "you muck your hand as soon as you know you are beat" because (a) it's courteous and (b) it reduces your information outflow.

"Fastfold" is one of the many words and terms Angelo has coined (and his great verbal dexterity makes the book a pleasure to read; lively, entertaining, and interesting as well as instructive). He credits himself with the creation of the word "hijack" for the seat one to the right of the cutoff (because a raised from that seat "hijacked" Angelo from the button). Another one I particularly relished was "bliscipline," a combination of bliss and discipline: "when you are at the table and you are so totally in control of yourself and so totally at peace in the situation that no matter what happens next, you'll still have plenty of resolve in reserve."

"Bliscipline" is what you need to survive and win at poker; bliscipline is what you need to achieve--another Angelo-ism--"tiltlessness." While I still believe the definite work on tilt is Zen the Art of Poker by Larry Phillips (see my review in Card Player, April 25, 2007), Angelo is the new poet of tilt, which he defines as "any deviation from your A-game and your A-mindset, however slight or fleeting." Everybody tilts; "To make money from tilt, you don't need to be tiltless. But you do have to tilt less."

Tilt less; win more. How? "To win at poker, you have to be very good at losing." And that requires practice. Learn to become "hopeless" ("if I am hopeful that I will win, it is inevitable that I will sometimes be disappointed"). Recognize that poker is the "mother fluctuater" (which is "why it's best to not give a fluc"). Understand that the "gray area"--that huge swath of poker where you simply don't know what to do--is just another part of the game. Do not "resist reality": "Extreme resistance is extreme pain."

And we need to learn how to breathe (i.e., mindfully: "to elevate your calmness"). It sounds like New Age claptrap, but Angelo has made me a believer in the power of controlled, conscious breathing, which helps you step away from bad beats and losses: "By eliminating the past, and eliminating the future, we give ourselves this present." Very Zen, but, I think, very true--and very helpful (if you put it to work).

Elements of Poker does offer some traditional strategic on limit, no-limit, and tournament poker. Angelo is eloquently persuasive, for example, about the supreme importance of position, and there's a good section on the "dollar value" of your stack/position in tournament poker. But read this book for its understanding of the more subtle "elements of poker." Then read it again.

I ordered this book because of the reviews, fully expecting to be disappointed. Wrong!

Tommy Angelo manages in 250 well-written and exceptionally well-edited pages to cover many aspects of poker that you'll seldom see discussed. The book would be worth reading even if it contained nothing new simply because it's readable, even entertaining.

But it does contain much that is new to poker literature, if not in substance in slant. For example his discussion of "A-Game, B-Game, and C_Game" hands should be an eye opener for players who habitually play cards that are certain losers. In his classification there is only one B-Game hand - and I'll not step on his punch line by telling what it is. Heeding his advice on this topic should help to make more decisions black vs. white rather than an endless variety of shades of gray.

Players enamored with suited cards would be well advised to read element 32 (Suitedness and Connectedness) where they'll get a realistic view of the true value of suited cards. (Being suited adds about 4% probability of winning to a hand at a full table, 2% heads up.) Eveyone understands that position is of paramount importance in Hold'em. So there's nothing new to be said about it, right? Wrong. Angelo's discussion of elements 28-31 reveals nothing "new", but does reveal what we all think we know in a new light. Read his discussion then re-read Sklansky.

The bottom line is you'll gain a few insights into the old familiar topics. More importantly, you will gain some entirely new perspectives on your game and some of what you already know will be seen so clearly you'll realize that although you could quote the concept you didn't really know it. Angelo's prose is so readable and his ideas so well expressed that you'll find yourself rethinking your own game as you progress through the book. I can't imagine any player not learning something valuable from this book.

Did I mention that it's readable? Looks like an actual English-language editor checked for spelling, syntax, etc. This may be the most readable poker book I've seen.

There has never been a poker book written quite like this one! It touches on numerous subjects never discussed in print before. While also being humorous and an enjoyable read It will really make you think about your poker game. Tommy Angelo really makes you feel like he's speaking to you and you alone while you soak up all his poker knowledge and ideas. It truly deserves more than 5 stars.

I helped edit the manuscript, am listed in the thank yous, am a friend of Tommy's, and was coached by him in 2001 before he started charging. So there's my conflict of interest but this is independent truth:

Elements of Poker is the best-written poker book on the market by a wide margin. It is truly a delight to read.

Many players with good A games go broke because they either rarely play their A game or their C game is so bad that their A game doesn't matter. Most people study poker to improve their A game, and most poker books are written towards improving A games. EOP is more about improving your C game, reducing tilt, and overcoming poker pain. If you're not into those things don't buy it. If you are, Elements of Poker is a fine read.

Matt Flynn
Co-author, Professional No-Limit Hold 'em.

Let me begin by saying that Tommy is a good friend who has personally helped me in many ways. After reading a pre-publication draft, I told him, "The good news is that you've written the most original poker book. The bad news is that you've written the most original poker book."

If you want a book that applies the standard formulas, his book is not for you. If you want to look at poker and yourself in a new way, it's a great way to spend your time and money. I won't even try to describe his unique content, organization, and style. I'll just superficially discuss a few of his ideas.

As I psychologist, I loved this sentence: "We begin to see the poker table as an environment rich in the nutrients upon which delusions feed." Poker players' delusions are a major theme in my own books and columns in Card Player magazine. Tommy's book will help you to avoid deluding yourself.

His most original chapter was "Reciprocality." It's an extraordinarily powerful and original idea.

Forgive me, but I can't help making a pun. His position on position is utterly unique. I won't tell you what it is, but I will say, READ IT

Better yet, buy and read the whole book. You'll be glad you did.

Alan N. Schoonmaker, Ph.D.







Better yet, buy and read the whole book. You'll be glad you did.

Alan N. Schoonmaker, Ph.D.

First of all, if you are looking for a straight strategy, "starting hand chart" type of book, this book is not for you! If you are looking for an incredibly unique and well thought out take on poker, then this is a great book for you. This is not the cookie cutter poker strategy book that there are thousands of available. Tommy is a brilliant mind, and it comes across in all his writings... A great read.

I play live (1/2, 2/5) NLHE and small tournaments (<300 buyin) for both enjoyment and for profitability. "Elements of Poker" is a book I enjoy reading for its whimisical, conversational tone and because it reminds me of the the basic components of the game that you may forget to think about as you improve as a player. Angelo is also brutally honest with the reader about his personal poker journey and shortcomings/challenges he's faced, which has helped me recognize similar factors in my own Tilt. I actually try to read this book at least 2 times a year, and would recommend it as a must read for any serious player.

There are some books about poker psychology, or, more specifically, controlling your own psychology when dealing with the tilt-inducing parts of poker.
Tommy Angelo's book is different since it doesn't just tell you not to tilt (like, duh) but gives genuine ideas about what to do when you do (and you will). Also, the chapter on meditation is unique and still highly practical.

Also, Tommy has a wonderfully creative writing style which makes the book just a joy to read.

This is not one of strategy as the author makes fairly clear. It covers almost everything else that has to do with playing though, and most importantly it covers tilt and to tilt less. I have already taken the advice and applied it to my own game. It has helped me play my best more often. It has been for it self several times over.