Customer Reviews

How to Dominate $1 and $2 No Limit Hold 'Em

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

 

 

The author suggests a "dominator" style at the table: very tight (especially from early positions), very aggressive (betting at least the size of the pot, often more; never calling, never drawing - it deteriorates your image), and using this image to steal/bluff a few additional pots. Granted. Some of the anecdotes from the good old days in Las Vegas are also worth reading.

Aside from that, this is the worst poker book I've ever read (well, almsot read, I couldn't survive past p.230).

First of all, the style and writing is horrendous, full of machismo and typos. The starting hand rank table is copied-pasted about 50 times in the book; the reader is reminded about 75 times (at each new chapter) to start reading the first chapter first, etc. The chapter "Big Blinds and Big Slick" even appears twice in the book, with a few words changed here and there. I don't expect good poker players to be great writers, but one must meet minimum standards.

In addition, some recommended plays are just plain wrong. Let's take three examples from the book...

1. Playing big slick (ace-king), unimproved to the river. The other player makes a weak bet at the river. The author suggests to call if you think he bluffs (ok), or even better, if you are certain it's a bluff, to raise the size of the pot, "because this is the power play". Well, let's say certain=80%, which is a lot. In 80% of the cases, the player folds and you gain nothing; in 20% of the case, he didn't bluff, calls your ace-high hand, and you loose a bigger pot. What is the value proposition here?

2. You hold AA, the flop is AJT rainbow. The other player bets, and the author recommends to fold, "because he must have KQ". I'm sympathetic with the idea of not falling in love with one's hand, even if it appears great, but still... In a $1/$2 game, this raise could mean many things. What about AK, AQ, AJ, AT, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, JT? Between the value bets, the semi-bluffs, the pure bluffs, the bad draws, and the like, you could be against anything. And even if it were KQ (worst case scenario, though not most likely), we have 7 outs at the turn and 10 outs at the river to redraw to the nuts, so it would not be a great situation, but not desperate either. Folding? Really?

3. Last example. The author plays AJ against what will later happen to be AQ. He plays horribly, and finally re-raise all-in at the river, believing he has the best hand. The player with AQ folds, and the author wins the pot. "This is the power of domination" is the conclusion of the author. Really? What about a donkey play turning out to be lucky?

All in all, this was a waste of time and money. Actually, the only poker book I didn't manage to finish.

If you want to learn, read Harrington; to improve, read Malmuth, Slansky, Miller, Cloutier; to entertain yourself, read Ciaffone, Gordon, even Cooke; to expand your horizon, read Caro... But save your money and skip this one. This is just bad advice badly written.

As an online tournament specialist, I wasn't sure how much help this book would be for me. As it turns out, I've been able to adapt much of the information from the book to bump my game up a couple levels. I've also been playing more ring games and cashing in on the loose play these games breed. I can't wait for my next live game to really put the strategies to the test.

The hand rank chart is different than any other I've seen. Instead of ranking hands in order of probability of winning, Sam O'Connor ranks them by most playable, the ones that will win you the most money! Sam says "In short,the chart ranks the hole cards that have the best chance to make us the most profit."

"DOMINATE" begins with a long and sometimes boring discussion of limit hold'em. For the experienced player, this may seem like overkill but any newbie will find the discussion important and necessary to understanding the concepts that follow.

This is a long book, over 400 pages, and covers a lot of territory. The learning curve is quite steep and will require a second or even third reading to grasp everything Sam has to say. I'm on my second pass through now and will more than likely keep the book close at hand for quick refreshers for months to come.

The meat of this book is in the final 200 pages. But, the first couple hundred pages are critical to mastering the role of dominator. It is in these first couple hundred pages that O'Connor teaches you to think like the other guy (or girl). By understanding how your opponent thinks, you have the advantage of knowing what he'll do in most circumstances. By being in his head, you are the one in charge, the puppet master, the dominator!

In the final couple hundred pages O'Connor teaches you to break all the rules he lays out at the beginning of the book. He shows you how to "play the player". The final few chapters cover "tells" and "bluffing". I found these chapters to be priceless. As an online player, physical tells aren't something I pay attention to or look for. But, in my home game or occasional trip to the casino, I'll definitely put this information to good use. The book has elevated my bluffing game to a whole new level.

Everything in this book is geared toward one goal; dominating the table! The final 200 pages are a gold mine of information. Whether you choose to follow this book word for word (how many people would be willing to do that?) or just adapt some of the strategies to tweak your style of play, you will gain a ton of valuable information from it.

Sam O'Connor has poured 50 years of experience into these 400+ pages, it would be a shame not to take advantage of it. I've ordered extra copies to pass out to my family and friends!

DOMINATE has a lot of content on poker and it presents it well. It is refreshing to see an author add the human interest factor to a well presented A to Z treatment of no limit poker.

The book has taken me from limit to no limit competence.

Written in an easy to read style, the hands are played by real characters, making the trip more enjoyable. In addition, there is an enjoyable short story involving poker at the beginning of each section.

There is even a "glossary" on cheating which is more descriptive than mere word definitions.

Bottom line, the reader emerges from DOMINATE with an understanding of low blinds no limit poker and, best of all, the people who play these games.

I find the machismo in the text mismatched with the extremely tight tight style the author is advocating. His opponents aren't going to feel dominated; they're going to forget he's there. Regardless, the metaphor is stretched. Poker is not war or a struggle in a pack society.

It's been my experience that 1/2 players typically pay off too much, so basing our strategy on forcing incorrect folds is an uphill battle. The author suggests we avoid loose games, but frankly I think they're the most common and the most profitable. There are some games that we should walk away from, but we should aspire to have some flexibility in strategy. That is, we should adapt our strategy to exploit our opponents' vulnerabilities.

There's not nearly as much content as the page count would imply due to a liberal use of copy-and-paste. Ever fourth page there's a new chapter with the same introductory quotation. The preflop hand ranking chart appears several times in its entirety.

I do not recommend this book. Stick with Pot-Limit & No-Limit Poker.

I've read several books on No Limit Hold 'Em, and I think this is a real good one. The book stresses that poker is a people game, and that to win consistently you must play aggressively, and use that aggression in the right spots. The book also covers the overall GAME (and not just hands) in a way no other book does.

The book is not really a "system" of play, or even a "strategy," but, rather is a philosophy of how to play. It has been said over and over again in poker books that a fixed strategy is not a good strategy, because the other players may catch on to your fixed strategy and defeat it. This is especially true of NLHE. So what to do? One good answer is to have a flexible approach to the game which emphasizes the people element.

With a quick perusal of the table of contents, you might think that the book proposes a fixed strategy. Yes, there are basic default plays which are suggested, but in the second half of the book the author gets into adjusting those basic plays and "playing the players."

Any good NLHE book needs to discuss the overall game and not just hands. This is the only book I know of which does that. Issues discussed include the handling of chips (or "checks"), deciding when to leave the game, and whether to play at all that day.

Interspersed throughout the book are anecdotal stories which are fun to read. The author was a poker dealer himself in Vegas in the sixties, so he is full of delightful information about the goings-on back then.

I enjoy Mr. O'Connor's style; it's like he is sitting right there with you giving you poker lessons.

The book proposes an aggressive philosophy of play which is not for the faint of heart. Of course the book cannot guarantee that you'll be a winner at NLHE (no book can). And even the winners don't win every time. But if you study the book and apply some of your own intelligence and talent to the game, you'll have some great tools to help you be a winner.

Part 1

This is a good book. It is long. There are alot of interesting "old Vegas" gambling stories that are entertaining...whether they are true or not...I don't know. Good basic holdem points/principles are here in the first part of this book...such as emphasizing position. Still, if you are experienced or a good player...then the first part of the book will probably seem tedious. The author repeats himself often. I'm only on page 140...but it is helping me think about my game {a review} and how I want to approach NLH $1 and $2...tight/aggressive play is the approach the author seems to recommend...but it is more than that...such as his recommendation to play certain hands if you've been card dead for a long time...'to stay active.'

Like Largay in his $1 and $2 book...the author...IMHO...thinks its important to not waste your chips {obvious maybe}...and covers situations like this you want to avoid.

I have to admitt...it is hard not to LOL...at the word DOMINATOR...could you imagine wearing a t-shirt with that in the front?...but the approach seems very sound to me.

You may be taken aback how often the author mentions it might be better to go home if the game isn't suitable for the style of play he recommends...but I think its sound...and probably smart too. And I appreciate the honesty.

I've read some of the comments the author has made on a popular {tough} online poker forum...and I've liked the way he's handled himself and how he defended his recommended style of play.

Part 2...1/17/08 aside: I interviewed the author recently!

I finished the book last night.It is a very, very good poker book.

This book will teach you how to develop a strong poker game. It is not a simple, how to play A-B-C tight/aggressive book...although tight/aggressive play is the foundation. Instead, a player learns how important...how to adjust...to changing table conditions {image, stack size, tight/loose table}. The author writes over and over...Poker is not a card game...but a people game played with cards.

Not groundbreaking...but important nonetheless.

The first half of the book teaches you how to PLAY AND WIN with the {relative} stength of your cards...for example: there are gems {insights} like {taking turns betting/taking pots}..which means you may start to ask yourself...is winning the pot worth the risk of losing it? I think this is a very useful approach to cash game play. It may seem overly cautious/defensive {folding to possible set over sets}...especially to the +EV crowd...but I think its worth considering if your bankroll is at stake.

Angel Largay makes a similiar type point in his cash game book.

The second half of the book focuses on HOW TO WIN WITHOUT the cards. Frankly, you learn how to exploit bad and weak players.

This half concentrates on reading players for tells, making bluffs {plays} and catching bluffs. The information on tells will probably not be new to anybody who's read or heard of Mike Caro...but its still good.

The bluffing section is outstanding. Some of the bluffs you may be familiar with already {Button bluff/steals}...but others like a delayed bluff...you may not be. Or if you used it...you may have done it without properly understanding the play.

The author emphasizes that a good portion of your cash game winnings will be determined by how skillfully you make and catch bluffs.

One possible flaw in the book...the author writes constantly about putting an opponent on a hand..rather than a "range" of hands...but his hand analysis seems to incorporate hand ranges nonetheless...and ignore the typos {Tom Hellmuth}...they aren't a problem.

Like the Harrington series...How to Dominate...has become a reference book for me.

good luck @ the tables,


standtall

Solid book with fundamentals for low-limit NL Texas Holdem live play. I recommend for new players but fairly basic if you have already been playing at a profit level and looking to move up.

Excellent info and easy reading style.
Seperates topics well.
Adds anecdotes that were entertaining and informative.
Good for beginners and intermediate NL Holdem players

I wrote and sent the following [slightly edited] email message to Sam O'Connor. Since it is a "book review" of sorts, I thought I would post it here as well.

Dear Mr. O'Connor:

First, I want to thank you for a lifetime of wisdom and experience that you put into your "How to Dominate" book. I enjoyed the "people stories" you included just as much as the [written] instruction.

This is very subjective on my part, but I'm convinced that your book will be widely recognized as a classic - right up there in the Top Five of all time great poker books. Accordingly, I want to thank you for the time and effort you spent putting it all on paper. Not only is your book full of wisdom, but it is well written. (If your girlfriend helped to proofread and edit your book, she deserves a nice candlelight dinner topped off with a big fat diamond ring.)

I cannot begin to express to you how enlightening your book has been. I am actually reading (and rereading) the pages multiple times. Unlike a lot of poker books I have read, (i.e. the Sklansky books and even Super System), your book is the kind where I read a "lesson" and then go off and actually think about what I've just read. Fortunately, for me, you didn't fill your book full of confusing math and probability equations. I know the "scientifc" type poker players can crunch probabilities in their heads like a computer crunching numbers, but, (as you point out), those kind of players are [often] weak in the people reading department; so I agree that you don't have to be a mathematical genius to be a winning poker player. Your book's strongest point is in emphasizing just how important the "people aspect" of poker really is. Other books hint at this, (especially Mike Caro's books), but you really drive the point home.

I hate admitting this, but some of your points are not immediately obvious - or "obvious" to me. A few times I've found myself scratching my head, unsure as to exactly the point you're trying to get across. (It kind of bemuses me when you casually make a comment like, "Now, if you don't understand this, then you're not a real poker player!" My problem is that in a few of those cases, I've had to reread what you wrote leading up to such a statement before the light (finally!) switches on. Anyway, once I really understand all the concepts, I know I'm going to be an infinitely better poker player, so I want to thank you (again) for writing such an excellent book.

-------------------------------

Addendum for this review here on Amazon.com:

Dear poker playing book buyers:

It's fine with me if you buy Mr. O'Connor's book, but I ask that you NEVER read it! On my next trip to Tunica, I don't want to sit down at a table full of folks that have read this book! :-)))

Alan C. Lawhon
Huntsville, Alabama

This is a good book on $1/2 no limit hold 'em, however, it does have a flaw. If you go to any home game around they might be playing 1/2 in a cash game. And in any home game you are going to have loose, extremely loose and drunk loose players. You got the calling stations, people playing for entertainment, etc. You know the type--let's all see the flop and turn and river together.

This book does not provide any insight into how to play this game. Simply put, the author says to skip this game altogether because the style of playing he advocates is worthless against this game. The author wants you to be a power player and use techniques which are negated by the home game player. So, the entire substance of the book can't be used for the home game. That being said, the author does provide a well thought out plan of attack for the game in which people are playing tighter.