Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
High class!, July 10, 2007
There's a lot of poker tournament experience, some of it bitter, behind the hands and the commentary on this DVD. Gordon basically mocks up a big-money final table, with Chris Ferguson and some lesser-known players, and talks us through every decision of the final table. There's a refresher on calculating outs and card odds, pot odds, and implied odds (the only surprise being the omission of Implied Tilt Odds, but the concept is touched on), and during the course of the commentary Phil goes far beyond those basics, talking about how to develop an understanding of your opponents, who to attack and who to retreat from, and so on.
The job of each of the player-actors in this video is to enact a certain stereotype. There's a strong (and beautiful) woman player, who wins at least one huge pot because her male opponent underestimated her (think Jennifer Harman or Annie Duke); a brash "Internet Pro"; a super-aggressive ego player; a very cagey Black player (not unlike Paul Darden); and of course, Chris Ferguson, who gives a very good imitation of himself. A couple of the players are a bit too far into their stereotypes, but not quite to the point of provoking unintended laughter (of course, your mileage may vary on that).
As the action progresses, we see Phil's hole cards, but not the other players'. Phil talks his way through an assessment of each hand, including the ones he doesn't play. Strategic points are illustrated throughout; for one example, he calls attention at one point to the fact that the hand with which he is raising is the same as one he folded not long before, because of position and the action coming to him.
This is a very enjoyable learning tool which will repay its cost many times over. I plan to review this DVD frequently.
As I watch it again and again, perhaps I will learn to ignore the circling lights on the table. Why anyone would do that is beyond me; if I sat down at the featured table in a big-money tournament and they lit off a disco ball overhead, I'd find a heavy object and smash it.
Some of the Full Tilt poker ads are included, and since these are some of the cleverest, funniest ads ever made, I don't object one bit. I need to check the scene selection menu to see if I can jump directly to the Jesus "72 Bluff" ad when I need a laugh.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Educational Poker DVD Available!, July 5, 2008
This really is a fantastic DVD for both seasoned Hold Em players and those new to the game. Among the piles and piles of dull, boring, and uninformative poker DVDs this video is leaps and bounds above the competition and here's why:
+ The production value is top notch. It's a simulated final table similar to what you'd see watching the WPT or WSOP on TV, so you really feel like you're just watching poker on TV and it's quite entertaining.
+ Phil Gordon is an exceptional instructor. His commentary throughout the video is very clear and easy to understand while at the same time being very detailed, in-depth, and accurate. He also has a great sense of humor and make the learning experience a fun one.
+ The video offers two viewing modes: commentary for beginners, which explains the play of the game along with strategy, and truly is great for beginners; and commentary for advanced players, which skips the boring gameplay explanations that we already know and gets right to the strategy aspects that we bought it for. It's very well organized.
+ The advanced commentary, while not really introducing new concepts, is still a great refresher for a seasoned player. It's a great way to rethink your game, and solidify some of the basic concepts of playing great poker.
+ If you're just a casual player looking to improve your home game performance this is exactly what you need. The "final table" format is basically exactly how your average home game is set up.
Now there isn't much negative to say about this video, but here are some minor gripes:
- If you're familiar with Phil Gordon's books and teachings then this video can feel a little like a dull review. He basically goes over everything that he details in his books.
- This is a SIMULATED final table, that is, all the hands are scripted with the purpose of teaching a specific lesson, or making a specific point. (I really would've loved to hear some of Phil Gordon's commentary from an actual live event, like his WPT 1st place finish at Bay 101.) The scripted format works for this video, but real poker situations aren't always quite as "textbook" as they appear in the video.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
National Merit Scholar Adds Value, April 5, 2007
Gordon is a bona fide NM Scholar - a certified genius. His approach is logical, intutive, and delivered with class. It turns out that integrity matters a lot at the poker table...something the author's grandmother taught him at an early age ;-) At the last, poker is all about being believed.
Today's hold 'em table is populated by many a crafty player. Gordon's instruction helps players survive as they work to identify and adopt a personal style (and running interior monologue) that adheres to the rules convincingly enough to permit the deployment of effective bluffing tactics.
Gordon is exactly the kind of person you want as a teacher...and exactly the kind of person you don't want at your final table.
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