Many poker publications advocate a set style of play, which is all well and good for the beginning player. However it seems, especially online, that LAG is the new TAG and as such intermediate-to-advanced players should prepare themselves for these supposed maniacs.

It may be premature to say, but this book looks to be the best book on tournament poker since the Harrington on Hold ‘em series. Whilst it certainly won’t redefine poker in the way the former books did, this is the first book to track a real-life tournament from beginning to end. Quite literally, every hand is revealed. Hansen talks you through his insane style, and you see that Shakespeare had a point when he said that “though it be madness, there is method in’t.”

Hansen approaches every hand with a cool logic based on pot odds, opponent awareness and, of course, sheer relentless aggression. If you’re happy with your tight-aggressive style and don’t want to learn new ways to play, fine. You’re an idiot, but fine. However, this book will also teach you to play against the Hansens and Iveys of the world.

Buy it, simple as that.

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We all know the game of poker, where you exchange your money for chips; sit down at a table; size up your opponents; put in your blind and get dealt your four hole cards. Yes, four.

Omaha is the new Hold ‘em, baby. The action game where the nuts and second nuts square off on a regular basis, and this book is perfect for those players wishing to learn the game that most of the pros favour.

Covering limit and pot-limit Omaha, high and 8B, cash or tournament, this book has it all. It completely removes any view of Hold ‘em as at all similar to Omaha - read this book and you’re starting from scratch, and you’ll make a few bucks along the way.

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One of the most intense times in a large multi-table tournament is the breaking point between which players cash and which go home with nothing. This is known as ‘the bubble’; the point where mediocre players turn weak-tight to sneak into the cash and good players steal blinds and antes without mercy; where big stacks bully and small stacks cower.

Most intermediate players make the mistake of tightening up at the bubble - this is wrong. Take, for example, the Full Tilt Poker Early Double. This tournament typically gets 950 or so entrants, and 153 get paid. If you’re a medium-to-big stack with 154 players left, don’t use that as an excuse to relax and cruise into the money: steal blinds, pressurise shortstacks; burst that bubble yourself!

In the above example, the 153rd-placed finisher recieves $7.50. Did you really play for four hours and beat 700 people to make $1.50 profit? It shouldn’t matter if you finish 950th, 400th, 154th or 153rd. You’re playing to win.

With a board of 3c-5c-Js-7c I was put to a decision for all of my chips on the bubble of a large MTT. I held 53o, and was well aware that if I called, dozens of hands beat me - flushes, straights, sets and higher two pairs. But I made the call, because I had a decent read and I didn’t care if I bubbled, and was shown Ac-Jd. The river blanked and I doubled through to 2nd in chips. I went on to take down that tournament, and that hand was a turning point. It was the first time I’ve ever seen an entire table type “good call” into the chatbox too.

So if you’re faced with a big decision on the bubble, treat it as you would any other time. You’re not playing to make less-than-double your buy-in. You’re playing to win.

Categories: Poker Strategy
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