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zook
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04-10-2008, 07:59 PM
Post subject: Thoughts on Elements of Poker by Tommy Angelo
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#1 (permalink)
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4-of-a-Kind
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,676
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I just picked this up because I  Tommy. If you aren't familiar with him, check out his website: http://www.tommyangelo.com/ And especially my favorite article of his, recommended by Fnord a long while back: http://www.tommyangelo.com/articles/folding.htm
I'm only 40 pages into Elements of Poker, but so far the book is basically what I expected... very little p0ker strategy but a lot of poker psychology. Tommy looks at the game with a very zoomed out lens, and I love it. Here's a great excerpt from the book:
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Originally Posted by Tommy Angelo
All of my good streaks and all of my bad streaks of every length and depth have had one thing in common. They did not exist in your mind. They only existed in my mind. And this is true for everyone's winning and losing streaks. None of them actually exist. They are all mental fabrications, like past and future. Everything that ever happens happens in the present tense. But how can you have a "streak" in the present tense? You can't. And therefore, if you are in the present tense, which, in fact, at this time, you are, then at this moment there is no streak in your life. There is no inherent existence to streaks. The streak is there when you think about it, and when you stop thinking about it, it goes away. It blossoms and withers, all in your mind. And when your mind invents a streak, you believe it exists, because you believe what your mind tells you. But the truth is there is only the hand you are playing.
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I'll post more in this thread as I keep reading.
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zook
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4-of-a-Kind
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,676
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I'm about halfway through and a little disappointed. There's some filler, stuff that's obvious (2 pages on not slowrolling or slowcalling), stuff that's already on his website (lots about reciprocality) and a lot about table poker (his word for B&M) mechanics and etiquette. There are some sections coming up about strategy, so hopefully those will be good.
The best section so far has been one called "Lopping of the C-Game". In it he talks about how everyone spends all their time working on their A-game, when they really need to spend more time working on their C-Game, the one that costs them the most money. 
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jyms
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Tilting Mod
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 4,836
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Thanks for the updates Zook. I TommyA. His site is one of my favorites. You will decide for me if I should buy or wait to get it on points at one of the sites I play.
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zook
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4-of-a-Kind
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,676
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This is not a typical poker book. There is very little strategy, and what there is doesn't go far beyond the importance of position, playing tight and avoiding tilt. It's really a poker psychology book (and a much better one than The Poker Mindset). It's presented as 144 "elements" (short essays) loosely grouped into sections like Table Poker (50 pages), Internet Poker (4 pages), Tournaments (28 pages) and Cash Games (10 pages). Because Tommy covers so much ground and writes mostly in general terms, any reader is bound to be disappointed by certain sections (like I was by Internet Poker) or find themselves skimming others (Tournaments for me).
Still, Tommy's perspective is unique in the poker world and every player can gain something from it. Many of his shiniest pearls of wisdom have been posted for free on his website, but there are more to be discovered here. I would highly recommend Elements of Poker to three types of players in particular: 1) tilters, 2) anyone with an adequate BR who realizes that their mental discipline needs work, and 3) internet players looking to start playing at brick and mortars.
TJ, for you in particular, who's read a lot of Tommy's stuff already, I'd recommend waiting and buying it on points. Maybe if it was $20 I say go ahead and buy it, but $30 is a little steep I think.
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Jack Sawyer
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4-of-a-Kind
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Old School
Posts: 2,535
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TY Zookster
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My dream... is to fly... over the rainbow... so high...
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VHS is like a book and a book is like a stack of kindles.
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Hey, I'm in a movie!
http://youtu.be/lGdnIrRKDTI
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Aces
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Full House
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 832
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I agree this is an excellent book though as Zook said not real in-depth as far as strategy. It is more focused on B&M poker. It gives some great ideas on avoiding tilt, how/when to quit and why that decision is so important, paying attention at the table, not giving away any info either during or after hands - those are just some of the topics. A lot of it seems pretty common sense but Tommy presents in a different way somehow and I definitely had some "ahHA" moments after reading it. Maybe a coincidence but my results have also improved.
I went to his site too and many of the articles are available there but I still found this collection, with the additional material,very worthwile. It's a very easy and entertaining read as well.
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spoonitnow
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Straight Flush
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: IRC Chat Room
Posts: 5,406
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If you liked Elements of Poker, I'd suggest reading The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin. Though it's not directly related to poker, it talks a little about his progression through his chess and Tai Chi Chuan careers but most of the discussion of learning isn't in terms of any particular discipline.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ripptyde
I only have 2 simple rules when I am coaching a new student.
Rule # 1: don't ask questions
Rule # 2: don't ask questions
I have no interest in discussing strategy with a protege'. Your job is to remain quiet and listen. I have a very systematic approach that I will share with the right candidate and I promise that I will turn you into a force of nature and show you elements of the game of poker that you never knew existed.
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