I really can't fathom why people continue to defend AOK and Performance Poker. The only logical explanation I can come up with is that they have never actually looked at Performance Poker and are just basing their comments on what they read here in the forums. I included some quotes from AOK's site, www.performpoker.com. I'm interested how anyone could defend this.

From http://performpoker.com/Step1.html

How can I convince you that your poker game sucks? Answer the following questions:

1. What percentage of flops do you see (within 3%)? Don't guess, if you don't KNOW then you're a bad poker player. "It depends" is wrong.
2. Have you written down every preflop hand you play, what positions/circumstance you play them in (whether it be calling with them, calling a raise with them, raising with them, reraising with them, etc.), and then how you play them post flop in the 3 most common scenarios for that hand? If you already have this written down and have already quantified them, then you've probably got a game. If you don't have it written out and analyzed, then you DON'T HAVE A PERFORMANCE GAME. It's that simple.
3. What hands do you like to play for a call or raise that are obviously not premium hands (or at least situational premium hands)? If you have ANY hands that fall in this category then you're a bad poker player. (period)
1. First, I would like to congratulate AOK for finding the only situation in poker where “it depends” is the wrong answer. Good thing you made your own site so you could copyright this genius.

My answer is that I don’t know. With the aid of software such as PokerTracker and PokerOffice, most serious online players have a pretty good statistical understanding of how they are playing. I call tell you my VPIP for 6-max NLHE is ~19%. What percentage of flops I’m actually seeing though I couldn’t tell you. Apparently this means I’m a bad player. Accordingly, if I told you the percentage of flops I’m seeing changes depending on table characteristics then that statement would declare that my poker game sucks. I wonder if Phil Ivey could answer what percentage of flops he saw after any given session without guessing? If he was a good player he could.

2. I don’t have every pre-flop hand I play written down. If I did though I think the list would be around…. 169 hands. I couldn’t tell you how I’d play a given hand post-flop in the three most common scenarios either. I couldn’t tell you the 3 most common scenarios post-flop for a given hand because I would have to answer “it depends.” Remember though, “it depends” is wrong. So I admit it. I DON’T HAVE A PERFORMANCE GAME. (Thank God)

3. Wow. Three questions and a third “it depends” from me. It seems AOK thinks that making a situational pre-flop raise with air makes you a bad poker player. (period) If that’s the case then I’m the mayor of Sucksville. Apparently I have it all backwards. I was under the mistaken impression that poker is a situational game. Thanks for clearing that up for me AOK. Would you mind telling me again what screen name I am supposed to send money to on PokerStars to support your site?

The questions could go on, but if you passed this test, then you might have game. If you failed one question, then you don't. Don't ask me to "improve" your bad game. Help me and yourself by realizing that "starting from scratch" isn't a bad thing.
Don’t worry AOK. I won’t ask you to “improve” my game. I’ll just take solace in the fact that starting over isn’t the end of the world.

Yeah, I know this is an abusive, arrogant, obnoxious, annoying, irritating, disturbing section.
What do you know?!? We agree on something! High five AOK!


http://performpoker.com/Step2.html

Folding is also the most overlooked skill by the majority of players. They can't fold. They won't fold. They find reasons to play when they should be finding reasons to fold. They think and then re-think, they try to read minds, they make "reads" to help them stay in a hand, they play pure position plays and know they can steal pots after the flop with any two cards…
My head is spinning… You shouldn’t think? You shouldn’t re-think? You shouldn’t put your opponent on a range of hands? You shouldn’t bother with reading your opponents? You shouldn’t utilize position? You shouldn’t try to steal?

… They think folding will make them look weak in the eyes of their opponents. It deflates their ego. They think they are poker geniuses. They are actually action junkies. These guys are going to be your new best friends, because they are going to make your mortgage payments for you.
You’re not supposed to think, but you’re some how going to beat all the players that actually do? My head is really spinning…

Now, for whatever hands you have reservations about... Like ATs... write 25 times. "I always fold" and the hand. Each hand 25 times. Each time reminding yourself that you are creating a new game, a disciplined game, a money making game that will bring you hundreds of thousands of dollars over your poker career, a game that's going to make you into a poker monster.
If you have a hand that you’re not sure how to play then don’t go to AOK for advice. He’s just going to tell you to fold it. He won’t try to explain the situations where you can play certain hands profitably.

Now, for whatever person comes to you with a question AOK… Like a beginner… write 25 times: “I am creating weak players.” Each person 25 times. Each time reminding yourself that you are creating a passive player, an unimaginative player, a player that will get pushed around, a player that will get bluffed repeatedly, a player that won’t maximize profit, a marginal winner at best that will repeatedly miss opportunities to make hundreds of thousands of dollars over their poker career, a beginner that will stay a beginner for as long as they follow your system.

Done? If you didn't do this exercise and you're ready to go to the next section, then do me a favor. Go to the bathroom, remove the roll of toilet paper, and place this book on the spool. You might as well put it to use, because you're not using it to learn how to play professional level poker. Do the damn exercise before you move on, please. It'll only take an hour unless you're writing with your feet. And I know a guy who could probably do it in less than an hour with his feet as well.
AOK forgot to mention to also wash your hands when you are in the bathroom because he just got done handing you a load of crap.


http://performpoker.com/Step3.html

Why did we go through the exercise of writing, "I always fold..' for almost every hand in poker? Two reasons.
Because we want to be weak-tight players? Because we don’t want to win a lot of money?

One, you need you face those hands that you like playing but shouldn't play. Second, when you eliminate ever hand you fold from a poker deck, what are you left with? Only the hands you play.
Read the second reason again.

Second, when you eliminate ever hand you fold from a poker deck, what are you left with? Only the hands you play.
When you sniff paint thinner, what are you left with? More brain cells than after reading Performance Poker.

I had to re-read that line twice and each time I waited for a punch line that never came. I felt compelled to make my own funny so you wouldn't feel left hanging. AOK's misspellings and poor grammar don't help his cause either.



Step 3 continues on with some specifics on how to play certain hands. I’ll give my further critique later.