Emptyman's Poker Library: Elements of Poker, by Tommy Angelo

Buy Elements of Poker

Living in the moment, I will often find myself doing things because -- hey, it's the time to do it! When my fiancee of 10 days suggested we just elope in Vegas since we'll be nearby, I said, ummmm.....SURE! Let's do it! Reading poker blogs for the first time last summer, I thought I'd dip in my toe and signed up for a Mondays At The Hoy (MATH), and won it. The next day, it was the time to start blogging.

Halfway through this book, I realized it was the time to start an online library. I'll be adding from existing and new titles over time, but this book is too good, TOO IMPORTANT to be missed. You know, like when your friend tells you about that awesome new TV show or CD you've never heard of. Mandatory shout out to PirateLawyer. Now, to the book.

The Entrèe

The entrèe is the meat (or tofu, for you veggies) of the book. It's the core material, the main reason to buy this book.

The book is broken into 144 small "elements", from one line to a few pages long. It's categorized by Universal Elements, Table/Online, Cash/Tourney, Holdem and both NL and Limit versions of it, and Elements of Performance. I'm a huge fan of the snack-size portions, but ONLY if they have rich, thorough concepts (this book does, in spades). As a true online player, I am definitely the kind of guy that reads while in the bathroom, or while I'm waiting for my wife to talk on the phone, or anytime I have 3 minutes free. 3 minutes with this book will give you enough to think about for the entire day.

After reading this book, how are you a better player? You play your A-game more, your C-game less. And if that seems insignificant, wait until it happens. Profits go through the roof. Here's an analogy for you H/L split-game players out there. It's like the difference between scooping and chopping a pot. Yeah, that big of a difference. Peanuts to gold bars.



The Veggies

Eat them! Eat your veggies! The veggies are the part (if any) that you might be tempted to skip over, but at your own risk. I highly recommend considering NOT doing that, because sometimes the most vitamins are in there.

WHEP: Worst Hand (I) Ever Play

There is a large section about starting-hand-requirements in Holdem, and some tables for you (yes, you) to fill out. The concept is this: what hands will you play, given a particular circumstance. More specifically, which hands will you NEVER play in that spot? Can you commit to it, then do it?

Here's the rub: it's not about which hands you should play. You can fill out your chart however you like. If you want to put that you play 65-sooted UTG in limit HE, you fill that in. The test is whether you can stick to it. If you play 64-sooted UTG once after that, whose rule/guideline have you broken? That's right, yours. And if you don't follow your own rules...

The purpose is to increase your honesty with yourself. If you can't be honest with yourself about your hand selection, then you have NO FOUNDATION on which to build a game. And yet this is rarely taught as a core poker concept. This is why Tommy Angelo is a different kind of coach.



Dessert!

Dessert. Sometimes, the whole reason we choose a given restaurant. Here is what is special, even signature, about this book. The crème de la crème.

Awareness.

Threaded throughout the whole book, and then thoroughly explored in the final section, "Elements of Performance". It's the core of Zen, and I attest the core of poker. Of course, poker requires strategy, math, intuition, reading signs, and much much more, but Awareness is the lens through which all of these things pass. Increasing your awareness will increase your ability, your effectiveness, in EACH of these categories.

• Will you be a better bluffer if you are fully focused on your opponents? Yes, you will know when to bet and when not to bother.
  
• Can you tilt while aware? No, by definition.
  
• Can you play your A-game while watching an MLB broadcast in another window? Or peeking across the room at all the action at the higher-limit tables? No, if this is your A-game, what do you call your game when you actually give it your full attention?
  
• Will you pick an optimal time to quit? Yes, if you are aware, you will not only sense when the game becomes tougher, you will be cognizant of your own fatigue and decrease in ability/focus over time.
  
• Will you get caught in your own delusions about how you are playing?
  

And so on.

This is a singular reason to buy this book. By increasing Awareness, EVERY single poker player can improve their game, no matter what the game or what the stakes. No matter what your weaknesses, Awareness will help shore them up. Yet, no previous poker book I've read to date even mentions this. Conversely, that's what makes this book so special.



Comment Card

The comment card is a place for final thoughts, complaints/suggestions, and so on.

If you ask me to recommend a poker book, for someone of amateur, medium, or expert abilities, this is the one. There are thousands of strategy books out there, but poker is not just about the cards, or even about the other players. It's about you, first and foremost, and for me, this book helped me get out of my own way. I was spewing, playing angry, playing dumb, and lost in my own anger. I knew I was unable to play my A-game consistently, yet I didn't know how to fix that. Now I do, and if you don't believe me, consider this. I received the book in the mail Thursday, had read half by Friday. Then I proceeded to go on a 4 day tear that increased my bankroll by 1000% and more. (Results not typical)

Ironically, I consider the weakest section in the book the same one I raved about, "Elements of Performance". This is because it is an attempt to take some core Zen concepts, and put them into language, and on a piece of paper. Doing this, I can attest, is extremely tricky! He handles this well by tying concepts to specific, practical poker situations. He also mentions meditation, breathing, and my favorite, "Bliscipline". But each of these is so HUGE, they could have their own sections. The gold is here, but it's hidden in some specifics. These concepts are so big, SO IMPORTANT, no one should get out of this chapter without truly contemplating these ideas.

Additional discussion:

Hoy's comments, more here


Buy It!

From Tommy Angelo directly, send an email here (if you choose) to get it personally inscribed. Make sure to specify who it's for, and whether you would like a specific message or not.

From Amazon.

I recommend directly buying it directly. He surely gets more of the profits that way, and you can get it inscribed. Delivery was quick, Priority Mail. And maybe he'll write another book that much sooner!