The name's familiar to poker fans, the same fans that have been waiting for Daniel Negreanu to release a long-awaited text that defines his style of tournament play. Interestingly, Daniel's title, Power Hold'em Strategy appeared just a couple of weeks before Warwick Dunnett's Poker Wizards (339 pages, paperbound, $19.95) tome arrived featuring the charismatic tourney whiz himself as one of the headlining contributors.
It's not unexpected that Power Hold'em Strategy is being compared to Doyle Brunson's Super System. Both books drew from established pros revealing the various strategies that propelled them to the top of the game. The single difference is that Doyle's work covered myriad poker variations while Daniel's sticks with hold'em only.
Power Hold'em Strategy soared to the top of the list of best-selling titles, selling out of many initial store orders the week it arrived, in part because Daniel invited his tournament buddies to contribute sections that would benefit players at all limits and stakes. So with Evelyn Ng discussing strategies for the novice who has climbed to the big-bet no-limit hold'em events, with Todd Brunson covering the high-limit cash games, having Erick Lindgren giving tips of the no-limit games online, Paul Wasicka letting out the secrets for short-handed cash games online, and David Williams showing readers how to mix up their game with traps, bluffs, and changing gears, Daniel was left to be able to cover his favorite methodology- small ball poker.
While not every reader will need every topic in the book, smart readers will forge ahead and study every section because regardless of the limit or format being covered, there will be nuggets of value in unexpected pages. As for Daniel's contribution, he's undertaken the easily understood definition of small ball poker and delved into those areas that the casual or uninitiated player often doesn't "get." He explains that getting the concept into your game and making it work requires a confidence and skill that can be learned. Daniel explains how using a small number of chips to see a flop with less than premium hands can lead to three results, two of which are good.
The move gets you a cheap flop that can either be a glove fit for your hand, can be garbage for both you and your opponent, or can be a total disaster. The smart player, by reading opponents and understanding the math of hold'em can decide how to take the move to the next level or when to toss the hand into the muck and wait for the next opportunity. It's a good bet this will be a best-selling title for years to come.
-Howard Schwartz
