Rolf Slotboom, one of the most respected players on the poker circuit, cashed seven times at the 2007 World Series of Poker, which gives a ton of credence to his coverage of professional poker. His four-DVD set is one of the best selling videos on hold 'em and his Secrets of Professional Pot-Limit Omaha continues to be a popular title among aspiring poker pros.
Now he's written Secrets of Professional Poker 1. Subtitled Winning Strategies for Limit Hold 'em, No-Limit Hold 'em and Omaha, this is a book that is likely to join the ranks of bestsellers.
Here he starts with a limit Hold 'em section of 100 pages where he focuses on topics such as defending the blinds, playing A-K, playing bottom pair, what to look for in starting hands and playing against maniacs.
In a second, 47-page section, Slotboom examines differences between playing limit versus no-limit hold 'em, including the thorny moves necessary in pre-flop play, differences and adjustments, aggression and deception, playing on the later streets, stack size, and strategy.
The final section is devoted to pot-limit Omaha, and it presents the best starting hands, choosing the best seat against a maniac, starting hand selection, bluffing, and many sample hands he's analyzed with rationale behind the decisions.
Slotboom is an excellent writer. He puts his ideas to paper in a crisp, organized style that makes the material easy to follow-and often controversial. For example, he questions whether sitting to the left of a maniac is always good policy. And in his section on The Trouble with Maniacs he doesn't just cover why highly-aggressive players are bothersome, he give specific situations to convey the point.
"Since you already know how the maniac is playing, raising six or seven times out of 10," he explains, "it's more important for you to know how the others in your game will play. If they play their normal game, you will get heads-up with the super aggressor and best him more often than not. But, if others also try to isolate him then you have some tough decisions to make. One wrong move, considering how big the pots can get, can be devastating. So, if your opponents don't respect your raises, there's no advantage to having a maniac to your right."
If you're serious about beating the crowd, this is a must read.
