18-September-2009

 

It’s no secret that we here at AceHoyle.com dig short sentences. Actually, it’s a point of pride. Not a day goes by when Miles, Dave and yours truly aren’t trimming articles down to their barest bones. And, we have to say, we’re pretty pleased with the results. Sadly, however, few of our fellow gaming writers have the same minimalist bent. Every time a publisher sends us a gambling or poker book to review, I, for one, dread their newest “in-depth strategy” tome. I mean, for chrissakes, people, learn some economy!

I guess all this is to explain how frickin’ stoked I was to discover my first pick for AceHoyle.com’s “Solid Reads” poker books column: Along with my long-awaited copy of Mike Matusow’s “Check-Raising the Devil,” my friends over at Cardoza Publishing sent a copy of Ralph Wheeler’s “333 Winning Texas Holdem Tips.” At 103 bite-sized pages, it was the most compact of poker books. And, despite having waited over a month for “The Mouth’s” autobiography, I left it, the box and the brown packing paper strewn across my desk and strolled off to lunch with “333” in hand.

Well, suffice it to say I wasn’t disappointed. “333” was exactly what it looked like: In poker books terms, it was to the countless Hold’em encyclopedias on my office bookshelf what White Castle burgers are to the Big Mac. By the end of lunch I’d devoured the whole thing. Heck, I even timed myself, and at one hour and 15 minutes, “333” beat out “The Catcher in the Rye” for my fastest all-time read. It was the kind of thing I knew I had to let Ace’s fans in on. And to give you an added reason to check it out I’m topping off my enthusiastic rant with a 10-tip teaser.

10 Choice Texas Hold em Tips from ‘333 Winning Texas Holdem Tips’

"333 Winning Texas Hold em Tips," Tip No. 21: (For Beginners) “Always play in a game you think you can beat, not the one you wish you could beat. The higher the stakes, the tougher the competition usually is.”

"333 Winning Texas Hold em Tips," Tip No. 49: (General Texas Holdem Tip) “Players often give raisers in first position credit for having a big hand.”

"333 Winning Texas Hold em Tips," Tip No. 60: (General Texas Holdem Tip) “Avoid playing small or medium pairs from early position. If you decide to play them, just call the size of the big blind. Usually fold if someone raises the pot.”

"333 Winning Texas Hold em Tips," Tip No. 75: (General Texas Holdem Tip) “If two rounds in a row are checked to you in last position, consider betting just enough to pick up the pot in no-limit Hold’em.”

"333 Winning Texas Hold em Tips," Tip No. 103: (General Texas Holdem Tip) “Do not assume you can bluff a maniac on the river. Bluffs seldom work against him, primarily because he is accustomed to players trying to bluff him.”

"333 Winning Texas Hold em Tips," Tip No. 130: (No-Limit Texas Holdem Tip) “If you’re the first player to enter the pot in no-limit Hold’em and you want to raise, most experts suggest you raise about three times the size of the big blind.”

"333 Winning Texas Hold em Tips," Tip No. 180: (No-Limit Texas Holdem Tip) “The odds against making an inside straight draw are 10.5 to 1, so be aware that you’re chasing a very tough draw if you decide to continue with the hand. The pot needs to be 10 times greater than the cost of your call to make it worth your while to take the draw.”

"333 Winning Texas Hold em Tips," Tip No. 187: (Limit Texas Holdem Tip) “Usually buy in for 20 times the size of the big blind in limit Hold’em games.”

"333 Winning Texas Hold em Tips," Tip No. 192: (Limit Texas Holdem Tip) “When playing limit Hold’em from early position, many experts suggest that the only hands you should play are A-A, K-K, Q-Q, J-J, 10-10, A-K or A-Q; plus A-J and K-Q suited.”

"333 Winning Texas Hold em Tips," Tip No. 227: (Cash-Game Texas Holdem Tip) “If you are new to deep-stack cash poker, be aware that winning players do not like to commit their entire stacks without holding the nuts or close to.”

By: Phill Provance
phill.provance@acehoyle.com

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