E-Books: Future of Poker Training

In the last two years, poker training sites have exploded.  Mainstays like DeucesCracked and StoxPoker, which have been around for years, are contending with upstarts like Drag the Bar, which just wooed Dusty “Leatherass9” Schmidt into its ranks.  Over the years, these sites revolutionized the way poker players learned through videos.  Moving into 2010, the poker training market might be moving toward an old friend in the form of books, but this time with a digital twist.

The digital revolution has fully crossed over into book sales, as Amazon’s e-book device, the Kindle, sold like hotcakes this holiday season.  The device broke sales records in November thanks to hefty marketing, a price drop, and an international release.  Without revealing numbers, Amazon announced that more Kindle books were sold than real books through Amazon on Christmas Day.  The announcement shows a growing segment of the public leaning towards e-book readers.  What does this have to do with poker?  It’s maybe a taste of things to come in 2010 for poker training content.

Two books from well-known poker players, Ed Miller and Schmidt, were recently released.  The books were self-published and both are available in an e-book edition through the authors’ personal websites.  There is little doubt that e-books are the wave of the future and, for authors, it gives them freedom to publish a book like never before.  Will future poker strategy authors create e-books for sale while video training websites die off?  That’s very unlikely.  Will future strategy books be sold and distributed the way that Miller and Schmidt are doing now, with tie-ins to training videos?  Absolutely.

Poker News Daily graciously received e-copies of each book.  We’ll offer a quick summary and unbiased opinion of each.

“Small Stakes No-Limit Hold’em” by Ed Miller, Sunny Mehta, and Matt Flynn
Cost: $99.95 (35% off until January 15th)

About the Book

This book is the highly-anticipated follow-up to “Professional No-Limit Hold’em,” which had a six-week run at number one on Amazon’s poker and gambling best seller list.  This time around, the authors have focused on beating $1-$2 Six-Max online cash games.  Structured as an example-driven content piece, the book aims to teach critical No Limit concepts.  The authors believe that if a player can consistently beat this game, then they can beat 99% of the games online.  The book is available for e-book readers such as the Amazon Kindle.

Impressions

As a player who competes in $0.50-$1 Six-Max games, it would seem that this book is aimed at someone like me.  I want to move up to the $1-$2 games, but there’s a definite barrier, as those games are a lot tougher than the ones I play, but the money to be made borders on a professional level.  The topic and focus they’ve chosen are perfect, as many agree that if you can beat $1-$2 Six-Max, then you’re able to rise the ranks once your bankroll allows it.  The subject matter in the book covers key points such as stealing pots from opponents, barreling, and how to get value.

There are a lot of good topics that can be applied even if you are playing in micro-stakes games.  In addition, readers will find a lot of sections that will make you re-think your game in a more scientific manner. You’ll also understand 3bet/4bet/5bet theory and how to handle opponents’ aggression.

The final part of the part book is summed up nicely by its title, “7 Easy Steps to No Limit Hold’em Success,” and just about every online poker player should read it.  One of the better sections of the final part was “Keep Your Head In The Game,” where the mental aspect of playing poker is addressed.

The price tag seems a little hefty, but for the discounted rate of roughly $65, the book is a tremendous investment.  As a player dying to jump into the games addressed in the book, I feel like I have a lot more knowledge about beating them than I did before reading it.  The book is best read by small-stakes grinders aching to get ahead and increase their “Poker IQ” so that they can climb the cash game ladder.

“Treat Your Poker Like a Business” by Dusty “Leatherass9” Schmidt
Cost: $39.99 (E-Book Version PDF or Printed Version), $59.99 for both

About the Book

Schmidt is the ultimate grinder who has made millions of dollars playing online poker after starting out at the micro-stakes and watching strategy videos.  His career has spanned seven million hands and he plays as many as 20 tables at a time in the mid- and high-stakes levels.  With this book, he’s not promising to make you the next Phil Ivey, but he’ll outline a way to monetize your abilities.  The book’s focus is best summed up in a quote from Schmidt: “All of the poker books and training sites have made poker players’ games better, but they haven’t necessarily taught them to make money.”

Impressions

There are two types of poker books I’ve read in my years of studying and playing the game.  There are those that teach you the facts, mathematics, plays, and strategies necessary to win.  These types of books are extremely valuable if you ever want to improve enough to keep moving up in stakes.  The other type of book deals with topics never covered before, but gives essential tips to surviving in the industry.  “Treat Your Poker Like a Business” is one such book.

The topics covered include bankroll management, how to rationalize variance, why you should be playing more tables, and how to avoid tilt.  Essential topics also include when and how to move up in stakes, discovering new sources of revenue, and how to be more profitable.  The book isn’t a difficult read, but it goes into detail of what Schmidt put together to create a successful formula for becoming an online poker pro.  There are some endearing chapters, one of which is written by his wife about dealing with the social stigma of playing poker professionally.

The story of Schmidt should be one that inspires many of us to start monetizing our skills and passion for the game.  Schmidt’s book is available as a traditional book or a PDF e-book that will load on to any reader like the Amazon Kindle.