James Sweeney - Dynamic Full Ring Poker: A Practical Guide to Crushing $1/2 No-Limit Holdem

As a poker coaching student of his, James SplitSuit Sweeney asked me how this book is different than the other poker books I have read. I will answer that question with a quick story:

A recent popular book stated that the winning style to beat online 200NL 6 max was LAG (loose aggressive.) So of course, I start playing loose and aggressive. At the time, my hand reading skills were virtually non-existent. One of the things the book implied, that I missed, was that to in order to play a profitable LAG style, you need to be a good hand reader. In addition to that, the popular poker forums hype up the LAG style, and imply that nits are a pariah of the poker society. Not wanting to be a pariah, I adopted the LAG strategy, which ultimately would have been described as a LAG-fish style. Being a tuna in a shark tank, while foolishly thinking I was also a shark, was a recipe for disaster.

Then I was introduced to James concept of frameworks presented in this book. This is a technique of breaking down a hand into simple components. Components that can be quickly and easily analyzed during a hand to make a decision. This is the first area where this book is different than others.

Most other books tell you to do Y in situation X. However, we rarely run into EXACTLY situation X when we are actually playing. We run into slight variations of X, and usually optimal play would necessitate variations in our lines and actions. Humans intuitively seek to find a simple set of rules that they can easily apply in poker and life (do X if Y). The problem is that poker is very complex. So much information needs to be gathered, analyzed, and processed into an optimal line. Which can be especially difficult while playing online, when the decision needs to be made quickly.

Next, this book differs dramatically in the explanation of poker theories. They are broken down simply, with minimal jargon, so that poker players of all levels are able to understand and utilize them. After reading this, you should be equipped with the necessary theoretical understanding to find solutions to your poker problems.

Which leads to the final area where this book diverges from others. Since it explains the underlying theory behind a line, you are able to adjust the application of the theory as the game conditions change.

Most books give strategy based on the game conditions relevant when the book was published. Especially in online poker, game conditions can literally change daily, especially after a popular online coach publishes a new article or video. Within weeks, even the fish seem to be trying the new line. With this book, you have the necessary information to adapt to the ever-changing game conditions.

In a nutshell, after reading this book, you should have the tools necessary to:

1. Evaluate your hand
2. Evaluate your opponent (his likely range, mistake propensity, etc.)
3. Decide on the most profitable line to take based on the above
4. Evaluate board textures and create profitable lines around them
5. Optimally adjust your strategy as the games mature and change

This book contains too much info to process all at once, especially for the typical micro or low limit player, for whom much of this information will be new or clarified. I would recommend reading this entire book actively, by creating an outline as you read, highlighting any areas that are new or complex.

Then create a plan based on your current strengths and weaknesses, and decide on which strategies presented you are going to focus on first. Reread those sections, and focus on applying the concepts during a session. Then go back and re-read the section. I bet you will be surprised at what you missed or misunderstood. I know when I read the Isolating chapter, I repeated this process 3 times before I finally applied it correctly. Which reminds me I think I'll review that one more time to be sure it's now in my unconscious competence!

Steve Sundberg