Poker Book Review: How to Win the Championship by TJ Cloutier
TJ Cloutier has been playing poker since FDR introduced The New Deal, and well he has made a darned good living off of it, taking down more first place finishes in major tournaments than any other player. You often see TJs name amongst many of the more youthful, internet trained players placing in competitive live tournaments.
This isnt TJs first poker book. He co-wrote one of the first tournament poker books with Tom McEvoy just before poker and the WPT took television in a new direction. That book failed miserably in offering specific tournament strategies. Instead it was more like self promoting for two pros that had won in the past, but seemed to either be holding back or incapable of explaining intricate strategies in plain English.
Ironically, plain english is exactly TJs problem with this new book. After just reviewing John Vorhaus new Killer Poker Book (online 2), TJs writing really put me to the test of patience. It was like going from a taste sensation provoking French cabernet, to a stale, warm American light beer.
It seems I wasnt the only reader of TJs first book who thought it was short on strategy, because TJ addresses such concerns right at the top of this new book. Describing inquiries directed to him asking for more specifics. Good I thought, maybe we get some juice here, but TJ spends a whole chapter saying in a most basic, but over emphasized way, youve got to play good solid poker. Has he learned nothing? The rest of the book is excruciatingly demeaning. I would surely rather be reading some self hyped Hellmuth prose.
This book claims to help you get to the final table and then play to win at the final table. As for getting there, read above and here again, play good solid poker. Anything deeper than that is simply not to be found in this book. Further, once you get to the final table instead of explaining good strategy TJ analyzes a final table he was at during the 5000, 2005 WSOP. One of the hands that he won, he was all in behind, got lucky and tried to explain his reasoning saying, you got to take a chance once in awhile. Brilliant! And as far as analyzing hands go, please leave that to the expert, Dan Harrington.
If you dont believe how bad a book can be, read some of these profound subtitles:
Always maintain a positive attitude.
Adjust to your opponents style of play.
Always make quality decisions.
Plan carefully when you have a medium stack.
Hey TJ, thanks for coming out.
It quite comes down to this. Some poker pros and their publishers view these boom times as a way to take advantage of newcomers to the game, anxious to improve their game. I am not saying publishers shouldnt be opportunistic. That is fair game in the poker economy. Its their job. It is my job however to warn you of pure cash grabs, and this is one of them. If you want to learn tournament poker see Dan Harrington, John Vorhaus and Phil Gordon.
