Rock, Paper, Scissors

[Kurn]

I'm currently reading Arnold Snyder's "The Poker Tournament Formula." The title of the post refers to the way he approaches playing decisions based upon the three weapons you have - Chips (Rock), Cards (Paper), and Position (Scissors).

So far, this book has impressed me because it treats the game in an entirely different way than anything else I've read. The truth is, while many poker books tell you "poker is not a card game, its a betting game that uses cards," they usually then proceed to follow the formula of "You have XY, the flop comes ABC, yadda yadda."

So far, and I'm only 1/3 of the way through the book, I've been impressed by the way he outlines situational hand play with no mention of what cards you hold or what cards come on the board.

I'm also impressed with his "patience factor" of a tournament - an objective analysis of tournament structure and how it guides how much emphasis you need to put on cards versus situations.

Even though he begins the book with a section for beginners on the rules of the game, I don't think this is a book for beginners. I think you need a basic grounding in ABC poker to get the most out of it.

As I get through the book and experiment with his approach, I'll fill you in. So far, this book gets a from me.