Modern Small Stakes by Nathan Williams (BlackRain79)- BluffMeAllIn's Book Review

BluffMeAllIn

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I was approached via Nathan Williams “BlackRain79” recently to see if I would be willing to do a review of his newest book, “Modern Small Stakes” (MSS), to post up on the CardsChat forum. Although I have never written a review of a book before, and certainly hope I will do it justice in my approach, I didn’t have to give it much thought before saying I would. I had been looking forward to him completing his book since I found, purchased and read his “Crushing the Microstakes” (CTM) book last year and found out he would be writing another.

My approach to the review is somewhat of an overview of the various items discussed within, specifically some quotes from the book itself in such sections accompanied with my thoughts throughout but more so are my concluding thoughts at the end. I hope that my review will provide the forum members some insights into the new book. Also as Nathan had indicated to me in doing the review, to be honest and say so if I hated it, I ask the same of you in your feedback on my review of the book.


Here Goes……

Nathan’s MSS book covers a variety of topics that any player currently at those stakes (10/25/50/100NL) or still grinding micros (2/5NL) and looking to move-up would find beneficial, especially those new to the low end spectrum of the small stakes.

To kick things off he provides some thoughts and information on general fundamentals that although would be the most beneficial to an unfamiliar beginner entering into these stakes, should certainly serve as a refresher to the more experienced of players. This section alone would certainly answer many of the questions we see from newer members of the forum, and even those experienced who are starting to get more involved with making use of a HUD. Such topics include Game Selection, Volume, Long run & Short run, BRM & Moving up, HUD setup & the Popup Display, and Player Types.


To play or not to play preflop!

Having now sat to a table we have cards in our hand, what do we do? The section on preflop is the first step into various streets of play discussed within the book, and so provides the first insights into play within the small stake limits.

It begins with some very important information on balancing your range and of course positional opening ranges for both 6-max and full-ring vs. unknowns, as well as custom opening ranges when we have some information that could call for specific adjustments. It dives further in and discusses 3-bet and flatting ranges in the same manner of a general unknown opponent and making adjustments when we have information that indicates we should do so.

Furthermore it discusses some guidelines in regards to how to react when facing a 3-bet or 4-bet and of course constructing a 4/5-bet range which is based even more on an individual opponent than having a general approach. More to the fact of making adjustments based on information on hand the topic of having History with an opponent is also brought to light and how it can play into making adjustments on the actions taken.

Throughout the book in addition to the strategy and guidelines provided, there are many example hands in both 6-max and full-ring. Reviewing his insight and thought process for these hands in relation to the information that was provided is certainly something I truly enjoyed in the book. They are truly beneficial as in some cases even similar situations there are different correct actions either because of a different player type we are facing or a difference in a particular stat on the same player type…..it truly is eye opening and further proof as to why it is important to have a plan and adjust it on a case by case basis.

Almost half of the book has been covered bringing us to the end of the preflop play, which although may seem like a large portion, considering the importance of postflop play at these stakes, I believe Nathan states it best when he says “…it is the foundation for everything I am going to talk about now” and if there is anything we have heard before and know to be true is that a solid foundation is key to everything (education, construction, etc.).


May the flop be with you!

As Nathan indicates at the start of his postflop section, “The most important point to remember after the flop is that usually nobody has anything at all.”

This is where the first post-flop topic in the book will be of great importance, perceived ranges and board texture. These are fundamentals because of their importance in determining if a flop has connected with you or your opponents range and of course follows suit into the very important post-flop action (as well as narrowing this range as we reach further streets). To C-Bet or not to C-bet!

In the postflop strategy section of the book, as is done with turn and river as well, the approach is to determine your action/line to take depending on the preflop action as it can certainly change what plan you have for the hand on the flop and later streets depending on the previous streets actions. Nathan does an excellent job in providing information to guide you in how to proceed on the flop based on if you were the preflop raiser, caller, 3beter, c-bet gets raised, you get donked into etc. and of course the c-bet and sizing in general.


Floating to the Turn?

So action has continued to the turn, but when it comes to small stakes cash games this isn’t always going to define your opponent’s exact range and in fact may not define it at all. As indicated at the start of the turn section, “At the stakes discussed in this book however there are plenty of weak regs who will hang around on the flop but give you credit when you can follow it up on the turn. There are also plenty more regs at these stakes who are willing to fire the 2nd shell themselves with weaker holdings. So there is a lot more to discuss.”

The turn strategy section of the book follows similar suit to the situations discussed in the postflop section, however now having an additional street of information to work with it can assist in making decisions go forward. As with the postflop section a multitude of situations are discussed and further explained with hand examples vs. different player types and provides insights from the author to guide you in making the correct decisions for such situation based on current and previous actions in the hand as well as the all useful HUD and popup information.


Ranging on the River…

As Nathan indicates at the start of his river section, “The river is perhaps the most important street in today’s small stakes cash games.”

All cards are in play at this point, and now we should have a more narrowed range on our opponent, but of course this would be the same in regards to the range they have us on as well. On the river we must end the story of the hand and final actions will determine the outcome (are we ahead, do we go for value, how can we get max value? Are we behind, do we shut down or can we make the opponent fold by continuing our bluff etc.?). These are the things that are discussed in this section in similar suit to previous sections based on the actions that took us to the river and information we have on our opponents.

This is certainly by far an important street not only because it is the end of the story but also because the river will often see the most amounts of money going into the pot in comparison to earlier streets, so we don’t want to get it in just hoping they will fold if we are behind and want to get the max value when we are ahead. The strategy section provides guidelines on how to approach doing just this based on how the previous streets went and of course with many examples and insight on them from the author it can paint a picture in doing so effectively.


In Addition….

In addition to providing some great insight into playing the game from pre-flop to post-flop Nathan has also taken the time at the end of his book to discuss two very important topics related to poker and more importantly success in poker. These are studying the game and the mental game.

Studying the game lays focus on making use of your tracking database to analyze individual hand history’s but also you’re game in its entirety from statistics point of view. As well it touches on how to use your database to review the game of other players who you could learn things from and the approach you can take in testing such possible changes to your game to determine if they are beneficial.

In the Mental game section it touches on the very important fact of how having a strong mental game is necessary to be successful, and as indicated when touching on tilt in CTM entire books can be written regarding dealing with tilt and mental game issues, but the section does provide some interesting points on putting your opponents on tilt.


To conclude….

As anyone who has read and studied Nathan’s previous book, CTM, knows it to be well organized and structured in a fashion that allows the reader to study the materials on a street by street basis and of course this same structure is adopted in his new book and IMO extremely effective in providing individual topics to review and study. His ambition for the readers of the new MSS book is to guide them in how to play and improve in today’s small stakes cash games, but specifically important is the point I have quoted below:

“If there is one thing that I want you to take away from this it is that at the small stakes you need to approach each opponent differently”.

Not only is this the thing he wishes the reader to take away from his book but having read the book, and certainly a reason for everyone to do so, it provides the strategies and tips in regards to making use of the HUD and its popups to provide the building blocks of how you can use the information at hand along with the outlined strategies to be able to recognize the differences between opponents and not only because of the different player types but even to be able to pick up on the differences on an individual basis within those groups. Also not to be considered specifically an asset for online players just because of the emphasis on the HUD, but the strategies contained within would also play in live games where it is much easier to mentally store such information because of the slower pace of the game.

We all know that a generic response to most questions in poker can be answered with “It Depends”, well in the MSS book Nathan does a great job of providing various responses to certain actions as well as a great foundation in giving you the knowledge to determine how to react correctly in those situations where the correct action to take depends on previous actions or HUD information. The examples especially throughout provide his insight and analysis to prove that all situations are different, and in deed we must make use of all the information we have available to make the best decision we can.

MSS is not a walkthrough on how to crush small stakes, as CTM was for micro stakes, which is to be expected considering at the small stakes you will face more regs who are thinking at least some level beyond just the cards that they hold as well as in general the increased aggression that exists. However, it provides the knowledge and information to enable its readers to become thinking players who can analyze and rationalize the best decisions for themselves. It does of course cover many scenarios through the guidelines and examples it explores but most importantly builds a foundation so that as we embark into the small stakes limits of NLHE we can be thinking players of the game and therefore outthink and outplay the competition.

I would certainly recommend this book, specifically for anyone looking to improve and move up through the cash stakes from the micros but also for those who are currently playing within the small stakes looking to advance through the various limits and of course improve their win rates. I am sure that regardless of being new to the small stakes or being well experienced that we could all find some gems of information from this book to help us think more efficiently and improve our game, I know I have.
 
S3mper

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Damn you Dave! making me want go out and spend my money to buy the book!

then again an investment isn't the same as spending =) so Yay Dave!
 
BluffMeAllIn

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Damn you Dave! making me want go out and spend my money to buy the book!

then again an investment isn't the same as spending =) so Yay Dave!

Exactly, certainly is an investment for anyone looking to improve their game and I'm sure it will pay dividends and might just be the key to an ahha moment that many who struggle with the stakes need to up their game.
 
Figaroo2

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What a great review, and very well written, I agree with almost all of it.
I am on the river section at the moment, my thoughts are mainly positive. To be honest I haven't found it an easy read, its so technical I have to read it in small chunks and digest it bit by bit otherwise it cures my insomnia. I will read it at least twice to make sure it sticks, it is excellent material.
I have no doubt that the main key is to be able to look at the hud stats and instantly recognize the player types and from there knowing how to react to that player type. Clearly it is easy to tell at a glance the difference between a maniac and a nit but telling the difference between a good tag and a tagfish is not so easy and will take many thousands of hands to develop. Another key is not to overload your hud and to know exactly what each stat is without having to check it.
I don't think it will turn you into a crusher overnight but will give you the keys to be able to improve. No one will be poorer for reading this book and it is worth the money.
 
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BluffMeAllIn

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Thanks Bruce, yes it is certainly a bit of an information overload on first read for sure....I then reviewed through a number of sections a 2nd time before finalizing my review and I certainly plan on going through it many times more and on a piece by piece approach when i start to study the material.
 
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First, I want to say thank you for taking the time to review the book and help provide insight. However, the important question for me is, "does this book tell me anything new?" I have never been a great player. Sure, over the years since I first started playing I've been an overall winning player. But never one who made it big. I am an academic; my poker experience began in books. The first one I ever purchased was The Theory of Poker. And the advice in the book is as relevant as ever. I've read The Mathematics of Poker, Super System 2, and Power Hold'em Strategy, just to name a few. But honestly, only a handful were important in shaping my play. If I get more serious into poker again (I just recently restarted playing) I may pick up Modern Small Stakes. But like I said, I am an academic. I would not recommend it to someone who was not. I would not even recommend it to someone who wanted to improve their game. Books are static; there is no feedback. Forums like CardsChat, 2+2, and elsewhere are what matter. Why spend your time and money on a book aimed at a such a narrow window, when you will get advice on a situation that is tailored to you on a forum.

One could certainly make the argument that books consolidate information into one place. Or that the information can be extrapolated or carried into different situations. And that is true. I do not mean to deride poker books. As I said above, I find The Theory of Poker instrumental in making me a winning player. However, most books, even ones I like such as Small Stakes Hold'em are not very relevant. Super System 2 is an example of a book that gets a pass, for having a wide array of games. In fact, I would argue the more general and basic advice provided in Super System 2 combined with the theory in The Theory of Poker better equips a player than detailed situational analysis in Modern Small Stakes. Specific situational analysis is important. But it my opinion, that is where forums dominate.

As BluffMeAllin even quoted from the book “If there is one thing that I want you to take away from this it is that at the small stakes you need to approach each opponent differently”. That is true of every game, table, and opponent you will ever play. And it is what essentially makes this book on "modern" small stakes an antiquity.
 
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I want to add, briefly, that the information on HUD and other computer based analytical tools is information you will not find in older books, although I am sure there are other more recent books containing similar information.

I also want to add, or reinforce, that I have not read Modern Small Stakes. I am basing my comments as to the information contained therein based on BluffMeAllins review. And if I am misinterpreting the intent or content, I apologize.
 
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I will also post a review by the end of the week. I only read half of it by now and hope to finish it by Friday night. It is exactley what i expected to be as CTM was. It is more helpfull than the books written by the big names.
 
LD1977

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Isn't 10NL and 25NL still considered micro stakes though? 10NL and 5NL play almost exactly the same BTW.
 
fletchdad

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Great post Dave! Thanks.

I will weigh in later as well, but I could be saying something like "what he said" as I quote your review. Lol.

Am at page 100 so far. If I have anything to add, I will do it here, or I may also do a separate thread, if I deem that worthwhile, but, TBO, your review seems balanced and in depth.

My impression so far is very positive. Easy to read, easy to understand, very in depth about the right things.
 
BluffMeAllIn

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First, I want to say thank you for taking the time to review the book and help provide insight.

thanks.

However, the important question for me is, "does this book tell me anything new?"

Obviously this is going to depend on what you currently know, the levels you currently play at and how you think about the game. I mean for all we know a medical dictionary might not tell you anything new if you already know everything in it. This is something that is difficult for anyone to know besides yourself, once you have read the book

However given you have only recently got back into playing again, I would certainly expect there should be some new knowledge in the book for you


I would not even recommend it to someone who wanted to improve their game. Books are static; there is no feedback. Forums like CardsChat, 2+2, and elsewhere are what matter. Why spend your time and money on a book aimed at a such a narrow window, when you will get advice on a situation that is tailored to you on a forum.

IMO there is nothing narrow about the details and information in the book and think you are taking a narrow view based just on my review to make some strong comments regarding the book. I certainly do agree that forums like CardsChat are great resources to constantly grow your game with feedback from others, but this process does take time. What someone can obtain from a book such at MSS could take months to accomplish from posting hands on a forum for analysis and still possibly not cover all of the examples provided within.

As BluffMeAllin even quoted from the book “If there is one thing that I want you to take away from this it is that at the small stakes you need to approach each opponent differently”. That is true of every game, table, and opponent you will ever play. And it is what essentially makes this book on "modern" small stakes an antiquity.

How can you even say that a book written by someone currently playing the stakes discussed and using examples and situations that he himself encountered while doing so would be ancient? A key item I pushed to get accross in my review is that this book provides readers with insight on how to analyze their hands and situations in real time to be able to play differently vs individual opponents ......... It doesn't say do this because it works against everyone, it's more of a teach you how to fish and why you do what you do so you can adjust when the situation at hand changes.

Some comments in bold.

I want to add, briefly, that the information on HUD and other computer based analytical tools is information you will not find in older books, although I am sure there are other more recent books containing similar information.

I also want to add, or reinforce, that I have not read Modern Small Stakes. I am basing my comments as to the information contained therein based on BluffMeAllins review. And if I am misinterpreting the intent or content, I apologize.

I do thank you for your feedback Sohmurr, although I have disagreed with many points you make it is much appreciated. Everyone learns differently when it comes to studying a topic such as poker, and as I said forums are great for a continual learning process and certainly obtaining lots of knowledge but when it comes to learning the most in a short amount of time (and with a structure) it doesn't compare to a book and especially a newely written one based on how the games are played today.

There are certainly some older books on poker which have some relevant fundamentals that in their own right will never change, however we know the game is always evolving so for anyone playing the game today why not speed up their learning process with a small investment of time and money rather than a larger investment of time and possibly money being lost or having a small or negative winrate when it could be larger.

Great review Dave, well done.

Thanks nick, I had a great time reading the book and writing the review.

I will also post a review by the end of the week. I only read half of it by now and hope to finish it by Friday night. It is exactley what i expected to be as CTM was. It is more helpfull than the books written by the big names.

thanks swingpro for the read.

Isn't 10NL and 25NL still considered micro stakes though? 10NL and 5NL play almost exactly the same BTW.

Micro is small, but small isn't micro. I think 10nl is an in between where sometimes a CTM approach might crush the limit while other times you could be crushed because you are being exploited by the higher thinking regs, which is where the guidelines and stategies of MSS would come into play.

Something stated in mss is that the small stakes are essentially the first limits we encounter that with good volume could produce a decent side income, or full-time income depending on where someone lives and the cost of living and currency in comparison to the US $ etc.

Great post Dave! Thanks.

I will weigh in later as well, but I could be saying something like "what he said" as I quote your review. Lol.

Am at page 100 so far. If I have anything to add, I will do it here, or I may also do a separate thread, if I deem that worthwhile, but, TBO, your review seems balanced and in depth.

My impression so far is very positive. Easy to read, easy to understand, very in depth about the right things.

Thanks fletch, I look forward to your thoughts on the book once you have finished reading it.
 
Nathan Williams

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Thanks so much for the in depth review BluffMeAllIn. I am glad that the book resonated well with you. MSS is very long compared to most other poker books and I can definitely see it being information overload at times (I ended up reading it 7 or 8 times myself during the editing process so I certainly know that!). So thank you very much for the speedy turn around.
 
BluffMeAllIn

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Thanks so much for the in depth review BluffMeAllIn. I am glad that the book resonated well with you. MSS is very long compared to most other poker books and I can definitely see it being information overload at times (I ended up reading it 7 or 8 times myself during the editing process so I certainly know that!). So thank you very much for the speedy turn around.

Thanks, certainly happy I was able to put together a quality review (being something new to me I certainly wanted to make sure I did a good job with it).

Also thanks for the opportunity of being able to share this with the forum and provide the members with some insight on your new book. I am sure it will be a success for both you as an author and readers as poker players.

So when can we expect a 200NL+ book from you, I'm sure your just dying to write another one lol. :D
 
Nathan Williams

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Thanks, certainly happy I was able to put together a quality review (being something new to me I certainly wanted to make sure I did a good job with it).

Also thanks for the opportunity of being able to share this with the forum and provide the members with some insight on your new book. I am sure it will be a success for both you as an author and readers as poker players.

So when can we expect a 200NL+ book from you, I'm sure your just dying to write another one lol. :D

Haha, I am not sure if I have another poker book in me. I know I said that after the first one. However, this one was such a monster that I won't even start thinking about it for at least a year. If I do decide to write another one it will definitely be aimed at the micro/small stakes again since those are the games that I play and teach.
 
kavlana888

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BLIMEY! sounds like you know your onions bluffmeallin, the literature sounds a Tad over my experience level so I'm a tad frightened but 100% will read b/c well, I JUST LOVE WHEN IT RAINS!... inside or out :)
 
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BLIMEY! sounds like you know your onions bluffmeallin, the literature sounds a Tad over my experience level so I'm a tad frightened but 100% will read b/c well, I JUST LOVE WHEN IT RAINS!... inside or out :)
Blackrain79 has 2 books now. The older one is exactly what you want.
 
BluffMeAllIn

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BLIMEY! sounds like you know your onions bluffmeallin, the literature sounds a Tad over my experience level so I'm a tad frightened but 100% will read b/c well, I JUST LOVE WHEN IT RAINS!... inside or out :)

Blackrain79 has 2 books now. The older one is exactly what you want.

Correct, the new modern small stakes book contains the more advanced strategies required for 10NL+, and even more applicable at the 25nl level and above to the 100nl (and of course a great foundation for anything beyond that as well).

If you are currently playing in the microstakes levels as a beginning then Crushing the Microstakes which is his first book would be what your looking for. I will add also however that even some of the information contained in the modern small stakes book in regards to using the hud information in specific situations would provide some insight and edge even at the smallest limits when looking to make some decisions against the better players there.

Both books can be obtained from his website, blackrain79.com.
 
LD1977

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The obvious question here is of course how is a 4NL player qualified to review a book intended for higher levels.

I would like to see a review from a 25-50-100NL regular player who is breakeven or better.
 
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Awesome Review

Have you thought about writing a book !! :)

Im currently just started going through the preflop examples, which makes it slighlty easier to understand as already mentioned its not the easiest read.

Lots of useful Stats like Bet sizing for Raises 3Bet/4Bets and several HUD stats with great explanations. If you are a number cruncher then definitely recommend otherwise would take at least a reread, especially key areas and future readings of HUD sections

Would say too advanced for the micros 2nl and 4nl as deals with balancing and alot of stats which isnt as necessary at the lowest levels although from previous reviews CTM, Nathans first book deals with more optimum play at those levels.

Probably a good idea whilst reading to try and make detailed notes for referencing later

Did notice there was a link to Pokerstove which I tried to download as I couldnt find the version I had before. Unfortunately the version didnt work but there was a thread on here with information on how to get it

https://www.cardschat.com/forum/pok...expired-anyone-have-a-link-237522/index2.html


and the direct link

https://github.com/andrewprock/pokerstove/blob/master/win32/PokerStoveSetup124.exe and click on Raw
 
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fletchdad

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The obvious question here is of course how is a 4NL player qualified to review a book intended for higher levels.

I would like to see a review from a 25-50-100NL regular player who is breakeven or better.

Wrong. DUCY?


uh, I guess not, or you would not have made such an "obvious" observation.............

Figure it out on your own, I aint gonna 'splain it.
 
Figaroo2

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25NL player

The obvious question here is of course how is a 4NL player qualified to review a book intended for higher levels.

I would like to see a review from a 25-50-100NL regular player who is breakeven or better.

LD
I've been playing at 10 and recently successfully moving up to 25NL.
Blackrains' book has firstly been excellent preflop revision for me. Preflop I consider myself unconsciously competent but the refresher given by this book was still useful for me, especially around three betting.
The first part of the book will in my opinion help 2-5NL players make the leap to 10NL.
Those players using a HUD every time they play are the players who will gain the most from this book.
Clearly a different skill-set is required for live play which this book does not really seek to cover however, I still think live players would still benefit from reading the book. Implementing the strategies outlined in this book once the player types are identified is bound to help.
Where the MSS book comes into its own is the close focus on the player types and how to identify their weaknesses via use of a HUD and then targeting them appropriately with lots of decent examples.
The book does assume that you are fairly skilled at use of a HUD.
Proper understanding of the HUD you are using, is for me, the main key skill required for moving up the stakes online. There simply isn't any point having a stat displayed on your HUD if you cannot instantly remember what it means and know how to use the information it represents.
Blackrain shows a clear depth of knowledge and understanding of the stakes and I have no doubt he must be absolutely crushing stakes like 25NL.
Since reading the book my results are already improving further as I use the tactics and strategy outlined. :)
 
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How could this book help me? I have never used a HUD when playing online. I am trying to transition to play live, which after a couple of times of small buyins is what I will be doing once I get a playable bankroll. It sounds like this book is geared for an online player with PT4 or HEM.
I have won a little playing trnies and am def. a loser in cash games. It sounds like a good read as far as poker goes, I guess I still need to be sold. Thanks
 
Logan2

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I got a question for Nathan.

Is there a way to buy the book with Neteller or by Stars transfer?, was looking in the site and can see Credit/debit cards, paypal and skrill but not neteller option. :-/
 
BluffMeAllIn

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Awesome Review

Have you thought about writing a book !! :)

Im currently just started going through the preflop examples, which makes it slighlty easier to understand as already mentioned its not the easiest read.

Lots of useful Stats like Bet sizing for Raises 3Bet/4Bets and several HUD stats with great explanations. If you are a number cruncher then definitely recommend otherwise would take at least a reread, especially key areas and future readings of HUD sections

Would say too advanced for the micros 2nl and 4nl as deals with balancing and alot of stats which isnt as necessary at the lowest levels although from previous reviews CTM, Nathans first book deals with more optimum play at those levels.

Probably a good idea whilst reading to try and make detailed notes for referencing later

Did notice there was a link to Pokerstove which I tried to download as I couldnt find the version I had before. Unfortunately the version didnt work but there was a thread on here with information on how to get it

https://www.cardschat.com/forum/pok...expired-anyone-have-a-link-237522/index2.html


and the direct link

https://github.com/andrewprock/pokerstove/blob/master/win32/PokerStoveSetup124.exe and click on Raw

Thanks, especially for linking to the info on cc regarding pokerstove.

LD
I've been playing at 10 and recently successfully moving up to 25NL.
Blackrains' book has firstly been excellent preflop revision for me. Preflop I consider myself unconsciously competent but the refresher given by this book was still useful for me, especially around three betting.
The first part of the book will in my opinion help 2-5NL players make the leap to 10NL.
Those players using a HUD every time they play are the players who will gain the most from this book.
Clearly a different skill-set is required for live play which this book does not really seek to cover however, I still think live players would still benefit from reading the book. Implementing the strategies outlined in this book once the player types are identified is bound to help.
Where the MSS book comes into its own is the close focus on the player types and how to identify their weaknesses via use of a HUD and then targeting them appropriately with lots of decent examples.
The book does assume that you are fairly skilled at use of a HUD.
Proper understanding of the HUD you are using, is for me, the main key skill required for moving up the stakes online. There simply isn't any point having a stat displayed on your HUD if you cannot instantly remember what it means and know how to use the information it represents.
Blackrain shows a clear depth of knowledge and understanding of the stakes and I have no doubt he must be absolutely crushing stakes like 25NL.
Since reading the book my results are already improving further as I use the tactics and strategy outlined. :)

Thanks for jumping in with some feedback from your reading Bruce, much appreciated.

How could this book help me? I have never used a HUD when playing online. I am trying to transition to play live, which after a couple of times of small buyins is what I will be doing once I get a playable bankroll. It sounds like this book is geared for an online player with PT4 or HEM.
I have won a little playing trnies and am def. a loser in cash games. It sounds like a good read as far as poker goes, I guess I still need to be sold. Thanks

Hi Crow. Essentially the book is geared towards online play due to its referencing of the tracker/hud information, however it still applies to the limits or comparable limits accross the board live and online because of the key difference that live poker is much slower than online play is. Therefore the stats that we rely on a hud for in online play are much easier to track mentally in your head as you play live, and certainly much easier to link the data in your head with a face at a live table than it is to do the same online to just a screenname.

So based on that the strategies and guidelines provided throughout the book are very applicable to live, and when it comes to the book referencing a specific stat on a hud well it will imply that this is valid information when playing live that you should take notice of. You know like how often does someone fold to a cbet, or a 3bet or make such actions themselves and so the insight is there in regards to things you should be taking mental notes or physical notes of on your live opponents so that it can help you take certain lines and make better decisions when playing them.

Hope this helps you see that although the book makes many references to and use of a hud that its still applicable to a live play environment, and perhaps will provide the extra insight of things to keep an eye on that you never have before and could help you out in tricky spots.
 
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