Review of Secrets of Short-Handed No Limit Hold'em

Title:

Secrets of Short-Handed No Limit Hold'em

Author:

Danny Ashman

Publisher:

D&B Publishing

Date:

2009

ISBN:

978-1-904468-41-7

Pages:

206

Price:

$24.95

Reviewed by Nick Christenson, npc@jetcafe.org

June 12, 2009

As the available literature on no-limit hold'em has grown, we are now seeing a rise in books exploring special cases of these games. Danny Ashman, a successful no-limit poker player, has written one such book, which focuses on short-handed and heads-up no-limit hold'em games.

The book begins with four chapters that cover mostly introductory material such as basic poker math, mental discipline, bankroll management, and such. I have two problems with this part of the book. First, at this point I'm not sure who the target audience is supposed to be. The author provides information on what I would consider very elementary topics, such as basic odds calculations and simplistic and non-rigorous bankroll advice, while providing examples from online $25/$50 blind heads-up no-limit hold'em games. I'd like to think that most people who are interested in these games and who also read poker books don't need to rehash this again.

My second problem is that these chapters are poorly written and not well organized. I actually don't blame the author for this. It's clear to me that this is the most ambitious writing project with which he has been involved. Consequently, I believe it was incumbent on the publisher to make certain Ashman had the support he needed to ensure that this book was a success. Either D&B should have found a co-author who is an experienced writer, or they should have provided a more involved editorial hand on the project. Further, the book is not very long and is set using a large typeface, so it ends up being not all that substantial.

The next three chapters cover pre-flop, flop, and turn and river strategies. In my opinion, the first of these chapters suffers in much the same way as the previous four. After reading what he has to say on the topic, I don't know what range of hands Ashman thinks are raise-worthy, and I have no idea how the number of players or position affects his decisions. The next two chapters, however, are much better, as the author spends a lot more time talking about specific situations. It's a shame that the first few chapters aren't better (or weren't simply eliminated), because I fear that many readers will set this book aside before they get to the good parts. Ashman seems much more comfortable writing in terms of examples than general theory. Beginning with the flop chapter, a larger percentage of his writing is devoted to these examples, and the value of the book increases markedly. There still isn't much in the way of overriding strategy, but at least the reader is treated to some deep thinking about specific no-limit situations.

The last chapter is titled "Other Concepts and Histories", covering more of what Ashman does best, analyze specific situations. This chapter is also almost three times as long as the second longest chapter in the book. As it would have been easy to chop it in half or thirds, I see this as another missed opportunity for the editorial staff. However, this is the best information in the book. After dealing with some more examples, the author guides the reader step-by-step through his thinking in three $25/$50 blind online heads-up no-limit hold'em matches.

I don't always agree with Ashman's decisions, but he's the one with the great high-stakes short-handed no-limit hold'em resume, not I. At the very least, though, his analysis is almost always deep and thoughtful, which is enough to make it worthy of consideration. Intermediate and even some advanced players are likely learn something from the way he plays these hands, or at least look at a few of these situations in a new way. Frankly, I believe one could read just his examples in Secrets of Short-handed No Limit Hold'em and get almost everything the book has to offer, and with few of the frustrations. The only caveat is that all examples aren't labeled as such, and so someone skimming the book may miss some.

There is good information in Secrets of Short-handed No Limit Hold'em, and Ashman clearly has worthwhile insight into how this game is played. However, aside from his examples, there is very little else in the book that I think is worth reading, and it's my opinion that the book needed a much more assertive editorial hand. For those who are really interested in this subject, they'll probably find enough useful thought to make the book worthwhile, but I expect it will be a frustrating read.

Capsule:

I liked the analysis that went into the examples in Secrets of Short-handed No Limit Hold'em, most of which we find in the final three chapters (which fortunately makes up about two thirds of the book). I thought the rest of the book was deficient on general theory, not well written, and lacking in sufficient editorial oversight. The reader would have been better served if Ashman had written the book as a series of essays using his examples rather than trying to force them into the structure of a general strategy book. The author clearly has something worthwhile to say, and I believe much of what's in here will benefit readers interested in the subject, but the combination of his inexperience as a writer and lack of effort from the publisher leaves me disappointed.

Note: I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher. I have no other interest, financial or otherwise, in the success of this book.