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Easier ways to become an online ace
Product
Online Ace by Scott Fischman
Hits
- Some solid advice and strategy
- Focus on shortcuts to improving your game
- Additional tips from other live and online pros
Misses
- Advice, good or otherwise, gets lost in his style of writing
- Not much for odds and probabilities
- Perhaps a little too basic in the beginning
Review
Scott Fischman starts out his book explaining that he's never read a poker book before. Yes, he has plenty of poker experience that comes with online play, but his never having read a poker book doesn't make it any easier to get through Online Ace.
In an effort to keep the book conversational, Fischman's advice and insight often get lost within the text as he puts too much effort on the friendliness and not enough on actually making his point. It might make for a nice read if you're just skimming the book, but if you're looking to actually learn and incorporate his tips into your game, it's going to take a lot more effort on your part.
For instance, Fischman explains that it's better to make mistakes as an aggressive player rather than a passive one. His reasoning: There are very few hands that are a lock to win, so the odds that your mistake can turn into a win outweigh the negative consequences.
But instead of just saying it that simply, that bit of advice is stretched out several paragraphs using a person in particular as an example and then to top it off, re-explaining using a sports analogy.
Another example is this passage on "Chasing the Zone" later in the book:
My best results are the ones I don't remember.
Ok, that's not exactly true. What I mean to say is that my greatest successes at the poker table seem to come when I'm not consciously thinking about my results.
Athletes call it the Zone. Like Michael Jordan when he used to take over a game in the fourth quarter. Or Tiger Woods hitting balls with such precision that his opponents' games fall apart at the seams. Neither guy is thinking the ball into the hole. They are taking advantage of the countless hours of preparation that have led them to the present moment, giving them the luxury - and the incredible competitive advantage - of being able to shut off their brains.
Poker is the same way.
The friendly tone may be diverting if you're just looking for an entertaining book to pass the time, but a less convoluted approach may have been better to get his points across.
The format whereby particular bits of wisdom are highlighted isn't especially helpful either. At the beginning of the book, Fischman points out that certain critical concepts in all of the chapters will be set off so really the reader only has to skim the book to pick up the gist of what he's trying to say.
In the early chapters for beginner players, snippets of advice such as "Great poker players don't stick to a single style - they shift their styles to suit the specific circumstances of the game they're playing," or "It's usually better to be the bettor," may sound good as quick tips, but a beginner isn't going to be able to make a lot of sense out of these sound-bites or figure out how to apply them.
In later chapters the highlighted tips are more suitably left without a lot of explanation because the book assumes you've also been working on your game and progressing.
Keeping all that in mind, there is a lot of great advice in Online Ace. Rather than focusing on odds, pot odds and starting hands - more typical advice in a poker book - Fischman's goal is to help you learn and hone your game faster.
Some of his good advice specific to online poker includes behavioral tells that can help you read an online opponent. Much of his actual playing advice is applicable both in the online poker world as well as in live games. In particular, the sit-and-go strategy section has a lot to offer.
All in all, Online Ace contains some nuggets of wisdom, but it can definitely become tiresome having to pan through Fischman's palaver to extract them.
Details:
- $19.95
Paperback
ESPN Books
240 pages