Book Review - Secrets of Professional Poker, Vol. 1

Edited by Rolf Slotboom

Book Review by Shari Geller

In Secrets of Professional Poker, author and poker professional Rolf "Ace" Slotboom has combined and rewritten many of his previous articles and columns with some new material in order to give the reader his "strange and controversial" (his words) take on the game of poker While the advice for the most part is not all that strange or controversial, it is nevertheless interesting and particularly beneficial to the newer Hold'em or Omaha player.

Slotboom is a prolific writer and commentator on poker. His previous English language poker book, Secrets of Professional Pot-Limit Omaha, was a surprise success for D & B Publishing, his publisher for this volume as well. Slotboom may not yet be a household name, but he is well known in poker circles, not only as a contributor to this site and many others, and his instructional videos, but for his often unorthodox style of play as well.

The focus of Secrets of Professional Poker is on Slotboom's area of expertise - cash games, where he spends most of his time these days playing pot-limit Omaha. With so much emphasis on tournament strategies in poker books these days, it is refreshing to have a poker book focused on strategies for cash games, especially limit Hold'em, which takes up over half the book.

Slotboom begins with a straight discussion of limit Hold'em, then moves on to a comparison of no-limit v. limit, and finally concludes with strategies for pot-limit Omaha. The chapters are short, easy to read and straight forward, usually tackling a single topic. Throughout the book, Slotboom attempts to challenge prevailing wisdom. And ultimately, it is not in whether he is right or wrong that makes this book a success. It is the fact that, with the help of real life examples, he encourages the reader to think more creatively and take some risks.

Ironically, Slotboom's challenge to conventional wisdom even extends to his willingness to readdress some of his earlier opinions and admit when he might have been wrong or when his advice no longer applies. Slotboom has softened some of the more extreme positions he had taken in some of his previous writings. For instance, he used to suggest folding ace-queen in the small blind to an early preflop raise, now he suggests calling or even raising. And he used to argue against playing bottom two pair, but now agrees raising, not folding, may be the better choice. The times that he argues with his old self are, while a bit schizophrenic, highly informative and revealing.

The book is quite possibly at its strongest when it discusses the key factors in making a successful transition from limit to no-limit, or vice versa. Slotboom helps the reader focus on the major differences including the importance of hand selection, the size of a preflop raise, position, the "automatic" call, and, most significantly, the importance of aggression and deception, especially bluffing. What the reader should be left with is a very clear understanding that no limit and limit Hold'em are very different games and playing them the same way is done at your peril.

When Slotboom discusses his new favorite game, pot-limit Omaha, it is then that the reader will fully understand where his nickname "Ace" comes from. While Slotboom's basic strategy for successful PLO is simple (play aggressively, call only when you are setting someone up, play your position, get your chips in first, and play both the people and the cards), more so than Hold'em, he stresses the importance of how you are perceived by your opponents. He was happy to have developed a reputation as "Ace" - which came from the perception that he had to have a least one in his hand to play - and explains how having the right reputation helps at the table.

Those players transitioning from Hold'em to Omaha will appreciate the sections in the book discussing various starting hands for Omaha. Slotboom emphasizes that Omaha is more of a drawing game whose special nature requires more of an adjustment than some players might realize. What makes a good starting hand in Omaha has some distinct differences from other poker variants, primarily in the emphasis on straight and flush draws and the de-emphasis on the big pairs.

Newer players will especially benefit from the two chapters in the book entitled "24 vices," one of which is in the limit Hold'em section and the other in the pot-limit Omaha section. These chapters lists key areas of your game that have to be fixed if you want to be successful such as adjusting your play, knowing the odds, having patience, playing the players instead of the cards, being aggressive, having a good table image, knowing when to fold, and more. Each of these chapters is followed a bit later by a chapter called "plugging the leaks" which also helps you analyze your game play and learn to identify, and ultimately correct, your weaknesses.

Throughout the book, Slotboom reminds the reader to take a look at the texture of the game, your image, the atmosphere at the table, and your position vis-à-vis weaker players and the stronger ones. His suggestions are sprinkled with what may seem like obvious advice -- stay calm, cool, and disciplined - that frequently get lost in the shuffle after a bad beat. He stresses thinking steps ahead, predicting how your action will affect future action, taking your time and move up limits slowly, and not overestimating yourself or underestimating your opponents. Most importantly, Slotboom adds two more sound pieces of advice: keep things in perspective and have fun.

What comes through Slotboom's book is this last point - have fun. Slotboom's love of poker shines through this volume. By following his advice, you should get better results on the felt and have fun while you're doing it.

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