New tourney, Omaha split titles illuminate new ways to win

25 December 2008

By Howard Schwartz

Tony Guerrera and Bill Boston, two well-known names in the world of poker books, have produced titles for those seeking new ideas and strategies for 2009.

Guerrera's work, Tournament Killer Poker by the Numbers: The Keys to No-Limit Hold 'em Success (276 pages, paperbound, $14.95) puts forth an approach keyed to reading and adapting to opponents, plus why it's vital to understand the blind and payout structure. In 10 major chapters, the author discusses hand distribution; probability (including permutations, factorials, combinations, the binomial distribution), approximations (independence and clumping).

Mixed throughout the book are tables, charts and mathematical formulas, with discussions on why too tight is better than too loose; expected value; independent chip modeling; and using target return on investment to determine risk threshold. Later chapters focus on exploitative play vs. equilibrium play and pre-flop all-in match-ups.

Indexed, with a 14-page glossary, the book is a super resource for the truly experienced tournament player.

Guerrera previously wrote Killer Poker by the Numbers and Killer Poker Shorthanded.

Bill Boston, who also penned Omaha High-Low: Play to Win with the Odds, has the perfectly timed Omaha High-Low for Low Limit Players (330 pages, paperbound, $19.95) ready for enthusiasts of the game.

Here Boston has run millions of simulation hands and together with his advice helps you better predict how you might do with the cards dealt. There are 5,278 possible hands in Omaha. Boston did the math on each one.

In more than a dozen chapters, Boston explains how to read your cards, understand the charts and select profitable hands to play. He explains how to avoid problem hands, playing A-2 hands for profit, playing the turn, river, marginal hands, high cards and how to eliminate mistakes.

One vital section instructs players on how to use the statistical charts (which begin on page 140 through to the conclusion) to improve your game.

Boston's book assumes the reader has some experience playing Low-Limit High-Low. Packed with illustrations, hand analysis and practice hands, it's a much-needed text as this game gains popularity.