Has anyone read Erick Lindgren's book?

Question

I'm reading it now, and he doesn't agree with the whole "play tight in the beginning of the tournament" theory. However, most "theorists," as he called them, said that this is the better way to play at that stage. I'm confused. Your thoughts?

Answer 1

The whole point at the beginning stages of a tournament is to survive. It's important (according to most authors) to not put a lot of your chips at risk when there's such a long way to go. I haven't read Erick's book but I'd say he is a "new school" player.
Look at it this way: If the predominant strategy (old school) is to play tight early, then one of the things that Internet poker and "new school" play has shown us is that it's very effective to react to that old school style of play. It's kind of using old school strategy against the old school players. "Play tight when the table is loose and vise-versa." In later stages it's important to loosen up against a table playing tight as the play gets close to the money, or final table, or whatever the goal at that time may be, and you have to react to that play.
Thus, as new school players are coming into prominence, they show us that it's important to adjust your play to react to the regular style.
Essentially both camps are right--it's correct to protect your stack early to survive just as it's important to do so in later stages. But it's also correct to react to that play and attack at tight times. It's one of the main keys to good poker playing--adjust to the play at the table. The new schoolers are just showing us how to do that.

Answer 2

Erick Lindgren is classified as a "Super Agressive" player. As such, he needs to have a large chip stack to work his style. He's trying to pick up chips off players who will back down to him and grow his stack to a size where he can keep pounding people with it. What better time to do this than when people are playing tight?

Now theoretically, yes tight is right at the beginning. When a tourny starts, blinds are small and stacks are high. This is similar to a cash game structure in which you make decent money by sitting back, folding, and waiting for big hands. However, the blinds are going to start bumping up, so dependent upon how long you have, you need to increase your agression. The faster the blind structure, the more agressive you need to be, because soon you'll be eaten up before you know what happend.

There is never a "right" way to play poker. You can take many different paths and end up at the same point. Find what is most comfortable to you, and work with it.

Answer 3

Different styles in hold'em and the player that writes book about theirs will really confuse anyone whose trying to learn the game.

Reading books will help you understand the game (rules, basic strategies, starting hands, etc.). But to really be good in poker. You have to play the game. You need to find and use the style that your comfortable with.

For Begginers, I really would suggest the tight aggressive style. The fact that begginers are new to the game, they don't know how other players play and they only play with the cards thats dealt to them. They should'nt really bluff a lot unless they know what they're doing. And if you play tight early in the tournament. The players in your table will think that you only play premium starting hands. Once you build the reputation as a tight player. They'll respect your raises and bets. You also observe a lot of hands while playing tight and thats where you get your practice on reading other player's style.

There's nothing wrong with what Erick wrote in his book. I just think the tight aggressive style is best for begginers. Thats how started. Now I play like Farha. I like to advestise that I play and raise with junk cards so that when I pick up a big hand I can get a lot of chips because they think I'm holding junk cards. So they don't give me respect when I raise.

I recommend that you drop that book down and if you're seriuos about playing tournaments. You should read Harrington on hold'em 1 and 2. Thats the best book out there. Then when you get good. Read Ace on the River by Barry Greeinstein.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

this has nothing to do with this post but im replying to what you wrote on my post. honestly im not heading towards anorexia and have no intentions or longing for being to skinny. I want to be healthy and am also excersizing. thanks.

Answer 5

Sorry I've never even heard of him.