Book Review

Snyder's follow up another big hit
By David Schecter

In the May/June 2008 issue of The Cardroom, I took a look at Arnold Snyder’s “The Poker Tournament Formula” and said how it had really influenced the way I was playing no-limit Hold’em. I compared it to the “Harrington on Hold’em” series and strongly suggested it was in the same league as the more popular Harrington texts.

Snyder has done it again. With his latest book, “The Poker Tournament Formula 2: Advanced Strategies for Big Money Tournaments” (Cardoza Publishing, 2008), Snyder has put together what I feel is the best tournament book on the market. Period.

It is World Series of Poker season right now and I really think Snyder’s book hits the mark just right as you contemplate improving your game and kicking things up to the next level in any tournament you choose to play.

First of all PTF2 is well organized and clearly written, like the first book. The author starts by talking about what he calls the “Big Secret” – chip utility. Early on he debunks a number of myths about the relative importance of chip stacks. His goal is to get us to think solely of our chips “as ammunition.” He states clearly: “My basic attitude when I’m well-stocked with chips is: I’ve got all these chips for one reason – to use them.”

His central thesis is also introduced early: tournament structure is everything. And he doesn’t want us to be fooled by entry-fee levels when he talks about structure. In other words, you may think more expensive tournaments are always better structured, but he shows that often this is not the case. Snyder wants us to do a considerable amount of homework before even entering a tournament to gauge blind levels, how fast they rise, when the antes kick in, and so on.

He provides an excellent spreadsheet on his accompanying website, www. pokertournamentformula.com, which I use frequently. The site helps you determine whether a structure is reasonable or not and whether a tournament is worth your time. He also wants us to be very cautious when a tournament is advertised as a deep stack. Just getting more chips isn’t enough. The structure could still be so bad the additional chips won’t make a difference.

By Chapter 4 Snyder moves into a nice discussion on small-ball vs. long-ball play. I previously reviewed Daniel Negreanu’s book on the topic, which I consider definitive, but Snyder adds a nice twist here by relating the speed of a tournament to when small-ball or long-ball play may be most optimal.

Regardless of what style you choose, Snyder wants you to constantly torment your opponents and use your chips to keep pressure on them. He gives several interesting examples in the book of some of the play he has encountered with tournament legend John Phan. He has a cool chart showing Phan’s unbelievable accomplishments (many of them in small buy-in tournaments, coincidentally enough) and he asks: How come a guy like Phan wins so often? Snyder answers the question by saying that from the start of play Phan “seems intent on building a monster stack,” or bust out trying. Phan inherently understands chip utility and methodology in tournament play in a way Snyder calls “phenomenal.” This section alone of the book is worth the cost, because you will be truly inspired by what you read here and it will help you take your play to a higher level immediately.

Snyder returns often to his adage that “Tournaments are about forced play – about winning pots without great cards.” In light of that, he has a strong chapter on shifting gears that I found helpful and another on “bluffs, reads and the psychology of theft” that I felt was particularly strong. Two lines here caught my attention: “You can’t survive in the inevitable card-dead portions of a tournament without petty larceny,” and “grand theft is easier to pull off against skillful experienced players than against amateurs.” This second point is made to show that we need to be reading players all of the time and really looking out for which ones appear most skilled at our table. There’s a good chapter here, as well, on ways to improve our own table image and making our actions more difficult to read.

In Chapters 9 through 14 he describes the “5 Phases of a Poker Tournament” and offers excellent suggestions for advanced play in each stage. From “Stack Building” phases to breaking the money bubble, Snyder’s advice is cogent and thought ­provoking. I also like the fact that he is willing to talk about other books and authors that have influenced his way of thinking and to give compliments-a-plenty. I like seeing that in print, and Snyder has alerted me to several authors and books to further consider.

The book ends with an excellent review of bankrolling techniques, the pros and cons of satellites, a detailed comparison of how his theories stack up against those of writers like Dan Harrington and a nice glossary of terms. Clocking in at nearly 500 pages, this latest book by Snyder is not for the faint of heart, but I suggest you give it a try.

See you at the final table!