I somehow got a pre-order copy of this before the SA poker guys did, quickly went through it and thought it was great...then a poker superstar (probably Adar) got to it and tore it to pieces.

I liked the book, but I'm a complete amateur...and if an expert gives it the ol' super-slam, I don't know how comfortable I am with recommending it.

I gave up on this game partially based on books like this...

Best instructional book on any game I have ever read - if you play tournament poker and are looking for a good series of books, start here.

8/10

☎️

The second volume in Harrington's series on Hold'em was even more useful than the first. Volume II covers slightly more advanced topics, including heads up play, "inflection points" (the points during a tournament, as the blinds go up, where you have to shift tactics, or reckon on your opponents shifting tactics, based on the ratio of stack sizes to blinds), what to do when you are "on the bubble" at a tournament, and even a section in the end giving advice should you find yourself at the final table at the World Series of Poker (or some other big money tournament) and the other pros are offering deals to split the prize money.

I doubt I will ever be using that advice, but the rest is quite solid. I know from reading r/poker on Reddit that Harrington's books are considered a bit outdated for modern professional poker. For example, a plain old 3-bet is old news, and the tactics of bluffing and continuation betting seem very different in ways a little too complicated for me to have figured out yet. But the basic strategy and coverage of decision points are certainly valid, and if you are playing low stakes or "free money" poker like I do, probably most of the book is still useful.

Note that like the previous volume, this book is specifically for No-Limit Texas Hold-em tournaments. Cash games are an entirely different beast, and most of the topics in this book, which go beyond basic poker theory and tactics, are very tournament-specific.

Volume II was a really deep-dive into the world of tournament poker. Much of it is common sense, and most players will say they know all this stuff, but having some concrete analytical examples listed with numbers, situations, and tools available during the seemingly inevitable squeezing situation that all tourney players feel going down to the wire.

Again, like in Volume I, the "Problems" sections are phenomenal. Of course, the scenarios listed don't often come up exactly like in the book, but there is certainly enough info in there to color between the lines for most situations. Only real experience, whether online, in a casino, or even in the poker nites with the boys, is needed to put this into effect and learn from the impact of these choices/decisions.

As with all advanced good poker books, this is not a "if you do this, you will win most of the time" BS lines that many of the coaches, local pros, and charismatic hucksters who are peddling their wares for your to pay for their enlightenment spew out to an incessant degree. So, if you're looking for a quick read to "master" the game, look elsewhere. But if you are looking for a working guide to tournament poker, this may be the best one I have read.

My only negative critique is with the organization a bit. It does get cumbersome and an indexing in the beginning of each chapter would be helpful. It is really like a reference book, so it should be arranged as such, IMO. I will keep this one handy for review of games/tourneys and also in preparation.

As the glowing reviews here suggest, this series is a standout among the glut of indistinguishable poker guides. Much better than Helmuth's book and more current than Super System, it's the place to go after you've mastered the basics. Harrington's concepts are so enlightening and unique, they should almost be proprietary. If you're just a person looking to improve your home game, this is probably too much work to bother. But if you're serious about increasing your win rate (and take home cash) in semi-pro tournaments, this is the end all be all of poker guides.

Excellent discussion of tournament poker strategy.

A must read for any serious poker player.

Final table means: read this book. Seriously. Do it.

This book, along with Vol. 1, are the best books for introducing you to Texas Hold 'em tournament play.