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Have you ever wished you could spend a few hours with a professional player and pick their brain? Ask them what it's really like…what it takes to be a pro? If you don't think any WSOP bracelet winners are going to be ringing your doorbell in the near future, you might consider buying Barry Greenstein's new book, "Ace on the River: An Advanced Guide."
This is unlike any poker book I've read. It is part tour guide, part survival guide and part playing guide. It offers a rare and candid view into the world of poker; not the world painted by television fluff pieces and glossy poker celeb magazines. As discussed by one of the revered players in the game, this is the real world of poker; fascinating, challenging, sometimes stark, and potentially rewarding.
The book is broken down into three basic sections and each section is comprised of easy to digest chapters. In the first section Greenstein introduces us to the poker world through his eyes and his story. Perhaps the most impressive attribute of the book is exemplified in this section. It is amazingly objective. As Greenstein's poker life unfolds, victories and wins aren't celebrated nor are losses dismissed. Both are analyzed in an effort to understand the underlying reason for a result. One example is Greenstein's analysis of his success during his first trip to Gardena as a young man. He recognized that his opponents were, for the most part, people that put in a full day of work before they hit the felt. Barry concluded his edge was not better skill, but was his ability to rest and prepare to play against the weary 9-to-5ers. Likewise, Greenstein candidly critiques his losses. His pulls no punches; even to the point of revealing the loss of $1.5 million to Ted Forrest over the period of a month and a half.
The second section discusses the philosophy of poker, emphasizing the psychological requirements for playing professionally. Here you will find a myriad of essays on both the attributes of successful players as well as the hazards of the lifestyle. Again, this is a candid discussion of intriguing and important topics such as prioritizing family, the well known (but seldom covered) sports betting leak, drug use, cheating, integrity, and money management. And yes, there is a frank chapter on poker and sexuality. But I'll let you discover that one on your own. Overall, the material in this section will cause any player to reflect on their own strengths and weaknesses and assess, not whether they have the skill to play this game, but rather, whether they have the character to navigate the terrain.
The last section deals with topics of advanced play. This section has some nice discussion pieces on game theory, mathematics and chaos theory. It has a chapter dealing with overall tournament strategy, with a companion chapter discussing specific no-limit tournament hands. It also has a lengthy and insightful chapter on playing strategy which bases its discussion on hand examples. On the practical side, you'll find chapters extolling advice about bankroll management, assessing different limits and buy-ins, and internet poker.
If I had any criticism of the book, I would have to admit that it was a little uneven in places. There were some topics I wished were a little more developed and a few that got a little more space than I thought they deserved. But this is often the case with self-published works. A stronger publishing/editing team might have smoothed out some of the rough edges. But admittedly they might also have cut out some of the topics and discussions I enjoyed most. So in the end, I felt this was a small price to pay for the candor, honesty, and insight from, arguably, one of the best minds in poker.
Many aspiring pros have invested time and money trying to improve their games. And while I believe that this book is helpful on that front, it goes beyond that. It will prepare players in ways they haven't yet realized are important to their success. I have often said that most dreams are realized with our eyes closed and when sweet sleep is upon us. But the poker dream can only be realized with our eyes wide open. And this book is an eye opener.