Throw the book at it

Gary Clarke, 08/09/08 | Print this article

Online training sites have replaced poker books as the central avenue for improvement of players. This month, the latest poker instructional site is launched by two Irishmen called PokerSwat.

People often wonder what makes an awesome poker player. We’ve all seen people get lucky and scoop a jackpot but the consistent winners in poker surely can boost more than immunity to variance. They possess qualities that the others don’t have. They have balls, they have hunger and they have skill. They are poker’s winners but one can only wonder how they got to where they are. The rise to the top in todays poker world is much steeper than before but with the right attitude it seems anybody can become a top player.

The most conventional way of improving players games has always been poker books. Doyle Brunson’s Super System got the ball rolling in 1979 and later authors like Harrington, Sklansky, Miller and Mallmuth would all go on to contribute greatly to the library of poker. These publications perhaps remain necessary reading material for all students of the game. Strangely, Ex-World Series Champ Chris Moneymaker will openly confess to never opening a poker book. From a player of the past, this seems like a strange circumstance. For a player of today this seems perfectly probable.

With times changing and the growth of the Internet, books have become outpaced by on-line media. Poker forums such as two plus two have been a central avenue for improvement in player’s games. From all over the world people flock to the sites to discuss and argue theory on a global level with many of todays biggest winners produced on the back of the site. On a smaller scale the boards website in Ireland has improved the Irish players game as a whole quite considerably in a short space of time. With a small community active on the site the theory being discussed is localised with familiar heroes and villains popping up throughout. Suffice to say, poker forums have contributed greatly to the improvement of players.

The biggest change the Internet has brought to the improvement of players however has been the advent of instructional poker sites. With articles and blogs by professionals never before have players been able to improve in such an interactive and modern fashion. The time consuming process of book publication and comprehension has been overtaken by professional poker training sites. Sites such as CardRunners and Leggo poker have been front runners in the field of on-line tuition. The big drawing factor for these sites are the instructional videos. Aspiring players can listen to the thought processes of the very best in on-line poker and watch as they play each hand. These sites are the evolution of poker in action and they are getting more and more popular.

Enter http://www.pokerswat.com, the newest addition to the world of poker training websites. Set up by two Irishmen Anthony Doonan and Donal O Connor, PokerSwat is looking to bring poker tuition to the European market and beyond. Doonan CEO for PokerSwat Ltd claims “Our goal from day one was to be a European orientated training site specifically targeting European Poker Players by hiring some of the best coaches from Europe and producing a lot of content on Euro only sites. Things escalated early however and we were in a position to sign some big American players along with the Europeans. So although we will still be targeting the Euro market we will also by aiming our products and services at the US, Canada etc”

The site should prove popular with Irish players too thanks to the content being submitted by Irish pros such as online poker coach Daragh “hectorjelly” Thomas, high stakes Omaha specialist John “cashrichboy” O Shea and recent World Series bracelet winner Marty Smyth. The site aims to cater for all size players with three membership levels “The type of player we will be targeting are not only experienced players but also beginning players with small bankrolls - so we designed a 3 tier membership structure and training plans individually targeting each level of player”

Chris Moneymaker may have not opened a book when they were all he had but todays aspiring World Champs can bypass poker books with a stronger air of confidence. With the inception of poker training sites such as two plus two, Cardrunners and now PokerSwat its clear that this is the central method in how today’s players will improve. PokerSwat launches later this month.

Gary Clarke can be contacted at gary.clarke@pokerireland.ie

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