Page 22 - February 2006 • Southern California Gaming Guide

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Kill Phil: The Fast Track to Success in No-Limit Hold ’Em
Poker Tournaments
by Blair Rodman and Lee Nelson Reviewed by Jim Mercurio
The new book Kill Phil: e Fast Track to Success in No-Limit Hold’em Poker Tournaments by Blair Rodman and Lee Nelson outlines a systematic approach for no-limit poker tournaments. e “Phil” in the title refers to Phils Ivey, Gordon, Hellmuth as well as all
of the pros who use aggression, fearlessness and their skill at post- op play to continually win tournaments.
e Kill Phil System builds on a aw—not of no- limit ring games—but of no-limit tournaments that was rst discussed in David Sklansky’s Advanced Texas Hold ’Em Tournament Strategy: the all-in bet. Pro Daniel Negreanu, says,“I like to see more than just two cards before all of my money goes into the pot.” is system frustrates this desire. e all-in bet, especially pre- op, prevents the “Phils” of the world from being able to nickel-and-dime players by using sly betting patterns and tricky moves to accumulate chips.
e authors recognize it is simply a bad bet for a top player to put all of his money in against an amateur with only a 56-44 (QQ vs
Although the Expert strategy incorporates factors like table image, stack-size, betting patterns and tells, the system, at its core, keeps players from the most di cult post- op decisions.
Rodman and Nelson are both accomplished gamblers and poker players. Rodman was runner-up on a recent WPT event and nished 54th in the 2004
WSOP Main Event. Nelson Won the Party Poker World Open in 2005 and a 7-Card Stud Championship at the Aussie million. eir tone is practical but never dry or academic. ere is a little bit of u that will
only interest complete newbies: tournament history, etiquette and rules.
AK), 60-40 (KK vs A2) or possibly even a 70-30 (KK vs. AK) edge.
e book has four levels of Kill Phil Strategy: Rookie, Basic, Basic Plus and Expert. e Rookie strategy is designed for players who have little or no tournament experience. It eliminates all post- op decisions. e Basic system starts to factor in chip-stack relative to the blinds and antes as well as position.
As the book advances
from Basic to Basic Plus,
the system allows for a few deceptive plays, at- calls as well as less-than-all-in raises to steal blinds.
What this book does more than any other is to be speci c. For instance, with Kill Phil Basic, a player with a
“big stack” (one of four clearly de ned categories) has four di erent criteria for moving in, depending on whether the raise came from one of four positions: early, middle, cuto , button/blind. ere are also concise strategy adjustments when short-handed and a surprisingly simple tactic for heads-up play.
e writers openly acknowledge that their systemworksbestagainstthe“Phils”oftheworld. e problem is that the top pros are usually only found
in major tournaments with buy-ins that range from $2,500–$25,000. So mind your bankroll if you decide to take a shot at the big-time with only this book under your belt.
Let me confess my own bias. I am adverse to rigid systems and approaches that prescribe exactly what to do. And this book heralds that as its strength. It provides a strategy a beginner could learn in half an hour. However, I have to commend these guys for letting us take a peak inside their lucid thought process. e evolution of their system is really thought- provoking and challenging. Any player—beginner or pro—can bene t from understanding it, and, more importantly, the foundation of its principles.
Jim Mercurio is a writer, lmmaker poker player, and poker writer for this paper. He can be reached at Jim@jamespmercurio.com
“The book has four levels of Kill Phil Strategy: Rookie,
Basic, Basic Plus and Expert. The Rookie strategy is
designed for players who have little or no tournament experience. It eliminates all post-flop decisions. The Basic system starts to factor in chip-stack relative to the blinds and antes as well as
position.”
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Page 22 February 2006
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