Poker Articles

Online Ace
by Scott Fischman

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to tell you that Online Ace
is the first book that I have received an advance copy of, for free, as a "professional" writer. So, needless to say, I was pretty happy when I got my copy. Also the people at ESPN books were very helpful and responsive. My first impressions of the book are that it is well made. No offense to 2+2, but they definitely put all of the emphasis on content and very little on cosmetics. Don't get me wrong, between Malmuth, Sklansky and Harrington (not to mention many others) they probably have three of the top ten Poker minds on the planet, but their books are not exactly... polished. Scott Fischman’s Online Ace is published by ESPN books and the quality of printing, cover design, binding all show in the book. Believe it or not, as a book lover, these are things I care about.

Now, of course you can't judge a book by its cover, and I am not about to do that. After I got over my little-boy-at-christmas glee of opening the fed-ex package when it arrived on my doorstep, I settled down to read the book with an eye for what it had to offer the online player. Phil Hellmuth writes a glowing forward about Fischman, his talent and his involvement in Hellmuth's Fantasy Camps. This is followed by a nice introduction and brief bio of how Scott Fischman came to the game. He tells of his days working a valet stand at a Vegas casino and then blowing his days pay at the craps table, and how he started playing poker because “the bleeding was slower”. His stories about his early years provide a carefree tone that permeates the book and makes it a very enjoyable read.

The next chapter “getting started” is pretty basic, and anyone with moderate computer literacy and internet savvy could easily skip over this. There are a few nuggets in this section though, like “winning isn’t the goal, It’s… making good decisions at the poker table.” This is something worth reading for almost everyone. The rest is pretty basic, as he goes through a step-by-step guide on choosing a site, a screen name, making your first deposit, etc. He does address the typical concern of new players about security and fairness in an open and honest manner. Worthy of mention here, is that throughout the book, Fischman has guest appearances by notable pros from the online world and live. The first featured player is none other than our very own JohnnyBax, which was fun to read as a Pocketfiver. The next 20-30 pages or so are definitely skim/skip for most pocketfivers as they are really just an introduction to the basic mechanics of online poker.

I was beginning to get a little worried that the entire book was going to be aimed at the complete newbie both to the game and to the internet. Even when Fischman gets to Basic Strategy, there’s nothing you haven’t already read many times before. That is, if you have ever read a poker book, which Fischman points out several times he has not. You’ll also hear people like Todd Arnold (NSXT2) say this, and given their success, it may discourage you from reading yourself. Well one thing Fischman says is that he may never have read a book, but he has put in countless hours thinking about poker, discussing hands with friends, replaying hands in his mind, keeping records and analyzing them, so despite his aversion to reading he is definitely a serious student of the game. He also points out is that his trial by fire allowed him to experience a much broader range of situations than a by-the-book player will.

This made me think that one reason why those of us who approach the game from such a serious perspective all the time struggle with the frustration of lack of success, bad beats, and the perpetual question, “how to beat the donks”. Well, Fischman provides some interesting thoughts on this in the book, and presents them in a fun way that helps to illustrate his points. The basic strategy section actually does get better and there is plenty worth reviewing. A chapter dedicated to sitngos follows the same pattern as basic strategy. It starts out aimed at the complete novice and ends up being worth a read, with some very good advice.

The rest of Online Ace actually follows this pattern as well, with Fischman introducing new concepts or areas of online poker with very basic information, then going deeper. I won’t mislead you, this book is geared towards the novice who might see Scott Fischman on TV. There are however, some parts of the book that discuss strategy at a very high level, as well as other aspects of the game, game selection, money management, mental attitudes, and more. Also, probably my favorite part of the book is that it is written in an open, engaging manner that is just friendly and conversational. I get the feeling that I am sitting down with Scott in his apartment, and he is showing me around the internet on his personal computer. It’s the kind of talk you might have with a buddy, sitting at your poker table after a game, idly shuffling cards or stacking chips as you recap the game or talk poker. For that reason alone, I would not hesitate to buy a copy.

To buy this book on Amazon.com click here : Online Ace