By RIVERH8SME

August 26, 2010

Ive been wanting to buy the NL workbook for a while now but was hesitant cuz its costlier than most poker books but after buying it I must say its the best money Ive ever spent on a poker book, coaching, etc.

Ive been a "winning player' for quite some time now and a lot of the books Ive read lately are very repetitive and stuff I already know. Ive been looking for something a little "next level" and this was exactly what i was looking for. The book is very easy to read and understand and the hand histories are actual tough spots, not the no-brainer spots most books seem to have.

I would have never considered buying Let There Be Range before because of the price tag but after all Ive gotten out of the NL workbook its only a matter of WHEN, not IF I will buy LTBR also.

Thanks!!!!!!

By pokerbot102

November 27, 2010

I was one of the first to get the NL Workbook as I preordered it. I guess I've been too lazy to write a review until now :) This is one quality piece of work and really there isn't anything out there that I've seen that even competes in the content. It will really get you thinking deep and opening up your game play (just don't go overboard right away!) I actually don't play much 6 max anymore but I do play a lot of heads up and this helped me out a lot. And you will get more and more out of it as you read and reread it and implement some of the ideas.

By AmoMiVida

December 13, 2010

In today's online poker world, with the general breadth of knowledge having vastly increased with the proliferation of training sites and books, it has become much harder to find tables with poor players. As a result, even solid players' profit margins have been reduced because they are forced, most of the time, to play against other knowledgeable "regulars".

In his book, "NL Workbook", Tri "SlowHabit" Nguyen has put together a compendium of lines of thought that show his readers how to exploit the play of regulars. If you have what it takes - focus, discipline, patience, consistency, and a passion for continuous improvement - this book will vastly improve your poker game.

The book starts off with eleven chapters which describe the mode of thinking that excellent players should learn and use. These chapters explore the concepts of hand ranges, balanced play, aggression, and sophisticated river play. While other books also cover these concepts, Nguyen takes them a step further by teaching the reader how to approach the game of poker to beat solid players by exploiting their tendencies, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities. At the core of the Nguyen's theory is "smart aggression"; that is, using aggressive, but well-thought-out moves to overcome a generally solid mode of play by opponents.

After the initial eleven chapters of instructional and informative writing, Nguyen includes a chapter called "The Exam", in which he asks readers to consider solutions to certain hand situations. After asking readers to consider the best answer for each question, Nguyen gives his line of thinking and illustrates the concepts taught in the first eleven chapters. The exam questions - all 35 of them - consider common but difficult situations encountered in everyday play. Nguyen's proposed solutions contain not only lines of thinking that will yield positive expected value, but also, alternative lines that should be given consideration depending on a player's opponent's tendencies or counter-moves. In several instances, Nguyen illustrates how his teachings of controlled aggression will result in opponents simply folding because they are essentially cornered and are left with no alternative. These lines of aggression are very similar to the way a chess master traps, corners and pounces on victims of less knowledge and strength and forces them to concede. Even experienced, winning regulars will benefit from learning these lines.

While Nguyen more than aptly demonstrates the advantages and benefits of controlled aggression, he does not fail to remind and teach his readers that in certain circumstances, the best option is to check or fold. Nguyen appropriately gives ample time to recognizing that checking or folding, in many instances, is the optimum play; in other words, while the book is, at its core, about aggression and exploitation, it does not ignore the importance of giving up when the time is right.

In conclusion, NL Workbook, is required reading for intermediate and advanced players. It is only fair to advise readers, however, that using the techniques taught in the book will not be learned overnight or in one week. These concepts are fairly advanced and to learn them requires repetitive study, analysis, and thought. Do NOT expect a cookbook for overnight riches; but DO expect to think about poker in a different light and, over time, DO expect it to transform your game - if you have what it takes.

By helmskelly

December 13, 2010

Let me preface this review with two pieces of information about me: (1) I am not a professional poker player, but rather teach English Literature and Composition at a major public university in the state of Washington; and (2) I do not play online (remember the part about me teaching in the state of Washington?), and instead am a semi-professional live $2/5 full ring poker player at local casinos. As a full-ring, part-time life player, this book was not specifically written with players like me in mind. With that said, however, Tom Marchese and Tri Nguyen offer a book from which almost anyone can gain valuable insights. While a short-hand online player will probably benefit the most immediately, the true power of The NL Workbook derives from its ability to make you think like a good poker player, so you can then abstract concepts for the game you play.

For the sake of elaborating on my prior claims, allow me to make a comparison. One of the things that I stress in my writing classes is a term called “rhetorical awareness.” Because every writing situation calls for specific rhetorical approaches to make an effective written text, instead of telling my students how to write well, I teach them how to think like good writers think, thus developing their rhetorical awareness. In essence, The NL Workbook accomplishes the same concept with poker—it teaches poker players how to think about a poker problem, rather than tell them what to do in every situation. By developing these habits of mind, The NL Workbook provides poker players with an analytical frame of mind that will then allow them to extrapolate and abstract concepts into any situation that arises on the poker table. Because no poker book could ever describe every single possible situation a poker player may encounter at the table, it is infinitely better to teach how to think, not what to do.

It may appear as though I am contradicting myself when I say that the authors do not teach you what to do in certain situations, because the majority of The NL Workbook is in fact devoted to an exam consisting of 35 hands for discussion. What you have to realize is that it is ludicrous to teach poker concepts in a theoretical vacuum. True understanding burgeons only when given the chance to actively apply theoretical concepts. By introducing a number of concepts in the first 50 pages or so of the book, and then offering an extended exam (with answers in the form of profitable lines and alternative lines, exhaustively explained for each hand), the authors of The NL Workbook teach you how to think like a good poker player, and then tests your application of those concepts.

My only complaints with this book is that there are very few sample hands with effective stacks below 100BB, and that most hands discussed end up head’s up on the flop. While it would be nice to see extra examples for these other types of common situations (i.e. multi-way on the flop, or against short-stacking villains), I must acknowledge that the book is geared towards exploiting regulars, in which case the hands presented in the exam are the types of hands you will play against solid regulars. Because exploiting regulars is often the last step at becoming a successful poker player, I would highly recommend reading The Poker Bluebook first, then reading The NL Workbook. The Poker Bluebook will teach you how to think like a successful poker player, and The NL Workbook will take you to the next level by teaching you how to out-think even the thinking players. My complaints, therefore, are not complaints, but rather observations to direct poker players to the appropriate reading material.

By Ilkka

December 15, 2010

It feels tough to try to put into words how much I think the NL Workbook has improved my game. I have gotten so much from the book, from seeing how many of the lines I used to often take without any thinking are just wrong, to learning plays that I feel I couldn't have come up with myself even by accident for some common but difficult spots. You open JT from the CO and your c-bet on the J93 flop gets called by the BB. You can do better than check back the 6 turn for pot control. Or, you call with 44 on the BB against an aggressive player's BTN open. You can do better than check/call the flop and check/fold the river after the turn went check/check on a dry K-high board.

This book shows you how to analyze hands clearly and logically, from accurately estimating your opponent's range to deciding on what the best action against that range is. There is something about this book that really opened my eyes - now I feel that I too can think about hands and compare the advantages and disadvantages of various lines, instead of just stumbling through a hand like a blind man, my thought process amounting to not much more than "well, maybe he has a flush, maybe he doesn't, so I guess I'm gonna check to him and see what he does" when I'm holding TPTK out of position and a third diamond comes on the river. The funny thing is that while I was doing that, I didn't even think that I was a bad player. The exam part of the book, where detailed answers are spelled out but you can first see if you can figure out the correct thing to do by yourself, further encourages you to really think about hands.

Another thing that I feel is different now that I've read the book is that situations where I feel completely lost in a hand seem to happen much more rarely now. Now my attitude is that in a hand, all the information is in front of my eyes, and if I calmly think through the hand and go through the information, I can usually figure out what the best action is. You could say that I now approach a poker hand much like I would approach a chess game. I just feel much more confident about my game, and don't get into as many uncomfortable situations where I feel I have no idea what to do.

I guess it's obvious by now that I think the NL Workbook was well worth the price for me. If you'd like to improve your game, and you are the type who isn't afraid of having to do some thinking sometimes, then I can't see how it wouldn't be worth the price for you, too. You should consider getting it even if you think you are a good player already. After all, I also used to think I am, before I read this book.

By poin

December 15, 2010

I bought this book when it first came out. I was going to write up a quick review, but I thought I should skim the book again first. I have a surprisingly positive semi-review: it turns out that there's so much information in the book that I missed the first time around that I don't feel competent to write a full review without reading it in depth a second time. I think the fact that it's still relevant and worth re-reading over a year after it was first released speaks extremely well for it.

The style is engaging and encourages me to think on my own. Of course you should always think on your own, but it's very easy to either 1) just say "you should 3-bet this range here. think about it later" (in which case nobody will really think about it or 2) just say "think about which range you should 3-bet here" (which doesn't provide nearly enough guidance). So far, this book is striking a very hard balance that provides information and real encouragement to think on your own. I like.

By jg

December 15, 2010

This isn't an easy read. Though it's not difficult in the same sense that "The Mathematics of Poker" was difficult. " The NL Workbook "
deals with Poker as it is played in the real world, and that involves many difficult decisions. Hand reading had always been my weakness. I have
always read hands by thinking , "well maybe he has a pair or maybe a flush draw or maybe something else, I don't know". This book taught me how to
put an opponent on a range of hands in a much more logical and mathematical way. It has also taught me how to better use aggression and position.
The book is written for cash game players, but will also benefit tournament players like myself. Especially early in the Tournament when stacks are deeper.
The book is in two sections, theory then an exam. When taking the exam try to think of all the angles before reading the answer. This will greatly
improve your decision making at the table. If you just read the answer you will gain some knowledge but not how to think through a problem at the table.
The book is expensive relative to most other books, but well worth the money. I can't imagine it not being a +EV purchase for anyone playing low stakes and up.
Initially, I actually had worse results after reading the book. You have to be careful not to try to make a move at the pot every hand. The book sets up specific conditions
before a play is made. Make sure the conditions are met before making your move.
The only complaint I had of the book when I bought it was that it was an E-Book only. It is now available as a paperback or E-bbok.

By Raising Cain

December 15, 2010

Review for Daily Variance’s Exploiting Regulars… Put it in your tank.

If you want greater insight into the modern view of poker, with a few gem-insights along the way, buy a book like this. Books like these will elevate you from “dangerous” to “fearless.” You will be more able to make the correct play and be less concerned about how the cards may fall.

I play NLHE at a wide variety of levels (200NL-5000NL) both online and in live executive games that run very, very deep (300-500BBs). I regularly battle against 18-table rake-backing TAGs (many who have 2-3 million hands under their belts; but they still have huge holes in their games that this book illuminates), wealthy maniacs, live fish, as well as bracelet-winning “stars” and “red” pros looking to take out some well-healed execs over a bottle of scotch. I am often not the best or most experienced player at the table, but I usually find a way to survive, adapt, and win. Well, as long as I am folding every now and then … As much varied poker experiences as I have, however, I am always looking for guidance in “putting it all together.” And that is why I come to Daily Variance; they put it together for me better than I ever could. They synthesize and organize what I already know and tell me things that I don’t know or don’t fully appreciate. I am a member of several coaching sites, I have read many of the e-books out there, and, each time Daily Variance puts out a new book, I still love having these at my bedside table… Tri’s books always find a way of presenting absurdly common situations that I discover that I am yet to fully tank on.

If you have not mastered manipulating hand ranges and hand combinatorics, then these books are a must read. If you are good with such things, these books are still worthwhile, since they are insight into how another player/coach thinks about the game and they offer loads of hands to think through with the author (who will think about the hands in a way far more advanced than the “classic” poker books do).

Many people on the forums have questioned the value of paying hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars for a poker book. But, I’d be willing to bet that you make at least one very large poker decision better next time you play if you study these books. One large pot won instead of lost means that even a $1K book starts paying for itself. And, when it comes to “Exploiting Regulars” which I bought online for under $50, this is a complete no-brainer.

I really liked spots in the book where Tri suggested that I take notes (spots where notes are underutilized to evaluate how pressure is being used against me and how to use that same pressure on my opponents next time, or how that constant pressure weakens the villain’s hand range in those spots), e.g., spots where someone (hero or villain) often tank-folds, spots where the “worst card in the deck” falls, etc.. I enjoyed Tri’s comments about “pouncers,” where, if the villain keeps putting you in the same tough spot, think about how that impacts his hand range… those TAG pouncers can’t always have it (NOTE TO "TRIPP" ... Nit or not, I am 4-betting your turn-raise next time). If you want examples that sound less obvious than how I have described it, buy the book. Even the spots where you will feel “hrm… I kinda knew that already,” you will realize that you are not taking maximum advantage of either the situation or your toolbox in dealing with it.

I did not always agree with the line the author suggested, but he gives me the tools to think about both his line and mine. And, heck, I am probably wrong anyway… That’s what I am looking for and where these books deliver: not what to do, but WHY.

On the downside, the book is overly brief in spots (but this makes for a quick read). Editing is improving over earlier books but still could be improved (a few “villain calls” should have read “villain bets” and/or vice versa, but no biggie, I got it). While Tri collaborates with various poker gods on these books (in this case, Tom Marchese is acknowledged), it is often unclear what insights came from these collaborators as opposed to Tri. Also, I had hoped for a little bit more time-sensitive trends in online reg play at various levels (granted, such material makes the book less able to stand the test of time without many updates) and how to beat it; there was a lot of this, I just was sort of hoping for a condensed list of trends/weaknesses that the author saw at the 2/4 game, the 3/6 game, etc., at the time of printing. In fairness, the book give me enough tools to figure these trends out and deal with it on my own anyway (and what the regs are currently up to is easily found on the forums and training sites, not to mention by playing against the regs themselves); how to think about those trends can be found here.

In any case, I rate this book as a strong RAISE and take it. If this book is less than a c-note, just buy the darn thing.

By CasperGraversgaard

September 8, 2011

This is one hell of a great book, not even is it written by some of my favorit writers, tom and tri!
but it is also one great book, i really helps you think about your game, your range to your villian regs, what villains range is vs your in every singel position!
When to fold your monster and when to shove and everything!

all in all a really great book to beat those regs your fighting with every singel day, why not make alot of money on them insted of loseing?