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 Watching
Final Table Poker with Phil Gordon is like being
thrown into the middle of a WPT broadcast. However,
instead of only seeing 1 out of every 10 hands
and thinking the players are insane for going
all in with 8-9 offsuit, Phil walks you through
his and his opponents thought processes.
The
DVD starts off with a "WPT Like" introduction
of the players, they consist of some of the stereotypical
players you might see at a final table.
The final table consists of the following players:
Butch Dude - The overaggressive internet
qualifier part of the young and unemployed "crew"
Harmony Jensen - a thinly veiled
homage to Jennifer Harman and great player
K.W. - a solid all around player
Bruce Buffer - A macho aggressive
trash talker who will play any two cards.
Chris "Jesus" Ferguson
- The best tournament player in the world
Phil Gordon - Tiltboy, TV Celeb,
Poker Pro
We
then hear Phil's thoughts as each hand at the
Final Table takes place. Phil takes his time with
each decision and pays great attention to his
opponents style, chip stack, position, and their
state of mind (tilt factor).
The importance of Position is stressed on numerous
occasions throughout the DVD with examples. We
of course hear the old poker saying - Position,
Position, Position! Phil covers several important
concepts with several hand examples from the table.
Some of the ideas presented include Sklansy's
Gap Concept, Selective Aggression, and five reasons
why it's better to raise when your the first one
in the pot.
As the "tournament" progresses, Phil
instructs on how to calculate odds & outs,
the Rule of 24 - a simple way to estimate the
probability that you'll make your hand by the
river card, how to calculate pot odds and implied
odds. Particularly valuable to new players is
a discussion of the correct amounts to bet based
on the texture of the flop/board.
As players get eliminated the topics of isolation
raises - raises to get you heads up against a
particular opponent, when to not bet on the river,
and the common mistakes that bad players make
(e.g. going broke with one pair).
Once
the table becomes short-handed Phil covers the
importance of stealing the blinds and whom to
steal from, how to play a short-stack, why you
want big cards versus drawing cards, and the criteria
for making successful bluffs. The things to consider
after a significant change at the table will help
players think about adjusting to the differing
dynamics. 
Other important topics include:
- Semi-Bluffing
- Hands to go to war with
- Headsup Play
- Exploiting your own table image
- The importance of sometimes
"checking it down"
- A method of getting off "Tilt"
This
is a very professionally made DVD that looks great
and is fast-paced. Phil's commentary is interspersed
with some good wisecracks and very solid advice.
The DVD also comes with two different commentaries
from Phil - one for beginners and one for more
advanced players. Additionally, for the beginners
it includes a detailed starting hand chart and
an Odds & Outs chart.
A few things about the DVD were mildly annoying,
for example, every so often there is a Full-Tilt
Poker commercial thrown in, the commercials are
pretty funny but it's kind of cheesy to add them
to a $25 DVD. In addition, the lighting used at
the table is supposed to resemble the WPT but
reminds me more of a disco ball and is somewhat
distracting as the lights spin around constantly.
Overall, the DVD is great looking and has solid
advice for beginning to intermediate players.
Will you become an instant world-class pro after
watching the DVD, of course not, but you should
pick up some useful advice to improve your game
and beat your poker buddies out of their hard
earned cash.
You can play and learn from Phil at Full
Tilt Poker.
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