My interest in poker came much later than the "Moneymaker effect", but that didn't stop me from watching older material including 'Final Table Poker'. Following poker pro Phil Gordon it recreates his final table appearance (but not result) from the Bay 101 WPT event in March 2004. The poker world has never stood still on game theory so the information being presented is dated, but this remained mildly fun for a second viewing decades later.
Being entertaining while giving solid (if dated) strategy is a delicate balancing act that this 2005 video pulls off well. Phil does a voiceover giving light humor and his thought process in many different spots players will find themselves in a poker tournament. The event goes unnamed but looks like an above board presentation you'd see on tv. The opponents ("villains" in poker speak) at the final six-man table are caricatures of real poker pros, but Chris Ferguson & Bruce Buffer portray themselves.
Gordon released 'Little Green Book' in the same year as this video that would better elaborate on optimal tournament play. Of course reading that wouldn't get you the visual show going on here. The sole low point is Phil Gordon - like many pros - was sponsored by an online poker room which means sitting thru a few ads for Full Tilt Poker which is kinda tacky.
If you're nostalgic this might be worth a view to remind you of the heyday when the game was hugely popular. A beginner / immediate player can still use the solid fundamentals being shown to help their game. 'Final Table Poker' is well shot & has decent production values and showcases the aggression factor, random chance of luck involved in addition to the skill needed to win.
Being entertaining while giving solid (if dated) strategy is a delicate balancing act that this 2005 video pulls off well. Phil does a voiceover giving light humor and his thought process in many different spots players will find themselves in a poker tournament. The event goes unnamed but looks like an above board presentation you'd see on tv. The opponents ("villains" in poker speak) at the final six-man table are caricatures of real poker pros, but Chris Ferguson & Bruce Buffer portray themselves.
Gordon released 'Little Green Book' in the same year as this video that would better elaborate on optimal tournament play. Of course reading that wouldn't get you the visual show going on here. The sole low point is Phil Gordon - like many pros - was sponsored by an online poker room which means sitting thru a few ads for Full Tilt Poker which is kinda tacky.
If you're nostalgic this might be worth a view to remind you of the heyday when the game was hugely popular. A beginner / immediate player can still use the solid fundamentals being shown to help their game. 'Final Table Poker' is well shot & has decent production values and showcases the aggression factor, random chance of luck involved in addition to the skill needed to win.