I’d like to thank the many people who made this book possible. As this was a collaborative effort, the list is not short.
A special thanks to my poker coach, Anders Taylor. Anders crushes the games online and worked long, tireless hours bringing my game up to speed. He gave up significant equity to do so. Without his incredible talent and efforts, this book wouldn’t have happened. Other players who made major contributions to the book include “the kid” Austin Schaff and my cohort at ESPN.com, Andrew Feldman. Thanks, boys.
My mentors, Phil Galfond, Annette Obrestad, and Daniel Cates, were extremely generous with their incredible knowledge and time. As you’ve seen, they think about the game in deep and profound ways. Simply breathing the same air that they breathe made me a better player. Getting extensive coaching from each of them has made a permanent and lasting effect on me as a person and as a player.
My publishing team is the best in the business. Venture Literary—Greg Dinkin and Frank Scatoni—thanks for the nudge. To my editor, Tricia Boczkowski, and the guys at Simon & Schuster—you’ve been a dream to work with. I sincerely appreciate your herculean efforts to make my books look great.
I’m not a professional or even polished writer, that’s for sure. As I’ve found out, writing a book that is clear, concise, and accurate is tough. Fortunately, I have an awesome team of friends who gave me extensive notes and provided feedback, criticism, and the occasional shoulder to cry on. Thanks to Dave Lambert, Rick Averitt, Kim Scheinberg, Bruce Hayek, Dave Tuckman, Andrew Jones, Shaun Wyman, Marissa Chien, Jay Greenspan, and Duke Dianni. Beer is on me, guys.
Finally, I’d like to thank my beautiful, intelligent, and very understanding wife for her love, support, and friendship. When I somehow convinced Barb to marry me and start a family, I sealed my status as the luckiest guy in the world.