The name of this system already sounds suspect - can we really expect “secrets” to be “exposed” in this ebook? Are there any secrets in Texas Holdem’ that haven’t been covered by the likes of Doyle Brunson and Dan Harrington in their seminal works on the subject? Can unknown professional internet player Drew Laughlin really posses such hidden gems? Well, he promises as much and claims to have “2 proven systems” that will have you earning $300-$800 every day or your money back. Let’s see if these promises amount to anything.

The author

The ebook is written by Drew Laughlin (now called Phillip D.), professional internet player and proud holder of a masters degree. But a Google for Drew’s name reveals more about the articles he has written relating to sales and marketing articles he has written than his poker career. It would lead one to suspect that Drew is more of a marketer than a Poker player.

The Package

The Texas Holdem Secrets Exposed package consists of an 86 page PDF, 3 CDs of MP3, one video and a variety of bonuses. The bulk of the offering is the PDF - the MP3 are just a recording of Drew narrating the PDF, and the video is very short.

The PDF

After a quick intro, we’re straight into the “secrets”. There are 25 of them in total. Here are a few of titles: “The Patience Principle“, “Table Position“, “Starting Hands“, “Playing Slooooooow“, “Watch for Suits and Straights” etc. Pretty quickly on reading it became apparent to me that this was all pretty basic information. Yes, it is useful if you are a complete beginner, but in no way could these strategies be considered “Secrets”. It reminded me a little of Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book (which retails for $19.99), but with a lot less tips and less well written. In fact, I didn’t see anything here that wasn’t better covered by Phil.

And after the “secrets” comes the strategies. I was hoping for big things here. Afterall, the sales page promised 2 “proven” stratagies that would have me earning $300-$800 every day! I was expecting detailed walk through of exactly which cards to play in which situations (something like the Cheat Sheets from Micon Secrets); a solid repeatable way of making guaranteed cash as promised. Well, I was sorely disappointed. Each system is only a couple of pages long in it’s explanation and can be summed up in a sentence. System 1: play short handed Sit N Go’s. System 2: Play Heads-up Sit N Gos. That’s it.

Overall: OK for beginners but poor value for money. Not secrets.

The MP3

These are basically a recording of Drew narrating his PDF. It’s a nice addition for people who can’t be bothered to read, or want to listen to the tips on their MP3 player while mobile. They add no extra information though.

The Video

One video. It’s not a huge amount. The Micon Secrets has 9, and even Sit N Go Pro has 3. So while the video is relatively entertaining to watch, it only shows a few of the strategies in the PDF put to use. What we really needed here was something that would really heighten the value of the PDF. Something that would transform the product as a whole into something genuinely worth the money. We needed a video for every single one of the 25 tips that are given in the PDF - a video highlighting all the subtle variations and nuances that can happen at the table. As it is, just one video is a bit of an insult. After all, if Drew is using his own system then he should be playing 100’s of Sit N Gos a week. Why not just record himself playing every single one for a few days, narrating as he plays? The package costs $97, surely he could have put more effort it!

The Bonuses

Well, the bonus PDFs aren’t great shakes and again contain pretty basic info. There’s a starting hand sheet which is really intended to simplify things, but unfortunately contradicts the starting hand advice given in the first PDF. One interesting bonus is a 30 minute coaching session with the author, and some recordings of such sessions made with previous customers. Actually, I thought these were great. Drew is talking to his customers, all of whom are having problems with their game. Take Barry, for example, who’s having problems winning more than 1 in 5 6$ Sit N Gos. He thinks that Q7 is a better hand than J10 and Drew soon puts him right. Some of the sessions go on for nearly an hour, so his customers are really getting their money’s worth. This almost, actually, justifies the price of the ebook. It allows you to work through the tips and then have a one-on-one session with Drew to work through your problems. You won’t get than with Phil Gordon, that’s for sure.

The Bottom Line

This is intended for beginners or people who might have played for a while but are having problems with their game. From listening to the Q&A sessions, Drew’s (happy) customers are certainly not advanced players. With this in mind, the package isn’t too bad. OK, so the “secrets” aren’t really secrets but they are still worthwhile advice. And the single video may be a little stringy, but then you can talk in person with Drew for an hour to make up for it. For more advanced players, though, this will be disappointing. Overall, 5/10 would be my rating. You can check the system out by clicking on the button below, or via this link: Texas Holdem Secrets Exposed.