Five Questions: Matthew Hilger

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Matthew Hilger is behind some of the most popular poker books around via Dimat publishing and his website InternetTexasHoldem.com. We talked briefly with Matt about the state of the poker publishing industry and his take on poker’s chances for regulation in the US in this week’s edition of Five Questions.

PTP: You’ve been involved in the poker industry for a relatively long amount of time. If someone had said to you back in 2005 that online poker would look as it does today, would you be surprised?

MH: A more interesting question may be to compare 2001/2002 to today. Online poker has made huge technological advances. When I first started playing, you could only play limit and the highest limit was $20-$40. Back then, there were some players making $100,000+ annually, but not that many. Today, some players win and lose pots of $100,000. So I am surprised how far we have come from a technical standpoint to be able to play for money at such high stakes.

PTP: ITH / Dimat deals primarily in the printed books. Why not go the ebook route as some other poker publishers have done? Why books instead of a training site?

MH: We do sell e-books. All of our books are available through Amazon’s Kindle, which people can download free worldwide and then purchase books for viewing on their computer. We are one of the first publishers with books available with the Barnes and Noble Nook. You can also purchase e-books directly from us at our website, pokerbooks.InternetTexasHoldem.com. In terms of training videos, it really is a different kind of business as distribution is entirely online, while the publishing business is both online and retail.

PTP: Over / under on months before regulation in the US?

MH: I think it will take at least a couple of years before we see an actual legal site in the US. There are just too many steps. First, another bill has to pass committee. Then the house needs to vote on the two bills. Then the Senate. Then the President needs to sign it. If/once we have a signed bill, then the efficient government of ours has to come up with a process to license and regulate the industry. Then the online sites will need to apply for a license. Once a license is approved, I would suspect there would then need to be time for the online site to execute their business plan and get operations setup.

PTP: What’s your favorite Dimat book so far? If not favorite, then the one you’ve been most surprised by the public reaction to?

MH: Obviously, my first book Internet Texas Hold’em is the most nostalgic since that book gave me my start in this industry and has been the most successful of our books. But my favorite book is probably The Poker Mindset by Ian Taylor and myself. This was my first project publishing another author. Ian was writing articles for my website at the time and I approached him about writing this very unique poker book at the time. Of course I am biased, but I really do think every poker player should read this book, especially if they are relatively new to poker or just simply have problems with tilt. The book has really resonated with poker players and I expect that is will sell for decades to come.

PTP: Best WSOP Main Event of the last five years (not for you personally, just the best overall ME in your opinion)?

MH: From an entertainment perspective, 2006 when Jamie Gold won. Like him or hate him, he was entertaining and there were other really good side stories in the series that year. From a business perspective, it was great having Joe Hachem win to help show that poker is a truly international game. I’d really like to see a Latin American win to help grow poker in that part of the world.

PTP:Worst thing to happen to online poker in the last five years besides the UIGEA?

MH: Multi-tabling is both a blessing and a curse. It’s been great to the grinders playing professionally and the poker sites in generating rake for the short-term. But it also makes it a lot more difficult for newer players to start playing because they are playing against so many professionals. Even the pros barely make a profit in sit-n-gos or small stakes limit games nowadays if you don’t include the rakeback. The technology could end up drying up the well.

PTP: Give us an update on new titles Dimat is putting out.

MH: This has been a banner year for Dimat. From 2003 to 2009, we published five titles. In 2010 alone, we are publishing at least an additional six titles. We recently released Peak Performance Poker by Travis Steffen, which I like to people is for the body in the way that The Poker Mindset is for the mind. This week, we’re releasing the print version of Small Stakes No-Limit Hold’em by Ed Miller, Matt Flynn, and Sunny Mehta. And next month, we’re releasing Advance Pot-Limit Omaha Volumes II and III by Jeff Hwang. Looking ahead, we have Winning Poker Tournaments Volume III coming out and Tournament Endgame Strategy by Tony Guerrera and myself. Next year, we’ll be releasing a book that chronicles the history of online poker. So it is a busy time for Dimat right now.

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