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My task is to select the most important strategy books ever written from the many hundreds of texts that have been published.
You are reading: Best books on poker
Before continuing, an explanation of the criteria I used in the selection process is warranted.
first, these books are not necessarily my personal favorites. in fact, any “favorite book” is a deeply personal judgment. Whatever poker book helped us improve our understanding of the game should be among our “favorites.” each player has different needs and remedies as we are all at different levels of experience and stages of development. for example, an advanced poker book containing sophisticated concepts could be a great introduction for experienced players. but for the vast majority of novice and recreational gamers, something much simpler is probably needed. advanced strategies can even be dangerous for players who don’t understand the basics of the game.
By my estimation, there are about 450 poker strategy books now available through amazon and other sources. many of these books are obscure titles and texts that you’ve probably never heard of, and will eventually be forgotten over time.
That said, any poker book that enhances our understanding of the game and inspires us to think more deeply about poker strategy is likely to be worth a look. therefore, most poker strategy books, even those that contain some questionable advice, are worth reading and thinking about, even if you don’t follow the advice to the letter.
What I’ve highlighted here are the books that had a profound impact on the game and changed the thinking of a significant number of players. I am referring to books that fundamentally changed the way poker is now played. some books were so influential when they were written that not having read them put the ignorant at a serious competitive disadvantage (much of the two plus two (2+2) catalog applies here). top-rated books codified poker strategy like never before to the point where there is now little to no discussion of the correct call and ultimately the correct play. these masterpieces not only helped us become better players, but also explain why the conclusions drawn are correct.
I hope you agree with some of these options, which are obvious and irrefutable. other books on the list are lesser known, but still influenced the game’s greatest thinkers and greatest players. some others are more obscure titles, but they still managed to earn the respect of their peers and even fundamentally advanced the science of poker thinking.
Naturally, the reaction of critics and the public to each of these titles greatly influenced inclusion versus exclusion. to be selected, each book had to achieve a certain degree of success. by success, I mean favorable critical reception, notable book sales, or both. the best books were respected by critics and also managed to sell reasonably well.
Finally, I considered the “shelf life” of the book. How long was each book relevant? did the book turn dark after a few years? Or, could the book be fundamentally sound and worth reading, even today?
Let’s start with the selections that made the “honorable mention” category. then I’ll explain in more detail why each of the top 10 books was chosen in a progressive countdown to number one.
honorable mention (a dozen recommendations):
the full tilt poker strategy guide by michael craig (2007) — “full tilt” could be a toxic name now and a bitter memory for many poker players. But there was a time when full poker pros were the rock stars of the game. Organized and curated by Michael Craig, one of the game’s greatest writers, with contributions from many of poker’s most successful professionals, this powerful and ambitious 437-page strategy guide is top-notch every time. if you can get past some of the names and ignore the damage they did to the game, most of the advice is sound.
kill phil by blair rodman and lee nelson (2005): this book really changed the way people play poker. it was played for a while, especially in no-limit hold’em tournaments. Oversimplifying their basic advice, the authors recommend taking an ultra-aggressive approach to the game, which effectively neutralizes the best players in the game. in other words, whenever possible, put the best players to decide for all your chips. back then, three of the best poker players shared the given name “phil”, which is where this book gets its catchy title.
any title by lou krieger: Prolific mid-stakes poker professional and writer lou krieger passed away a few years ago, but he left us all with a lot of interesting study material, mainly on how to play and win low to medium stakes cash games. Krieger wrote eight books, in addition to several hundred columns for cardplayer magazine. almost any of his works are worth reading. no book stands out from what is a solid library on poker strategy. so instead i’ll give krieger a thumbs up and recommend him as an author.
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Elements of Poker by tommy angelo (2007): This is one of the most innovative poker books ever written. . It should probably be in the top 10, but for whatever reason, it hasn’t gotten as big of an audience as it deserves. Angelo, a highly respected professional player and coach, examines poker from many different perspectives, including a total of 144 angles. the key concept of it is something called “reciprocity”, which means that success comes from doing something different than normal (or expected). As well as containing a lot of ideas you’ve probably never thought of before, Elements of Poker is also a fun read. he deserves much more love.
Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book (2009): Phil Gordon was one of the biggest poker stars of the 2000s. this book was released at the height of his fame, coming out of his role as host of the television show celebrity poker. this was a poker book inspired by a golf book of similar design with a comparative title called the little green golf book by harvey penick (which was maybe copied from mao’s little red book, but I digress). The Little Green Book sold very well, with some critics even describing it as a shorter version of Dan Harrington‘s strategy books. high praise, indeed.
the psychology of poker by dr. Alan N. schoonmaker (2000) — dr. Schoonmaker is a retired psychologist who plays low-stakes games in Las Vegas. this is the most unusual thing about him: he is one of the best listeners I have ever met. I think that says a lot about this author and what he values. even today when i meet dr. Schoonmaker in Las Vegas, he is constantly talking to other people, but more importantly, he listens to others when they talk about poker. That lifetime of wisdom, from his days as a psychologist to his nights at the poker table, filtered down and was finally put into words in the form of The Psychology of Poker, and its highly recommended follow-up book, Your Worst Enemy in Poker: Mastering the Mental Game Released in 2007.
the mathematics of poker by bill chen and jerrod ankenman (2006), and weighing the odds in hold’em poker by king yao (2006): These are two very advanced poker books with terrifyingly detailed math problems and solutions. recreational players and those with no math background will have a hard time understanding the text or following what the authors are trying to demonstrate. however, both books are noteworthy for their intense attention to detail and demonstration that winning at poker is as much an art as it is a science.
The Mental Game of Poker: Proven Strategies for Improving Lean Control, Confidence, Motivation, Coping with Variance, and More by jared tenderl and barry carter (2011): I debated whether or not to include such a recently published book on this list. most books take time to measure correctly and years to fully evaluate. however, this book seems destined for high praise due to its superior reviews almost everywhere. As the title suggests, there is a lot to think about in the book when it comes to the mental side of the game. I confess, this is the only book on the list that I have not read. so while I’m reluctant to include it for that reason, too many people I respect give it a high rating, meaning it’s worth mentioning.
the making of a poker player by matt matros – this is a very unusual poker book, but one that stands the test well of time. Fresh out of college, author Matt Matros started playing recreational poker games in the Washington, DC area (where I first met him, that story is in the book). a year later, he was sitting at the final table of a million dollar tournament called the tournament of champions. this book is actually a kind of premonition. matros wrote about the game and discussed many of the peripheral influences on it as an eager young upstart long before he enjoyed any personal or professional success (some would say “validation”) as a player. after the publication of this book, matros won three world series of poker gold bracelets (three years in a row), two in the game he mainly writes about, which is limit hold’ em. surprisingly, he only plays poker part time. most authors win big tournaments and become famous, and then write poker books. the ultra-confident matros did the opposite. that’s brave.
zen and the art of poker by larry w. phillips (1999): Zen has become the new age way of thinking for many people who are confident in their approach to life. its basic principles certainly apply to poker, especially if you subscribe to the “toughest opponent at the poker table is yourself” philosophy. zen and the art of poker is a very welcome psychological self-help tool for players. who have trouble controlling their emotions or go into what is called “leaning.” furthermore, it is not a simple review of old sayings by a bunch of dead people. the author actually goes into considerable detail on how to apply zen philosophy to what you do and how you act at the poker table. well received and a niche guide to self-improvement.
any title from the catalog of writers two plus two. i realize this sounds like i was paying 2+2 and the publisher started with the authors mason malmuth and david sklansky. however, any one of the few dozen titles in this excellent collection of poker books is worth a look, and probably a read. I include this generic recommendation because almost any of the 2+2 posts deserves at least an honorable mention.
top 10 poker strategy books
10. every hand revealed by gus hansen (2008)
This entry from leading publisher kensington may surprise some people, but it’s a terrific poker book designed primarily for playing in no limit hold’em tournaments. written by gus hansen at the height of his success as a three-time world poker tour champion, one of poker’s most unorthodox players takes you through his thought processes during each stage of a tournament, from the first hand to (what is to be expected) the final table. chip reese, who wrote the book’s foreword, had this to say: “you’ve brought original thinking to an old game. A lot of his insights into how to play poker have made me take a second look at some conventional strategies that I thought were true.” This page-turning book is direct and to the point. Critically acclaimed and groundbreaking, but still largely underrated, every hand revealed deserves a spot on this list.
9. the body language of poker (also known as the book of stories) by mike caro (1994 edition)
mike caro was and still is a pioneer in poker strategy. he has written countless articles and reports on the science of poker over the years, and continues to do so today. he is also a very engaging speaker who is equally famous for his poker seminars, which have been running for almost 30 years. In 1984, Caro first released Poker Body Language, which analyzed exactly what he says, body language, including posture, facial movements, voice inflections, etc. his original book was updated 10 years later with new photos and deeper analysis. while it’s not as relevant today and probably only applies to low stakes games (if at all), this was groundbreaking work for its time that was often referenced and was the talk of the town for many years. many games. With 277 pages of photos and explanations, this book is packed with information and reveals that real money is not necessarily won by looking at the cards, but by watching and studying your opponents.
8. Poker Essays by Mason Malmuth (1996)
Of the many books contained in the catalog of two plus two, this is undoubtedly one of the best. does not receive style points. in fact, the concept is almost too simple. Poker Essays is just that: a collection of writings (some might even say musings) from one of the game’s great minds, Mason Malmuth. what makes it special is that the book is not just about strategy; it also discusses the future of the game, suggests improvements that could be made by card room management, and provides a host of other tips geared toward the overall advancement of poker. here is a challenge. go back and read it now, 20 years after its release; You will find that many of the concerns and predictions about the game first raised by Malmuth have come true. he used to think he was crazy for writing some of this stuff. but he turned out to be mostly right.
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7. Hold’em Poker for Advanced Players by Mason Malmuth (1993 Edition)
malmuth is one of only two authors to receive two top 10 nominations. if any book was “must read” for all poker players during the 1990s, it was hold’em poker for advanced players. , first published in 1988 and then reprinted several times since then. This is a basic limit hold’em manual. Since virtually all hold’em played up until 2003 was limit, this book had a huge impact on the game and the players who were successful. Some of the concepts, such as the “semi-bluff” (first coined by Malmuth) became part of the game’s unique lexicon. Malmuth looked at a variety of different situations and ended up fundamentally altering the course of the games, especially in the period between 1988 (two years after flop games were legalized in California) and 2003, when the popularity of limit began to wane.
6. Winning Poker Systems by norman zadah (1973)
Most readers probably haven’t heard of this book. even serious gamers would have a hard time identifying it. however, it should be remembered fondly. Upon accepting this assignment, one of the first calls I made was to dan harrington. I asked him which strategy books had meant the most to him. Without hesitation, he listed Winning Poker Systems as a monumentally important contribution to poker theory. Launched in 1973 when there were virtually no poker books on the market, this was an innovative first step in what would later become a foot race to devise the best strategy for winning. Although now terribly outdated because it mostly deals with outdated poker games like five-card draw and lowball (which were the only legal games played in California at the time), it was the first book to chart starting hands and emphasize the importance of position. David Sklansky has also repeatedly sung the praises of this book and its author, Norman Zadah, then a young Ph.D. student studying for his degree in applied mathematics at Cal-Berkeley.
5. winning low limit hold’em by lee jones (1994)
For many players, this was “the book” for nearly a decade. for some, it remains so even today. It arguably familiarized more players with the basics of limit hold’em than any other book in history. Perhaps the book’s best attribute is its simplicity, which is somewhat misleading because it also includes a lot of great strategic advice. It doesn’t look or read like a poker textbook thanks to Jones’ easy-to-understand approach and conversational style. after this was posted jones became the site manager for pokerstars.com which became the largest poker site in the world. undoubtedly one of the reasons he landed that coveted job was because of his tremendous insight into the mind of the average poker player. That knowledge is found in the pages of what is undoubtedly one of the most important strategy books ever written.
4. hold’em poker by david sklansky (1976)
This was the first widely available book written exclusively on the game of hold’em. Keep in mind that this variant of poker was not very well known anywhere, except in some parts of the South and in Las Vegas. at best, perhaps several thousand people actually knew how to play the game. after the publication of this book, that number would expand to hundreds of thousands and eventually millions. sklansky must have seen the appeal of the game long before anyone else. Either that, or he understood that since wsop was here to stay, hold’em would eventually become the game of the future. Whatever his reasons, this was an important first step in understanding how to play and win at limit hold’em. The original edition is somewhat dated now, as most games during that time included only a single blind, so Sklansky updated his book in 1997 to account for the double blind structure. It is the shortest book on this list, but without a doubt a historical milestone.
3. harrington in hold’em, by dan harrington (2006)
This is the best-selling poker book in history, having sold over 300,000 copies. The 1995 world poker champion not only perfectly timed the launch of his book, which came at the height of the poker boom, his authorship and fierce independence (as one of the few highly respected icons not affiliated with anyone full-time) gives the text an extra measure of credibility. Harrington co-authored this book with bill robertie, a master chess player and game theorist. the first volume was followed by harrington on hold’em: volume ii. later, they released harrington on hold’em: volume iii, then harrington on cash games, which received a acclamation. without a doubt, all these books made poker that much harder to beat. but the first release is likely to be one of the best strategy books ever written.
2. super/system 2: a course in power poker by doyle brunson (1978)
Legend has it that many poker greats were upset when two-time world champion doyle “texas dolly” brunson decided to capitalize on his emerging celebrity status and give away the keys to the treasury in what became known as super/ system — alternatively titled, how i won a million dollars playing poker. the original price of the cover was $100 when it was released in the late 1970s, which is more than $400 today. Even so, the book sold steadily for three decades, buoyed by a long-awaited re-release by Cardoza Publishing in a much less expensive paperback format. At a whopping 600 pages and bound by a heavy black cover, super/system, whether intentionally or not, actually resembles the holy bible. in fact, this book contains a lot of poker knowledge that can be taken to the bank. Strategy aside, the narrative chapters in which Brunson reminisces about his old-time poker exploits are a highly entertaining bonus. this was the first book to include contributions from top players who were recognized as the best in the world at their specific games. Co-authors include the late David “Chip” Reese, Mike Caro, David Sklansky, Joey Hawthorne, Bobby Baldwin, and of course the man himself, Doyle Brunson. this is still an amazing poker book that was decades ahead of its time, possibly the best both in terms of quantity and quality. this book should not be confused with super/system 2, published in 2004 (which was not as successful).
1. the theory of poker by david sklansky (1994 edition)
This masterpiece by david sklansky is considered by most game theorists and serious poker players to be the strategic dictionary of the game. With 276 pages divided into 25 chapters, this book of two plus two editorials contains all the basic strategic fundamentals. While not necessarily entertaining or engaging for casual readers or anyone else who isn’t a serious player, this book contains almost a lifetime of well-researched and thoroughly discussed poker concepts, finally summed up in the subtitle, how to play poker. think like a professional poker player. Here’s a summary of what poker theory contains: “Beginning poker players sometimes ask, ‘what do you do in this particular situation?’ There really isn’t a right answer to that question because it’s the wrong one.” question… the correct question is: ‘what do you consider in this particular situation before determining what to do?’ Poker theory addresses such considerations.” I don’t know anyone who takes poker seriously who hasn’t read this book or isn’t at least familiar with its importance in the chronology of poker knowledge. of poker. is the reference point for all future debates on strategies and theories. period. end of discussion.
about the author: nolan dalla has been involved in poker as a full and part time player, writer/reporter, author, consultant and casino executive for over 20 years . he is best known as the media director for the world series of poker for a long time. Dalla is also actively involved in a soon-to-be-launched new television show called “America’s Poker Night.” He writes a popular daily blog about a variety of current events. You can read it on his website: www.nolandalla.com.
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