Poker Books
The word ‘poker’ often evokes an image of card-sharp players strategically playing winning hands, walking home with some serious cash, and bragging rights. This image is soothing and reassuring if you’re in the know and are a member of this cool group. But what happens if you’ve only got a hang of some of the basic elements of the game? A clueless and confused player at a poker table won’t get too far in the game. If this causes you to worry, then don’t. We’ve got your back. All you need are poker tips and tricks from some of the best poker books in the business.
There’s an old saying that knowledge is power, and this holds true, even when it comes to a game of poker. In fact, the foundation of poker rests on knowledge; of your own cards, your opponents’ cards, the best moves possible, and everything in between. Now, it may be a bit old school, but the best place to get information and pick up new skills books. There are books on everything under the sun, and poker is no exception. So we’re going to guide you along and introduce you to some poker books, which, apart from being great reads, will also set you up with some new moves and cool tricks.
I have been assigned the task of finding you some of the best poker books available out here. There have been hundreds of texts written and published so far, and most of them have helped poker players turn from fish to sharks.
If you want to become the best poker player at the table, you will need all the help you can get to sharpen your skills. So, the first thing that needs attention is the content you familiarise yourself with.
Top 10 Poker Books You Must Read
Here our goal was to construct the most accurate list of the best poker books available. We chose each category specifically to suit the reader and we picked the books after researching the top articles available on the internet.
#1
Harrington on Hold’em
Author: Daniel Harrington
About: Explains poker strategies at every step of tournament play! From the early stages, where the stakes are modest, through expert methods like as bluffing, flops, fright cards, loose games, and endgame play.
#2
The Theory of Poker
Author: David Sklansky
About: Even 30 years after its publication, The Theory of Poker is still the best poker strategy book for beginners. This book is regarded as extremely important for poker players. Discusses ideas and theories that apply to almost every variant of the game, including razz, hold 'em, lowball draw, and five-card draw (high) (seven-card lowball stud).
#3
Applications of No Limit Hold’em
Author: Matthew Janda
About: This book's philosophy is simple to understand and has practical implications in the poker realm. Applications of No-Limit Hold'em is one of the best poker strategy books for beginners and teaches theoretically sound poker and offers players the ability to build bet sizes and ranges that will outplay more proficient opponents.
#4
The Mental Game of Poker
Author: Jared Tendler
About: You'll discover straightforward, step-by-step directions and tried-and-true methods in this book to solve issues with tilt, controlling variation, emotional control, confidence, fear, and motivation once and for all in one of the best poker strategy books for beginners. It also explains the distinct learning processes in the Adult Learning Model- something every serious poker player should know.
#5
Elements of Poker
Author: Tommy Angelo
About: Elements of Poker helps you discover the profitability of your bankroll and educates the reader about life beyond statistics and beyond decisions. It helps you gauge whether to raise, call, or fold. This poker book helps you learn how to use your poker knowledge to generate consistent profits with the poker knowledge you have.
#6
Kill Everyone
Author: Lee Nelson
About: This is one of the most widely acclaimed poker books ever published. Now poker players have a useful resource to help them get better at the game. For multi-table tournaments, Sit n Go, and satellite poker tournaments, it combines real-time experience, poker math, and computing capacity to provide new ideas and cutting-edge tactics that have never been written before. Also, it provides the proper techniques, explains how to select the best strategy for each game, and adds new poker tools to a tournament poker player's toolbox.
#7
Doyle Brunson's Super System
Author: Doyle Brunson
About: This best poker book is focused on the idea that poker is a game of people, and that you may become an expert player more easily if you have a solid understanding of your opponent. This is one of the best poker strategy books for beginners and it is great for when you need clarity on when to raise, call, bet, and fold at hold 'em (limit and no-limit), 7-stud (high and low), draw poker, and lowball.
#8
Essential Poker Math
Author: Alton Hardin
About: Poker math is a crucial component of No Limit Holdem, but it is sometimes disregarded or not employed since many poker players think it is too challenging to grasp. This poker book will show you how to utilize basic math to your advantage at the poker table so that you may win more often and lose less often.
#9
Every Hand Revealed
Author: Gus Hansen
About: This is one of the best poker books and analyses the poker hands Gus played during the competition and divulges his winning strategies. It will help you comprehend some of poker's most sought-after strategies and demonstrates how to play the game properly whether you're a novice or a seasoned player.
#10
Phil Gordon's Little Green Book
Author: Phil Gordon
About: This best poker book contains all of Phil Gordon's knowledge on No Limit Texas Hold'em. It provides advice on how to play poker and create a unique playing style. Phil gathered all this information by playing poker with some of the finest poker players in the world, philosophy, psychology, strategy, arithmetic, and other factors.
Top 10 Best Poker Tournament Books
#1
Tournament Poker: for Advanced Players
Author: David Sklansky
About: This book covers tournament strategies that only a few players understand. If you feel you know how to play poker well but are unfamiliar with tournament-specific principles and when and when to use them. This book explores the consequences of going broke, the Gap Concept, how chips change the value, adapting strategy to raising stakes, all-in strategy, final table play, making deals, the "System," focusing on weaker opponents, odd moves with aces and kings, moving in against the blind, and much more.
#2
Secrets of Professional Tournament Poker
Author: Jonathan Little
About: It teaches the reader: Why tournaments are the most profitable type of poker; when to play small ball and when to play long ball; and when to play both. How to Define Effective Stack Size How to adjust your play to win more than merely cash...and so much more is covered in this poker book. This is one of the best online poker books to read for any beginner.
#3
Endgame Poker Strategy
Author: Dara O’Kearney & Barry Carter
About: This book provides revolutionary ideas that most professional poker players are unaware of, such as:
- How to Adjust Your Play Towards the End of a Tournament.
- When to ladder and when to win.
- How to negotiate successful final table agreements.
- The best techniques for game selection, rebuying, and late registration.
- At the end of tournaments, how to play short, average, and large stacks.
#4
The Biggest Bluff
Author: Maria Konnikova
About: Maria Konnikova, a Russian-American writer and psychologist, contends that poker games may be utilized as a model for real life, allowing us to better appreciate the contrast between skill and luck.
#5
Poker Brat
Author: Phil Hellmuth
About: Phil presents a picture of his early Midwestern existence in Poker Brat, in which he got into fights in elementary school and high school yet always aspired to accomplish something big. Phil walks you through his life's lows and highs, revealing how he developed an unhealthy ego along the way, which finally led to his "poker brat" character. Phil offers his own effective tactics and strategies in Poker Brat, the ones he used to establish his objectives, and then explains how he fulfilled those goals as he went to the top of the poker industry.
#6
The Theory of Poker
Author: David Sklansky
About: This book will teach you about the Fundamental Theory of Poker, its consequences, and how it can alter your game. The importance of deceit, bluffing, raising, the slow-play, the value of the position, psychology, heads-up play, game theory, implied odds, the free card, and semi-bluffing are all covered in other chapters.
#7
Excelling at No-Limit Hold’em
Author: Jonathan Little and others
About: Excelling at No-Limit Hold’em is a book that analyses techniques for subjects such as comprehending the basics, satellite play, lower-buy in events, analyzing tells, and increasing stakes.
The book also includes technical parts on range analysis, game theory optimum play, small stack techniques, value betting, and final table play.
#8
Moorman’s Book of Poker
Author: Chris Moorman and Byron Jacobs
About: Hand reading is the key to great play and where really strong players excel. This concept is repeatedly emphasized throughout the book, with examples and explanations.
#9
Winning Poker Tournaments One Hand at a Time
Author: Eric Lynch, Jon Van Fleet, and Jon Turner
About: Reading this book is like attending a tournament poker master class. You'll learn how cutting-edge experts apply their knowledge and vast experience to assess practically any poker situation possible. You'll learn to win whether you're deep or short-stacked, against any number of opponents.
#10
Super/System: A Course in Power Poker
Author: Doyle Brunson
About: No serious poker player can afford to be without this important book, which is jam-packed with advanced methods, theories, tactics, and real money-making approaches. For the first time, a paperback edition with 608 pages of hard-hitting material is available, making this a must-have for aspiring pros. You'll learn all about the 7-card stud, draw poker, lowball, 7-card low stud (razz), high-low split, high-low declare, and texas hold'em, today's most popular game (limit and no-limit). The key winning principles and tactics are clearly stated and explained so that you may earn significant money.
Top 10 Best Poker Books for Cash Games
#1
Strategies for beating Small Stakes Poker Cash Games
Author: Jonathan Little
About: The key to mastering poker is not memorizing hand rankings or sticking to a set method. You must learn to think for yourself so that you can tailor that plan to defeat o your opponents. Strategies for Overcoming Minor Obstacles Poker Cash Games will show you how.
#2
Harrington on Cash Games: How to Play No-Limit Hold 'em Cash Games
Author: Bill Robertie and Dan Harrington
About: You'll learn how to adjust your beginning hand selection to your stack size, how to spot the rising deception value of allegedly weaker hands as stack sizes climb, and how to leverage the notion of pot commitment to your benefit as the pot size grows. After explaining the fundamentals of deep-stack cash game play, Harrington demonstrates a thorough post-flop strategy and explains the difference between post-flop play against a single opponent and post-flop play against numerous opponents. You should read this book if you play no-limit hold'em cash games.
#3
Mastering Small Stakes No-Limit Hold'em: Strategies to consistently beat small stakes poker tournaments and cash games
Author: Jonathan Little
About: This book is for you if you:
- You regularly play no-limit hold'em for tiny stakes
- You normally play for higher stakes, but you frequently have to settle for lower-stakes games (particularly when playing live).
- You compete in tournaments (such as WSOP events) with a large number of recreational players.
Jonathan develops a basic method for crushing low-stakes games and outlines the modifications that must be done when facing more skilled opponents.
#4
Small Stakes Hold 'em: Winning Big with Expert Play
Author: Edward Miller and David Sklansky
About: The book "Small Stakes Hold 'em: Winning Big with Expert Play" was developed to provide advice on how to cope with this particular form of the game. Small-stakes players are significantly looser with their money and their play, which may make deciding what hands to play and when to raise extremely difficult. The same strategies that succeed in larger stakes games, when players are more prone to be defensive of their poker chips, will not work as well in lower stakes games.
#5
Master Micro Stakes Poker
Author: Alton Hardin
About: With this book, you will learn:
- Master the fundamental poker concepts required to dominate the micro stakes.
- Understand important poker HUD stats and player types so you can outplay your opponents and exploit their flaws.
- Learn Pre-Flop Strategies to determine which cards you should and can economically play.
- Learn basic and simple poker math that all poker players should know.
- Understanding Post-Flop Fundamentals can help you win more pots.
- Learn how to benefit from Flop Play and Continuation Betting.
- Learn how to Bluff and Semi-Bluff your opponents out of the pot.
- Learn how to play the turns and rivers in order to gain more money.
#6
Excelling at No-Limit Hold'em
Author: Jonathan Little
About: Excelling at No-Limit Hold'em gives you all the tools you need to learn no-limit hold'em. It is a must-have for anyone serious about improving their poker skills.
#7
Play Optimal Poker
Author: Andrew Brokos
About: You will learn how to play poker:
- Make use of powerful game theory concepts such as equilibrium and indifference.
- Use game theory ideas to make daily poker decisions.
- Construct polarised and condensed ranges.
- Profit from both aggressive and passive behavior.
- Manipulate your ranges to capitalize on typical errors.
- Compete against world-class opponents.
#8
Poker Math & Preflop Workbook
Author: James “Splitsuit” Sweeney
About: Learning and comprehending the math underlying the game is critical for a poker player. Without exception, you can't be excellent at poker if you don't grasp poker math. Some of the topics addressed in the Poker Workbook are as follows:
- Equity & EV.
- Ranges & range building.
- Pot odds & Implied Odds.
- Open raising.
- 3-bets & 4-bets.
- Preflop all-ins.
- Blockers.
#9
Modern Poker Theory
Author: Michael Acevedo
About: Modern Poker Theory is a thorough and rigorous examination of the most significant features of No-Limit Hold'em. It is built around a thorough analysis of what game theory optimum play (GTO) is and how it might be used at the table. Understanding GTO is essential for making precise poker decisions and exploiting those who don't.
#10
How To Study Poker Volume
Author: Sky Matsuhashi
About: Sky Matsuhashi, poker instructor, author, and podcaster, will teach you exactly how to structure your daily studies around one key concept to propel your skill growth to new heights.
Top 10 Best Books on Poker for Beginners
#1
Texas Hold’em for Dummies
Author: Mark Harlan
About: This handy reference guide gives new and even seasoned players winning strategies and tactics not just for playing the game, but for winning. You'll learn:
- Limit, no-limit, tournament, and internet play rules and tactics.
- How to "play" the other participants.
- The significance of your bankroll—recommended amounts and more.
- Hands to play and hands to avoid.
- How to Hide Your Play and Avoid Traps.
- When, who, and how should you bluff?.
- How to Win Big with Check-Raising and Trapping.
- There are many strategies for playing in private games, casinos, card rooms, poker tournaments, and on the Internet.
- How to Make the Most of Mathematics.
Texas Hold 'Em poker is a game of both skill and chance. But it's a game that can be beaten, and whether you want to make money, sharpen your game, or just have a good time, Texas Hold 'Em for Dummies will give you the winning edge.
#2
Caro’s Book of Poker Tells: The Psychology and Body Language of Poker
Author: Mike Caro
About: Caro shows the secrets of understanding tells, which are bodily reactions that convey information about a player's cards. These emotions include shrugs, sighs, trembling hands, eye contact, and many more.
#3
Harrington on Hold’em: Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Volume II Strategic Play
Author: Dan Harrington
About: This book teaches you how to play in the final stages of a tournament when the field has been reduced, the blinds and antes have increased, and the major prize money is close at hand. When the tournament is down to its final few players and the conclusion is in sight, Harrington shows you how to make movements, manage critical inflection point plays, and maneuver. He's also added an entire chapter on heads-up play, which had hitherto been a jealously kept secret of the game's greatest masters.
#4
Elements of Poker
Author: Tommy Angelo
About: Angelo's book is a comforting poker guide for a difficult game, witty and insightful, harsh yet caring.
#5
Sit 'n Go Strategy: Expert Advice for Beating One-Table Poker Tournaments
Author: Collin Moshman
About: This text, written by sit ’n go expert Collin Moshman, is the first poker strategy book devoted exclusively to these tournaments. Through extensive hand examples and accompanying theory the beginner poker player will learn to:
- Understand anticipated value, tournament equity, and basic poker fundamentals.
- Differentiate between earning chips and earning money.
- Create an ultra-aggressive late-game approach to grab all of the chips when the blinds are large and your opponents' play is tighter.
- Play numerous tables, use monitoring software, and take advantage of online-only advantages.
- Take advantage of recreational players in your table selection and game strategy, and maximize your sit 'n go profits by considering each game as a business venture.
#6
Winning Low-limit Hold'em
Author: Lee Jones
About: Experienced hold'em players recommend this book to beginners of the game. This is the one book you need to start your hold'em career, and it has just been revised and expanded to include coverage of internet poker and no-limit hold 'em single-table tournaments.
#7
Poker Math That Matters: Simplifying the Secrets of No-Limit Hold'em
Author: Owen Gaines
About: It's never been easier to learn the maths behind good poker. Owen's techniques and strategies will have you using math at the poker table in no time. The arithmetic required in mastering choices in no-limit hold'em cash games is covered in this book. Over 100 quiz questions and answers are provided to help you assess your understanding and practice strengthening your skills.
#8
Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion's World Series of Poker
Author: James McManus
About: Writer James McManus manages to make the intricate, practically indecipherable world of high-stakes poker almost understandable to the common reader in this book. The book is set at the 2000 World Series of Poker at Binion's Golden Horseshoe in Las Vegas, the same year Ted Binion, the event's host and son of its founder, was murdered. McManus traveled to Las Vegas that year to cover the event as well as the murder trial of Binion's fiancée, Sandy Murphy, and friend Rick Tabish. Because the tournament receives more attention than the trial, McManus spends numerous chapters instructing the reader on no-limit Texas hold 'em, the kind of poker used in the World Series.
#9
Texas Hold 'Em Poker: Begin and Win
Author: Paul Mendelson
About: Teaches poker beginners how to play Texas Hold 'Em Poker. This work includes vocabulary, definitions, etiquette, and regulations, as well as an illustration of how poker hands are evaluated. It allows you to better grasp your chances, comprehends the percentages, and conquer the odds.
#10
The Habits of Winning Poker Players
Author: Ashton Cartwright
About: The world's best poker players have unique habits in their own unique way and use them to dominate every poker table they find themselves at. Any player can develop these habits and do so will provide beginners as well as professionals with more knowledge of the game as well as a distinct advantage over opponents, both of which will help perform better on the felt.
Top 10 Best Non-Hold’em Poker Books
#1
PokerFarce and PokerTruth
Author: Ray Michael B
About: Ever wondered "What's it really like... the world of poker?” This book will attempt to provide an answer to that question. You'll be escorted to a serious game and seated next to the author. You will be a bystander to the unfolding poker drama. You'll get to see the players up and personal, see their strengths and weaknesses and experience their various emotions in success and failure.
#2
The Psychology of Poker
Author: Alan N. Schoonmaker, Ph.D.
About: Dr. Schoonmaker is mainly interested in how psychological issues impact your and your opponent's ability to play appropriately. It will explain why you and your opponents behave as they do. Many individuals know how to play well yet perform poorly. Simply understanding a strategy does not guarantee that you will use it correctly.
#3
Poker Tournament Strategies
Author: Sylvester Suzuki
About: Author Sylvester Suzuki has participated in several poker events. He is a genuine individual who knows the fundamental theory that rules tournament play, despite the fact that his name is a pseudonym. This material should be useful to almost everyone who is interested in this type of poker.
#4
Molly's Game Film Tie-in
Author: Molly Bloom
About: Molly Bloom describes how she established one of the world's most exclusive, high-stakes clandestine poker tournaments - an insider's account of excess and risk, glitter and greed.
#5
Poker on the Internet
Author: Andrew Kinsman
About: This book will teach you all you need to know to survive in the Internet poker jungle. It answers questions like: How do I pick an online poker room to play in? What is the difference between online and "live" cardroom play? Is there a chance of getting duped or cheated? How can I use the Internet to help me improve my game? What poker newsgroups and other resources are available? And a lot more.
#6
Moneymaker
Author: Chris Moneymaker
About: The author's autobiography is told in the first few chapters. The rest of the book provides a detailed narrative of his victory in the online event, as well as a day-by-day analysis of his experience in Las Vegas during the 2003 World Series of Poker.
#7
Secrets of Non-Standard Sit 'n' Gos
Author: Phil Shaw
About: These tournaments can be run in a number of ways, and they can provide a profitable opportunity for the skilled player. In Secrets of non-standard Sit'n'gos, Phil Shaw walks you through these unique variants and teaches you how to make them profitable.
The alternative formats discussed include:
- Heads-up sit'n'gos (two players).
- Two tables are used for sit'n'gos.
- Sit'n'gos with 45 and 180 players.
- Non-NL games, such as Pot-Limit Omaha poker, Stud, Razz, Triple Draw, and Hi-Lo games (where players can win entries to tournaments like the EPT and WSOP).
#8
Blazing Aces
Author: Reiner Knizia
About: He demonstrates how to utilize conventional playing cards in a variety of unique new ways in this book of fifteen original card games. All you need is a rudimentary grasp of poker combinations (which you'll learn here!) and a typical deck of cards or two. Aside from the fundamental games, a variety of variations are offered to make play more interesting.
#9
World Poker Tour
Author: Erik Lindgren
About: The author will discuss what it takes to be the last man standing in this book. This is a must-have item for every poker fan.
#10
Dirty Poker
Author: Richard Marcus
About: There are several methods of cheating, some subtle and some not so subtle. Richard Marcus is well-versed with them all. Online Poker was a niche sport ten years ago. All of that has altered with the introduction of internet gaming; online poker game is now a huge business. Every day, millions of people play, both live and online. If you are one of them, you will want to be certain that the games you participate in are clean. This book will explain how cheaters work, what strategies they employ, and how to detect them.
