The best poker books don’t just teach you how to play, but they completely change your approach to the game. These are the ones you must read if you want to win more money and become a better player.
Math is a crucial aspect of poker, but it can be difficult for beginners to understand. This book teaches you how to quickly estimate pot odds and equity, which will make your poker decisions easier.
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The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How To Think Like One by David Sklansky
Poker is a complicated game, and it takes a lot of time to master. But if you’re committed to learning more about the game, there are several books that can help you do just that.
One of the best poker books on the market is The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky, a professional poker player and well-known author. The book has remained on players must read lists for over a decade, and it has a proven track record for helping beginners improve their game.
The book covers a variety of advanced concepts that make professional players stand out from the crowd, such as raising, slow-play, position value, psychology, heads-up play, implied odds, game theory, and more. While the topics are familiar to anyone who’s played the game, Sklansky makes them interesting and easy to understand.
This book also discusses different strategies for a variety of game variations, including five-card draw (high), seven-card stud, hold ‘em, and razz (seven-card lowball stud). It also explores the fundamental theorem of poker, which is a must know for any player looking to succeed at the game.
This book also teaches how to exploit common mistakes made by opponents, such as calling too much or folding too much, bluffing too often, and more. It is a good resource for beginners who are interested in learning more about game theory, and it’s worth the price of the book.
Applications of No-Limit Hold’em by Andrew Brokos
Optimal play is a crucial component of poker theory, but not many players understand it. The good news is that you can learn it yourself, if you know where to look. Andrew Brokos, a poker pro and coach, has written an excellent book on the subject.
This book is a must read for any poker player who wants to improve their game. It explains some of the most important concepts in poker and shows how to apply them to real situations. It also includes a range of toy games to help you practice your skills.
Brokos teaches a variety of different techniques including bet sizing, equity denial, equity realization, balance, leverage, board coverage, and exploitative play. You’ll also learn how to construct the right ranges for every situation, making it easier to make smart decisions and increase your winnings.
You’ll also get to learn about a number of confusing concepts that you may not have heard of before, such as overbetting, donk betting, and check-raising as the preflop raiser. These strategies can significantly improve your overall results, even if you’re not the most expert player in the world.
The book also covers major adjustments in PKO play, including a shorthand way to decide on calling ranges, post flop play, and poker mindset issues unique to PKOs. It contains everything a Texas hold’em player needs to crush knockout tournaments.
Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book
Phil Gordon, a former commentator on Celebrity Poker Showdown and a World Poker Tour champion, has poured all his knowledge of the game into this Little Green Book. Taking a page from Harvey Penick’s bestselling golf book, Gordon gives the reader an in-depth look at his approach to playing No Limit Hold’em.
Gordon’s eloquent descriptions of his thinking process are a must read for any poker player looking to improve their game. Using philosophy, psychology, strategy, and the knowledge gleaned from playing with everyone from T. J. Cloutier and Phil Ivey to Hank Azaria and Ben Affleck, Gordon offers a unique look into the mind of a successful poker player.
A tour de force for any poker player, this book will be on your desk for years to come. Each lesson is presented in bite-sized pieces, often less than one page long. This makes it easy to pick up, pause, and reread.
Its enlightening instructional tidbits and illustrative anecdotes will inspire the kind of persistence and motivation necessary to become a better player. A book to rank with Doyle Brunson’s Super System and David Sklansky’s The Theory of Poker, Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book deserves a place on the shelf of every serious student of the game.
The sheer number of mathematical breakdowns in this book may be a turnoff for some, but the fact that Gordon takes the time to explain what each means is worth the price of admission. This is not the most comprehensive guide to no-limit hold’em, but it is a worthy addition to any poker library. Whether you’re an intermediate or advanced no-limit hold’em player, this book will help you improve your game and have fun doing it.
Doyle Brunson’s Super System
Doyle Brunson is a poker legend, with over 10 World Series of Poker bracelets to his name. He is also responsible for two of the most influential poker strategy books ever written. One is Super System, and the other is called Super System 2.
Although many people may think that these books are outdated because they were published a long time ago, they are still important for anyone who is interested in learning more about the game of poker. The first book was released in 1979 and has since become a classic in the field of poker strategy.
Super System is a 666-page counting piece of poker history that contains basic strategies for several different games. It’s a great resource for new players and is a must have for any serious player.
The book is divided into different chapters covering various poker variations, with each chapter written by a different expert. This is a good thing, as it means that the book will cover the basics of each game, without covering them too much.
However, the quality of the chapters can vary a lot, and some people may not like this. They might prefer a book that covers all of the variations of the game at once.
In addition to the chapters by Doyle Brunson, there are also chapters by other renowned poker pros. These include Mike Caro (draw), Chip Reese (seven-card stud), Joey Hawthorne (lowball), David Sklansky (Seven-card Stud Hi/Lo) and Bobby Baldwin (hold’em).
These poker superstars have written the chapters in this book so that you can learn the essential strategies and advanced play for their specialties, while providing no-nonsense winning advice on making money at the tables. They’ll teach you how to win at 7-card stud, draw poker, lowball, seven-card low stud (razz), high-low split, and the most popular game today, hold’em.
The Mental Game of Poker by Jared Tendler
The Mental Game of Poker is a must-have for anyone who plays poker regularly. While it’s not a poker strategy book, it does address some of the more common problems that can affect a poker player’s performance, such as tilt, variance, emotional control, confidence, and fear.
Tendler begins by dissecting the concept of “tilt,” which happens when a run of bad luck leaves a poker player feeling frustrated, angry, depressed, or otherwise overcome by emotion. Tilt can lead to bad decisions like calling hands you should call, bluffing when you shouldn’t, betting too much or folding too soon.
However, Tendler also discusses how a poker player can use this problem to his advantage, as well as how to manage and overcome it. He divides tilt into seven different types, including running bad tilt, injustice tilt, hate-losing tilt, mistake tilt, entitlement tilt, revenge tilt, and desperation tilt.
While this is a book that would be more suitable for stoic readers, the lessons and notes are valuable to any serious poker player. Especially since poker is one of the few games in which you can play perfectly and still lose.
This is a book that is best for players who are looking to improve their performance in the long term. I wouldn’t recommend it for recreational players, who probably won’t find much new information in this book.
Tendler’s experience in mental coaching for professional golfers has led to his ability to identify and address poker players’ mental issues. His approach is based on concepts that can be applied to other sports and aspects of life outside of the poker table, such as business and academics. He is a mental game coach for several professional poker players, and his expertise in these fields is evident in the material in The Mental Game of Poker.