Poker Books Worth Reading

While poker can be a fun and potentially profitable game, most players don’t achieve success without a great deal of practice. The best way to gain experience is by playing countless hands against increasingly tough competition, but reading about the subject can also be helpful. Luckily, numerous books about poker have been written, and the explosion in popularity over the last decade has only added to the choices available.

In this article, we’ll be looking at some of the top books about poker. While the description of each work will be brief, it should serve to give you an idea of what to expect.

Harrington on Hold ‘em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Play (by Dan Harrington) – Winner of the 1995 World Series of Poker, Harrington also reached the final table in 2003 and 2004. In this book, he teaches readers how to vary their style of play, react to bad cards, optimize betting patterns, and much more.

Doyle Brunson’s Super System: A Course in Power Poker (by Doyle Brunson) – This book from the legendary Brunson was one of the first serious works on the subject of poker, and Super System remains a best-seller decades after its initial publication. It covers several types of games, from lowball and draw poker to 7-card stud and Hold ‘em. He also has a number of colleagues who chime in with advice, including Chip Reese, David Sklansky, and Bobby Baldwin.

The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How to Think Like One (by David Sklansky) – Winner of three WSOP bracelets and author of over a dozen books on gambling, Sklansky covers bluffing, slow-play, position, heads-up play, raising, and the importance of the Fundamental Theorem of Poker. You can expect even the most complicated concepts to be covered in an accurate and easy-to-understand manner.

Winning Low-Limit Hold’em (by Lee Jones) – In addition to writing about poker, Jones also served as the cardroom manager for a leading online gambling site. First written in 1994, this book has become one of the most respected texts on playing low-limit versions of Hold’em. The concepts discussed are basic, but they’re also vital to winning consistently.

Internet Texas Hold’em: Winning Strategies from an Internet Pro (by Matthew Hilger) – Author of multiple books on poker, Hilger holds Master’s degrees in Finance and International Business. He’s also a successful player, having racked up big wins at online and land-based casinos. This book focuses on Internet poker, and all the basic concepts of the game are covered. The difference between live and Internet poker makes for a fascinating read, plus you’ll get to see Hilger put his theories to the test in over 200 hands of online play.

Reading one of the top books about poker won’t guarantee that you’ll win at the game, but it will help improve your chances. Poker is a strategic game that can hinge on a well-timed strategy, and the authors of these books have years of experience at making the right plays.