5 Poker Books You Must Read
If you are just starting into the world of poker, you might realize that it’s not only fun, but it could be lucrative if you take it more seriously. As a new player, you might figure some things out and win some money without much training or reading, but if you have any desire of hitting the bigger tables and making 2k to 5k a month, then you need to learn from the best and these books can help grow some fundamental skills.
1. Harrington on Hold’em (2004) - Dan Harrington
These books focus on no-limit tournaments and are some of the best you can read for tournament poker, which is very useful for online players. Dan Harrington teaches how to play through the different stages of the tournament and adjust your play for each blind level. The book dives into details about strategies and tactics, providing insightful poker quotes from the author himself. You will learn how to think about starting hands, poker positions, how to exploit to your advantage, how to react to other player styles, among other valuable tips.
This book alone will not provide all of the tips a beginner needs, and some of the text might be written for more experienced players, but you will get the hang of the teachings if you play as you read.
2. Playing The Player (2012) - Ed Miller
So, there are two views on the game of poker. You play against the game of cards, or you play against the player. Another way to put this, most people focus on improving themselves and their skills: when to call and how much to bet to win the hand, but poker is a game of players, and you are playing against other individuals of different skill levels. This book teaches how to adjust to other players’ styles and tendencies and exploit their weaknesses or beware of their strengths. Ed Miller points out what to look for and how to react accordingly. You will learn to identify styles, use a strategy against them, profile opponents, spot weaknesses, and attack.
3. Elements of Poker (2007) - Tommy Angelo
This is a different type of book in the sense it teaches no poker strategy, Maria Ho once mentioned this book as one of her favorites. The focus is not on learning to play poker but instead improving your style of play. Every player can achieve their best performance from time to time but lose it more often than not. The book’s goal is to teach how to remain at your very best and always remain profitable. It elevates your understanding of the game beyond pot odds, position, and EV, going into Tilt issues, profiting from knowledge, and approaching the game from different angles.
4. Theory of Poker (1983) - David Sklansky
This is a must-read for any novice or intermediate player. This publication is considered the initial text that got many people into playing innovative poker, published by the poker publication company Two Plus Two back in the ’80s. The book explains several basic strategies and theories that had never been written about before. It teaches poker variations and concepts like bluffing, psychology, odds, position, and others. A starting guide for someone that barely knows what poker is. It was published in 1983, but most of the information is still applicable in the game today.
5. Essential Poker Math, Expanded Edition - Alton Hardin
Mathematics is a big part of playing poker the right way. You need to calculate pot odds, implied odds, expected value or EV, poker outs, among others. Math might be the most boring of poker skills to some, but mastering both the psychology and mathematics of the game is what’s going to give you real leverage. The latest version of the book has been expanded to include cash games.
There are more books about poker than you can imagine. Some other titles you should read are: Kill Everyone (2007) by Lee Nelson, Ace on the River (2005) by Barry Greenstein, and Applications of No-Limit Hold Em (2013) by Matthew Janda. Any novice player should begin applying these strategies, tips, and knowledge on real money poker online. Begin with $1 tournaments where you will counter mostly novices without much education, but serious enough, they will not go all-in all the time. From the $5 tables onward, the game becomes more experienced, so you can use it as your level system to know your level.
1. Harrington on Hold’em (2004) - Dan Harrington
These books focus on no-limit tournaments and are some of the best you can read for tournament poker, which is very useful for online players. Dan Harrington teaches how to play through the different stages of the tournament and adjust your play for each blind level. The book dives into details about strategies and tactics, providing insightful poker quotes from the author himself. You will learn how to think about starting hands, poker positions, how to exploit to your advantage, how to react to other player styles, among other valuable tips.
This book alone will not provide all of the tips a beginner needs, and some of the text might be written for more experienced players, but you will get the hang of the teachings if you play as you read.
2. Playing The Player (2012) - Ed Miller
So, there are two views on the game of poker. You play against the game of cards, or you play against the player. Another way to put this, most people focus on improving themselves and their skills: when to call and how much to bet to win the hand, but poker is a game of players, and you are playing against other individuals of different skill levels. This book teaches how to adjust to other players’ styles and tendencies and exploit their weaknesses or beware of their strengths. Ed Miller points out what to look for and how to react accordingly. You will learn to identify styles, use a strategy against them, profile opponents, spot weaknesses, and attack.
3. Elements of Poker (2007) - Tommy Angelo
This is a different type of book in the sense it teaches no poker strategy, Maria Ho once mentioned this book as one of her favorites. The focus is not on learning to play poker but instead improving your style of play. Every player can achieve their best performance from time to time but lose it more often than not. The book’s goal is to teach how to remain at your very best and always remain profitable. It elevates your understanding of the game beyond pot odds, position, and EV, going into Tilt issues, profiting from knowledge, and approaching the game from different angles.
4. Theory of Poker (1983) - David Sklansky
This is a must-read for any novice or intermediate player. This publication is considered the initial text that got many people into playing innovative poker, published by the poker publication company Two Plus Two back in the ’80s. The book explains several basic strategies and theories that had never been written about before. It teaches poker variations and concepts like bluffing, psychology, odds, position, and others. A starting guide for someone that barely knows what poker is. It was published in 1983, but most of the information is still applicable in the game today.
5. Essential Poker Math, Expanded Edition - Alton Hardin
Mathematics is a big part of playing poker the right way. You need to calculate pot odds, implied odds, expected value or EV, poker outs, among others. Math might be the most boring of poker skills to some, but mastering both the psychology and mathematics of the game is what’s going to give you real leverage. The latest version of the book has been expanded to include cash games.
There are more books about poker than you can imagine. Some other titles you should read are: Kill Everyone (2007) by Lee Nelson, Ace on the River (2005) by Barry Greenstein, and Applications of No-Limit Hold Em (2013) by Matthew Janda. Any novice player should begin applying these strategies, tips, and knowledge on real money poker online. Begin with $1 tournaments where you will counter mostly novices without much education, but serious enough, they will not go all-in all the time. From the $5 tables onward, the game becomes more experienced, so you can use it as your level system to know your level.
