Any successful poker player knows that work needs to be done. One can’t simply turn up at the table and expect to compete with players who have studied, practiced, and theorized for hours in their free time. To that end, here are four books that might just help increase a poker player’s chance of success (though, of course, luck will always play a major part in a win or loss).
Super System II
Doyle Brunson’s Super System II is an expansion of the original classic, updated with new authors and secrets from the world’s best. Brunson, himself a two-time World Series of Poker winner, is joined by Daniel Negreanu and Lyle Berman, among others.
The book explores the changes in the poker world since the advent of the internet (Negreanu being one of the prime beneficiaries of poker’s modern environment), and of course various tournament strategies and details on games like Triple Draw and No-Limit Hold’em. Brunson, the “Texas Dolly” is also author of three other books, including Poker Wisdom of a Champion.
Tribe of Mentors
Another book Negreanu contributed to was Tribe of Mentors, which looked at the mental models of poker giants (the others being Annie Duke, Fedor Holz, and Liv Boeree).
Negreanu occupies an interesting space in the poker world: the Canadian is just as capable of winning an online poker tournament as he is talking about mindfulness and meditation (topics that are discussed elsewhere in the book by experts in their respective fields, like David Lynch and Rick Rubin). It wouldn’t be surprising to read Negreanu discuss his health regime and workout schedule, then slip into a review of the latest pay by phone casinos. Similarly open-minded experts like comedian Patton Oswalt, designer Debbie Millman, and bestselling author Steven Pressfield offer counterintuitive takes, including why college students should become cowboys.
The Theory of Poker
Written by David Sklansky, this 1994 book is still considered a masterwork in poker strategy. Sklansky notes that beginner players sometimes ask what to do in a certain situation, when in truth there’s no “right” answer because that’s the wrong question – rather, players should ask what should be considered before determining what to do. Nolan Dalla, longtime media director of the World Series of Poker (WSOP), has called The Theory of Poker one of the best poker books ever written. Dalla says no serious poker player he has encountered has not read Sklansky’s work.
The author’s Hold ‘em Poker is another notable book, and has also been called a foundational text of the game. Sklansky was another of the contributors to Super System.
The Body Language of Poker
Also known as The Book of Tells, Mike Caro takes a look at the psychology and body language of poker, and is another of Dalla’s favourites. The original book (1984) was updated a decade later with deeper analysis. It may be more relevant to lower stakes games today, rather than a crucial read for modern high rollers, but this was a “groundbreaking work” in poker, according to Dallas, and is packed with 277 pages of information, explanations and photos.
Caro has written other books such as Caro’s Secrets of Winning Poker, Poker Without Cards, and Bobby Baldwin’s Winning Poker Secrets, all of which have received positive reviews and widespread interest in the poker playing community. He is referred to as a pioneer poker theorist. He has worked as a consultant to casinos and helped develop Poker Probe, an early commercial PC program that was developed for analyzing game situations.