Having a solid foundation when it comes to general poker strategy is a must. And there are loads of books on the market that do just that. However, discovering the book best-suited to your style of learning can be challenging. How can a newbie choose the right book to build that solid poker foundation? Find out which ones are the most popular and which ones are considered the most helpful.
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Harrington on Hold ’em, Volume I: Strategic Play : Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments
Dan Harrington & Bill Robertie (2004)
Hold'em Strategy
Ranked the No. 1 book for Hold'em Strategy
Harrington on Hold 'em, Expert Strategy for No-Limit Tournaments; Volume I: Strategic Play is the first of three books many people believe to be the most famous series of poker books ever written on No Limit Hold'em tournament play.
Despite being written over a decade ago, his books they still hold a tremendous amount of solid fundamental tournament information for a beginning player.
Buy this bookA Landmark book in its time which revolutionised tournament poker.
Super/System: A Course in Power Poker
Doyle Brunson (1978)
General Strategy
Ranked the No. 1 book for General Strategy
Doyle Brunson’s classic Super System is deemed to be the ‘bible’ of poker books by many professional poker players influenced by its contents. Brunson is the Godfather of Poker, and he emptied his mind onto paper when very few were doing so.
Super System contains strategy from a wide range of games taken from the minds of some of the greatest players in the history of the game. David Sklansky, Chip Reese, and Bobby Baldwin wrote chapters for the book. Amarillo Slim penned the preface.
Buy this bookThis is the classic which would be the yardstick for every poker book ever written. It's still a worthy read.
Every Hand Revealed
Gus Hansen (2008)
Hold'em Strategy
When Gus Hansen entered the 2007 Aussie Millions Main Event, he thought he would try something a little different. Armed with a dictaphone, Hansen recorded his summarisation of every significant hand he played. He then went on to win the thing for $1.1m, and a blockbuster of a book was born.
If you want to get into the mind of a player as he makes more moves than a bowl of jelly, then look no further.
Buy this bookThis is the book that probably helped me make the most money.
The Mathematics of Poker
Bill Chen & Jerrod Ankenman (2009)
General Strategy
If you want to become a serious long-term threat at the poker table, then you need to understand the mathematics of poker and nobody does it better than Bill Chen and Jerrod Ankenman.
It's a tome of a book. The chaptered concepts are not all easily digestible. However, it is THE go-to book for mathematics for the vast majority of professionals.
Buy this bookOne of the only books on the list that will always be relevant. A clear winner!
The Mental Game of Poker : Proven Strategies for Improving Tilt Control, Confidence, Motivation, Coping with Variance, and More
Jared Tendler & Barry Carter (2011)
Mindset
Ranked the No. 1 book for Mindset
You can be the greatest technical player on the planet and it won't matter one iota if you keep losing all of your money because of regular lapses of emotional control. Jared Tendler and Barry Carter understood this more than most and decided to write a book about it.
It's THE go-to book for professional poker players struggling to keep a lid on a broad range of emotional and mental issues affecting their game in a negative sense.
Tendler takes everything he learned from coaching professional golfers, mixed it with what he learned coaching professional poker players and voilà! A greater understand of the WHY behind our losses of emotional control and actions we can put in place to help reduce them.
Buy this bookLearning how the connection works between learning process, confidence, motivation, and fears not only saved my poker career but also changed my personal life and happiness drastically.
The Theory of Poker
David Sklansky (1994)
General Strategy
Nobody authored more books than David Sklansky in the Top 86, and The Theory of Poker was the most popular by far. It is right up there with Dan Harrington's Harrington on Hold’em Series and Doyle Brunson’s Super Series as one of the seminal works of poker literature.
The Theory of Poker is great because the fundamentals taught can be applied to any game, and his chapter on The Fundamental Theorem of Poker is one of the most famous of all time.
Buy this bookThe Old Testament.
Let There Be Range! : Crushing SSNL/MSNL No-Limit Hold’em Games
Cole South & Tri Nguyen (2008)
Hold'em Strategy
Amazon is offering the paperback version of this book for £1,310.54. But don't worry - delivery is free of charge. It was the first serious poker e-book to hit the market and the first to bring the theory of hand ranges to the minds of beginners.
It's also the highest ranking book for two players who made their fortunes playing online poker. I highly suggest begging a friend to give you their battered old copy.
Buy this bookOne of the most important books from one of the best players in poker's glory days.
Power Hold'em Strategy
Daniel Negreanu (2008)
General Strategy
Nobody in the history of the game has won more money playing live tournament poker than Daniel Negreanu, and back in 2008, he was willing to share his secrets with you, as were some of his friends aka Super System style.
Negreanu covered live tournament Hold'em strategy; Todd Brunson took care of the live cash game strategy; Erick Lindgren had a go at explaining the online games; Paul Wasicka looked after short-handed online games, and David Williams also weighed in with a chapter on mixing it up.
The most illuminating information hits you at the end where Negreanu shared his small ball strategy with the world for the first time.
Buy this bookVery solid ideas from the game's best players trying to lift the curtain on the deeper aspects of the game.
Super/System: A Course in Power Poker II
Doyle Brunson (2004)
General Strategy
Doyle Brunson returns 26-years later to produce his sequel to Super System. Once again, he brings with him an army of some of the most celebrated players in the history of the game.
Phil Hellmuth talks about Niche Poker, Jennifer Harman takes you through Limit Hold’em strategy, Bobby Baldwin covers Omaha 8-or-Better, his son Todd Brunson covers Seven Card Stud, and Daniel Negreanu gives you an insight into his Triple Draw game.
Just to show that Doyle kept up with the times there is an extensive section from the man himself on online poker.
Buy this bookEvery chapter is of good quality, but some are outstanding like Todd Brunson on Stud 8.
Applications Of No-Limit Hold’em
Matthew Janda (2013)
Hold'em Strategy
Applications Of No-Limit Hold'em by Matthew Janda (2013), is not a book for beginners. Instead, it's a book designed to help players who are already proficient in the art of No-Limit Hold'em become even better. It's that good; people have referred to it as the real poker blueprint. His discussion on equity calculations, hand range structures, and game theory optimal play is some of the best stuff on the market.
Buy this bookI definitely need to re-read this book, and likely more than once.
Moorman's Book of Poker
Chris Moorman & Byron Jacobs (2014)
Online Strategy
Ranked the No. 1 book for Online Strategy
Chris Moorman is the most successful online tournament poker player in the history of the game, with over $13.1m in earnings. In this book, Moorman analyses 80 hands played by co-author Byron Jacobs from various stages in online poker tournaments, sharing the thought processes that have made him such an icon in the game.
Buy this bookThere is not a book on the market that shares a deeper understanding of online tournaments than this one.
Harrington on Hold ’em, Volume II: The Endgame ; Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments
Dan Harrington & Bill Robertie (2005)
Tournament Strategy
Ranked the No. 1 book for Tournament Strategy
The second in Dan Harrington’s Harrington on Hold’em tournament series starts off where the first one ends. Harrington guides his readers through a variety of scenarios including how to make moves at the table, inflection points, and how to play short-handed and heads-up.
Buy this bookWhen starting out the Harrington on Hold’em Series helped me the most.
Kill Everyone : Advanced Strategies For No-Limit Hold ‘Em Poker, Tournaments, And Sit-N-Gos
Lee Nelson & Others (2008)
Tournament Strategy
Another excellent book covering all aspects, the Cadillac of Poker Kill Everyone includes early stage play, endgame strategies, and online short-handed No-Limit Hold'em cash games. The second edition also contains running commentary from Bertrand ‘ElkY' Grospellier.
Buy this bookThis is a great book with good information on bubble theory.
Play Poker Like the Pros
Phil Hellmuth (2003)
Hold'em Strategy
Play Poker Like the Pros by Phil Hellmuth is by my reckoning the only poker book to ever make it on the New York Times Bestseller List, and yet there wasn’t a book that even came close to dividing opinion like this one.
Some hated it, others loved it, but it reached the #14 rank because somewhere along the path of a professional poker player, it created a spark of inspiration that helped turned something mediocre into something special.
Buy this bookMy book helped bring millions of people into poker!
Elements of Poker
Tommy Angelo (2007)
Mindset
Elements of Poker takes the format of every poker book written before it, pours petrol on every page, and then sets them alight.
Angelo breaks down his poker philosophy into enough bite size chunks to always leave you wanting more. His sections on Table Poker are fantastic, his views on the Elements of Performance revolutionary, and all with a spiritual spine running through each piece of advice.
Buy this bookIt improved the less general strategic part of my game more than any other book.
Ace on the River
Barry Greenstein (2005)
General Strategy
For over a decade, Barry Greenstein has been handing people copies of Ace on the River each time they get lucky enough to eliminate him from competition, and do you know what? Nobody ever complains. It's an interesting and absorbing look into the philosophy of one of the most successful players in the game.
Buy this bookBarry shows the reader everything they need to know about the poker world.
Expert Heads Up No Limit Hold'em , Volume 1
Will Tipton (2012)
Heads Up Strategy
Ranked the No. 1 book for Heads Up Strategy
Expert Heads Up No Limit Hold'em, Volume 1 by Will Tipton is the highest rated Heads-Up book in our charts. His publisher D&B Publishing once told me that his manuscript was so great it could have gone straight into print - such was Tipton's attention to detail.
Buy this bookReading this book helped me figure out I had no clue what was going on, even though I thought I was a good player at the time.
Hold’em Poker for Advanced Players
David Sklansky & Mason Malmuth (1987)
Hold'em Strategy
Another one of the timeless classics of poker, this time, directed at the more advanced player Hold'em player. The book covers everything from tells, short-handed play, and even psychology. It is also one of the older books to be ranked so highly having been published nearly three decades ago.
Buy this bookThis book allowed me to start making a living at poker.
Harrington on Hold ’em, Volume III: The Workbook ; Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments
Dan Harrington & Bill Robertie (2006)
Tournament Strategy
The final instalment of Dan Harrington's seminal work on Hold'em tournament play. The first two books gave you all the knowledge you need to make a success playing No Limit Hold'em tournaments and this book puts theory into practice allowing you to work through 50 different scenarios involving some of the greatest players in the world.
Buy this bookThis third book in the series is my favorite because it takes the strategies from the first two books and plays them out in a tactical way.
Caro's Book of Tells , the Body Language and Psychology of Poker
Mike Caro (2005)
Psychology
Ranked the No. 1 book for Psychology
Mike Caro's Book of Tells is the highest-ranked book on the psychology of body language in the game of poker. The book covers classic tells such as when weak means strong, when strong means weak, and much more.
Buy this bookMy emotions are mixed, but my opinion is clear, this is the most influential poker book I have ever read.
Reading Poker Tells
Zachary Elwood (2012)
Psychology
Seven years after Mike Caro published his Book of Tells, Zachary Elwood pops up to give the whole philosophy a makeover. Judging by the feedback he did an excellent job.
This book does much more than create a list of tells. It teaches you what to do with the information gained, the importance of the situation, and covers the field of unconscious human behaviour.
Buy this bookElwood nails a few concepts down that haven't been brought to light elsewhere.
The Yoga of Poker
Andrew Lichtenberger (2015)
Mindset
The Yoga of Poker is short but very sweet. Andrew ‘luckychewy' Lichtenberger's views on spirituality and how to apply them to the game of poker are incredible. It's no coincidence that Lichtenberger went on to win the WPTAlpha8 event in Las Vegas earning $1.7m in the process not long after this book was released.
Buy this bookI'm so amazed of how much of a brilliant human being he is. So well rounded, so compassionate and so wise.
Winning Poker Tournaments - One Hand at a Time
Jon Turner, Eric Lynch, Jon Van Fleet (2008)
Hold'em Strategy
The great thing about Winning Poker Tournaments - One Hand at a Time is you get a look inside the mind of not one, but three great professionals. The book is very similar to Moorman’s Book of Poker in as much as the content is based on analysis of hands played by the authors.
Buy this bookNo Limit Hold’em : Theory and Practice
David Sklansky & Ed Miller (2006)
Hold'em Strategy
Another entry by the master David Sklansky, this time partnering with Ed Miller to dissect the game of No-Limit Hold’em covering technical, strategic, and psychological aspects of the game.
Buy this bookA great choose-your-own-adventure style for the poker tables that will have you finding the happy ending 95% of the time.
Big Deal : One Year as a Professional Poker Player
Anthony Holden (1992)
Biographical
Ranked the No. 1 book for Biographical
Biographer, Anthony Holden, gets stuck into the world of professional poker for a year and documents every single aspect of it. It’s a great story of life on the road detailing all the highs and the lows. This book is the highest-ranked biographical type book in the ratings.
Buy this bookA thrill ride read through the high and lows of poker, regarding money and emotion, and is highly entertaining.
Excelling at No-Limit Hold'em
Jonathan Little (2015)
Hold'em Strategy
Jonathan Little is the most active author of poker books in the market today. His most recent book, Excelling at No-Limit Hold'em, goes back to the collective theme of instructional chapters written by some of the great authors who appear in this list of influential books including; Phil Hellmuth, Will Tipton, and Zachary Elwood.
Buy this bookThis is a book that will not only transform your game but also transform your life in a big way.
Zen and the Art of Poker
Larry W. Phillips (1999)
General Strategy
One of the first poker books to be written in an entirely different language than what went before it. The book's spiritual core was revolutionary 17 years ago, and is very apt today, as the top professionals start to find an edge in this part of their game.
Buy this bookA book that strays outside the norm which makes it a unique gem and one of the best poker books I've ever read.
Raiser's Edge
Bertrand Grospellier (2011)
Hold'em Strategy
Bertrand ‘ElkY' Grospellier caused quite a storm when he arrived on the poker scene from the world of professional video gaming and swept title after title under his rug. Here he is joined by Tony Dunst, Lee Nelson, and Tysen Streib to give you an insight into how he managed it.
Buy this bookThis book is one of the original masterpieces in the tournament poker realm.
Shut Up and Deal
Jesse May (1998)
Fiction
Ranked the No. 1 book for Fiction
Jesse May rose to prominence in the late nineties after he accidentally became the lead commentator for the poker show that began it all: Late Night Poker. May would go on to have a tremendous career as a commentator. But Shut Up & Deal proves that he was also an excellent writer and storyteller. This is entertaining poker fiction at its best. Or was it fiction? You decide.
Buy this bookThe definitive poker novel. A masterpiece that could only be written by a rare talent that lived every minute of this journey.
The Biggest Game in Town
Al Alvarez (1982)
Biographical
The Biggest Game in Town is a sought after cult classic that delves into the world of High Stakes Poker in Las Vegas, most notably the 1981 WSOP. If you want to get a deeper understanding of strategy, then buy a different book. If you want to understand the characters who play the beautiful game and love a thrilling ride, then this is for you.
Buy this bookFor me there is The Biggest Game in Town and then everything else.
Devilfish : The Life & Times of a Poker Legend
Dave Ulliot (2010)
Biographical
Devilfish: The Life & Times of a Poker Legend is the biography of one of the most important, influential, and controversial poker players in the history of poker. It's a riveting read that fans of Dave Ulliot will love.
Buy this bookAnother entertaining read, if you like poker and bad boys!
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One of a Kind : The Rise and Fall of Stuey "the Kid" Ungar
Nolan Dalla (2005)
Biographical
The first authorized biography of Stuey Ungar, a young man many believe to have been one of the most gifted poker players of all time. Ungar won the WSOP Main Event three times and was reported to have earned over $30m, before being found dead in a cheap Las Vegas motel at the age of 45, with only $800 to his name.
Buy this bookA fascinating story of a great gambler for the time.
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The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide
Michael Craig (2007)
Tournament Strategy
Long before Full Tilt Poker was found to be a Ponzi scheme that robbed people of millions of dollars, a group of the players who represented the online poker room, created one of the best poker strategy books of that generation.
The likes of Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, and Andy Boch wrote about No-Limit Hold'em tournament strategy; Mike Matusow helped with the Omaha strategy, and Huck Seed chimed in with a few wise words on Razz.
Buy this bookAmongst some mediocre articles is some of the best stuff ever written on poker - Chris Ferguson’s chapter on Play After the Flop as an example.
The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King : Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time
Michael Craig (2006)
Biographical
A brilliant and compelling insight into one of the most famous high limit poker games of all time, when a group of professional poker players took on the billionaire banker Andy Beal in a series of heads-up Limit Hold’em matches. The poker players dubbed their alliance The Corporation. Players involved were Doyle and Todd Brunson, Chip Reese, Barry Greenstein and Jennifer Harman.
Buy this bookI'll never forget when I have played with Andy Beal and the moments leading up to it, all I could think about was this book.
Kill Phil
Blair Rodman & Lee Nelson (2009)
Tournament Strategy
This book tries to even the playing field by handing the amateur all the tools, tricks, and talent, to take down the professionals at their own game. You will learn beginner strategies, intermediate strategies and advanced strategies, along with some decent appendices covering all aspects of No-Limit Hold'em tournament play.
Buy this bookGave me a significant insight as to how other players at that time may have been making decisions.
Seven-Card Stud for Advanced Players
David Sklansky, Mason Malmuth, Ray Zee (1989)
Mixed Games Strategy
Ranked the No. 1 book for Mixed Games Strategy
Seven-Card Stud for Advanced Players was the highest ranking book specifically tailored to a game other than No-Limit Hold’em. The book is easy to read and has enough depth and layers to help and assist players of all levels of the game.
Buy this bookThis book inspired me to think hard about 7-Card Stud while nobody was paying attention to it.
The Mental Game Of Poker 2 : Proven Strategies For Improving Poker Skill, Increasing Mental Endurance, And Playing In The Zone Consistently
Jared Tendler & Barry Carter (2013)
Mindset
The Mental Game of Poker 2 wasn’t necessarily a sequel to the Mental Game of Poker. Instead, Jared Tendler and Barry Carter amassed so much important information; they had no choice but to break down their concepts into two books. It doesn’t carry the same powerful punch as the first, but the mental game concepts laid out are equally as important.
Buy this bookTournament Poker for Advanced Players : Expanded Edition
David Sklansky (2007)
Hold'em Strategy
Tournament Poker for Advanced Players does what it says on the tin. It assumes the reader has a grasp of the fundamentals of poker and then introduces the theory and strategies needed to succeed in tournament poker including written opinion on the idea of going broke, how chips change value throughout the tournament, and the gap concept.
Buy this bookThere were things that I had learnt, but I didn't know what they were or how to articulate them so when I read this book it was an immediate validation of my thoughts.
DUCY? Exploits, Advice, and Ideas of the Renowned Strategist
David Sklansky & Alan Schoonmacher (2010)
Biographical
DUCY is an acronym born on the 2+2 Forum where David Sklansky used to use the phrase “Do You See Why?” when trying to help people understand concepts on strategy.
The book reads like an autobiography as Sklansky airs his views on all things poker. If you love of problem-solving, then you will revel inside the mind of one of poker's true masters.
Buy this bookOverall interesting gambling and non-gambling applicable strategies of thinking.
Championship No-Limit & Pot-Limit Hold’em
Tom McEvoy & T.J. Cloutier (2004)
Hold'em Strategy
Another classic book focusing on No-Limit Hold'em, only, this time, we also get some insight into how to play the derivative known as Pot-Limit Hold'em. The authors are both members of the Poker Hall of Fame with 10 WSOP bracelets between them and over $12m in live tournament earnings.
Buy this bookThese are two of the Top 10 best overall competition players. If it comes to you over the many years, then you must be doing something worth reading about.
Lost Vegas : The Redneck Riviera, Existentialist Conversations with Strippers, and the World Series of Poker
Paul McGuire (2010)
Biographical
If Hunter S. Thompson had found a job blogging about poker, then he would have ended up getting in some of the same scrapes that Pauly McGuire writes about in this book. It's a funny, honest, and raw look at what happens when the final card is dealt at the WSOP.
Buy this bookPauly has a really interesting way of looking at the game. I read this after having joined the WSOP broadcast, so it was surreal to read about the world I was living in.
For Richer, For Poorer : Confessions of a Player
Victoria Coren (2010)
Biographical
A look into the life of the first person to win two EPT Main Event titles, Victoria Coren-Mitchell. From her first forays into the casino, her time with the Hendon Mob, and her first EPT Main Event victory in her own backyard, this was a riveting and beautiful tale of life beyond the felt.
Buy this bookI love that this book is about a woman in poker who is full of determination and emotion in such an honest and transparent way.
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Positively Fifth Street
James McManus (2004)
Biographical
A story within a story when the author, James McManus, agrees to head to the World Series of Poker, on behalf of Harper's Magazine. The aim is to look at the event from the female's perspective, and also cover the murder of Ted Binion, but he wins a satellite into the Main Event and makes the final table.
Buy this bookA great read that really captured the excitement & the optimism of poker as we hit boom-time.
42
Verbal Poker Tells
Zachary Elwood (2014)
Psychology
Zachary Elwood's second book to hit the Most Influential Poker Book charts, this time, focusing on a subject not covered as intensively as it should be: verbal poker tells.
Buy this book43
Harrington on Cash Games Volume I. ; How to Win at No-Limit Hold ’em Money Games
Dan Harrington & Bill Robertie (2008)
Cash Game Strategy
Ranked the No. 1 book for Cash Game Strategy
The authors of the #1 Most Influential Poker Book of all time are back, this time with a two volume series looking at the nuances of the cash game scene.
Buy this bookTrue sickos were already way ahead of those books by the time the book was published, But great springboard to putting it all together.
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Winning in Tough Hold ’em Games ; Short-Handed and High-Stakes Concepts and Theory for Limit Hold ’em
Nick Grudzien & Geoff Herzog (2007)
Hold'em Strategy
Another great Hold'em tournament strategy guide, this time, focusing on the Limit Hold'em version of the game. The authors cover everything from the typical opponents you can expect to find at different limits, strategy across all streets, and some quizzes to your understanding of their teachings.
Buy this bookVery helpful with starting hand ranges. It also gave me a few moves at a time when I was playing the highest stakes LHE ring and HU games on the internet.
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Winning Low Limit Hold’em
Lee Jones (2005)
Hold'em Strategy
Lee Jones’s book on winning at lower limits is a great gift to give to anybody looking to take their game from beginner to the world beyond. Too complicated for the absolute beginner, and too simple for the skilled professional, it finds that nice niche where players are looking to learn more.
Buy this bookAnother important book early in my career to learn to beat live Limit Hold'em games - back when reading books was my #1 way to improve in poker.
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Treat Your Poker Like a Business
Dusty Schmidt (2009)
General Strategy
The business side of poker doesn’t only apply to professional poker players. Poker is a game that’s ostensibly played for money. Therefore, it’s critical that, ‘poker money’ is cared for and nurtured along with all your other living expenses. This book still stands alone as one-of-a-kind when it comes to this important concept.
Buy this bookThe first of its kind for the internet generation; this book helped players to view the job more seriously.
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The Tao of Poker
Larry W. Phillips (1999)
General Strategy
The second Larry W. Phillips book to hit the Most Influential Poker Book charts and another timeless classic. This beautifully written book contains 285 nuggets that will transform your game.
Buy this bookThe best poker book I've ever read hands down. No stone left unturned; Larry covered it all.
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What Every BODY is Saying : An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-reading People
Joe Navarro (2008)
Psychology
If you want to become a great poker player, then you have to master the art of non-verbal communications. Who better to go to for advice than a former FBI Agent whose skills in determining the tweaks, twinges and tells of humanity were so highly attuned.
Buy this bookWhen stressed or nervous, people will cleanse their palms on their laps to pacify themselves That alone helps me tremendously with reading people while playing.
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The Education of a Poker Player
Herbert O. Yardley (1957)
Biographical
The Education of a Poker Player is the oldest book to appear in the list of most influential books. In this autobiography Herbert O. Yardley, chief of US codebreakers during both World Wars teaches you how to play poker by example.
Buy this bookIt's the first serious poker book with some strategy that still holds up 60 years later. It's a classic and deserves to be read by every student of the game.
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Small Stakes Hold ‘em : Winning Big With Expert Play
Ed Miller, David Sklansky, Mason Malmuth (2004)
Hold'em Strategy
The most experienced poker authors of them all are back, this time dissecting the small stakes Hold'em games. Described as the ‘definitive guide to crushing looser games and amateur opponents' the book covered a range of street-by-street tactics, as well as providing a series of hand quizzes at the end of the book.
Buy this bookProfessional No-Limit Hold ’em : Volume I
Matt Flynn, Sunny Mehta, Ed Miller (2007)
Hold'em Strategy
A book about No-Limit Hold’em that tries to teach you to think like the pros who grind a living from this form of poker. The book is divided into five major sections: The Basics, The Fundamentals, The REM process, Planning Hands Around Commitment and Planning in Practice.
Buy this book47
According to Doyle
Doyle Brunson (1987)
Biographical
According to Doyle never gained the attention that Super System I & II did, but it still garnered enough votes to make it into out Most Influential list. The book is a series of anecdotes and advice from a lifetime of poker including dissecting bad habits, and guidance on how to act on and away from the tables
Buy this book47
Unmasking the Face : A Guide to Recognizing Emotions from Facial Clues
Paul Ekman (2015)
Psychology
Another excellent book that focuses purely on physical tells Unmasking the Face: A Guide to Recognizing Emotions from Facial Clues by Paul Ekman contains a series of photographs with associated descriptions on a series of emotional cues such as fear, anger, and facial deceit.
Buy this bookIt is much easier to inhibit what you reveal in your words than what you reveal in your face . For this fact alone, I usually don't try to solicit verbal information at the table I use their face to tell me their hand.
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Mastering Pot-limit Omaha : The Modern Aggressive Approach
Herbert Okolowitz & Wladimir Taschner (2014)
Omaha Strategy
Ranked the No. 1 book for Omaha Strategy
Mastering Pot-Limit Omaha: The Modern Aggressive Approach is the first Omaha book to get a peek in the Most Influential Book charts. The book teaches you how to use aggression to your advantage in the most aggressive of games.
Buy this bookThis book helped me transition from No Limit Hold’em to Pot Limit Omaha quite well.
Harrington on Cash Games Volume II : How to Win at No-Limit Hold ‘em Money Games
Dan Harrington & Bill Robertie (2008)
Cash Game Strategy
The final volume in the highly acclaimed Cash Game series by Dan Harrington & Bill Robertie focuses on Turn and River play in a live cash game setting.
Buy this bookI didn’t read too many books except for the Harrington ones. I learned everything else in battle.
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Strategies For Beating Small Stakes Poker Tournaments
Jonathan Little (2015)
Hold'em Strategy
Strategies For Beating Small Stakes Poker Tournaments is the second book by Jonathan Little to appear in the Most Influential Poker Books charts. This time, Little focuses on strategies he has used to beat small stakes poker tournaments in a self-published eBook format.
Buy this book49
Easy Game : Making Sense of No Limit Hold'Em 3rd Edition: Adaptations
Andrew Seidman (2011)
General Strategy
Andrew ‘BalugaWhale’ Seidman is one of the foremost experts on winning a ton of cash playing online poker games. It is a classic book for the newer generation of player.
Buy this book49
The Godfather of Poker
Doyle Brunson (2009)
Biographical
Here is the fourth book of Doyle Brunson's to appear in the Most Influential Poker Books list. The Godfather of Poker is the autobiography of the most prominent poker player in history. You learn it all in this book: how he was pistol whipped during his early days, his battles with cancer, and his WSOP Main Event triumphs.
Buy this book50
Heads-Up No-Limit Hold ’Em
Collin Moshman (2014)
Heads Up Strategy
Heads-Up No-Limit Hold 'Em by Collin Moshman is the second book that focuses on Heads-Up to make it into the Most Influential Book list. Moshman is a great coach and voracious producer of poker strategy content. In this book, he uses hand examples and accompanying theory to help improve a critical part of any poker player's game.
Buy this bookThis is the best heads-up book I’ve seen and contains some excellent discussion on general poker fundamentals.
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Pot-Limit & No-Limit Poker
Stewart Reuben & Bob Ciaffone (1999)
Hold'em Strategy
A great big bet poker book for lovers of Pot Limit and No Limit formats. Stewart Reuben and Rob Ciaffone cover Hold’em, Omaha, Lowball Draw, Seven Card Stud, and London Lowball in a book that is best read by medium to advanced players.
Buy this bookAn excellent book that helped me learn concepts to beat big bet poker early in my career.
51
High-Low-Split Poker : Seven-Card Stud and Omaha Eight- or-Better, for Advanced Players
Ray Zee (1992)
Mixed Games Strategy
One of the few mixed game strategy books that made the Top 59. Ray Zee provides you with tips and advice on how to thrive in High-Low derivatives such as Seven Card Stud and Omaha Eight-or-Better.
Buy this bookIt was a decent book in an under-covered area, especially his views on when to get out of a hand.
51
Amarillo Slim In A World Full Of Fat People : The Memoirs of the Greatest Gambler Who Ever Lived
Thomas 'Amarillo Slim' Preston (2001)
Biographical
A memoir from one of the greatest players to have ever played poker.
Buy this bookIncredible stories.
52
Phil Gordon's Little Green Book : Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'em
Phil Gordon (2006)
Tournament Strategy
Phil Gordon is more likely to be found launching a successful start-up these days, but there was a time when his poker books were as popular as anything ever written.
Buy this bookI think this is one of the must-reads for a beginner to intermediate level player who wants to strengthen their game.
Harrington on Modern Poker Tournaments
Dan Harrington & Bill Robertie (2014)
Tournament Strategy
The dynamic duo is back, this time, to see if they have what it takes to dissect modern tournament poker. It's the sixth book from the pair to make it into the Top 59.
Buy this book54
52 Great Poker Tips : At Home, Tournament And Online
Lou Krieger (2007)
Hold'em Strategy
52 poker tips on how to win playing Texas No-Limit Hold’em in a variety of formats, including live and online play. The tips also cover tournament and cash games, as well as Fixed-Limit, Limit and Pot-Limit action.
Buy this book54
Poker Tilt
Dutch Boyd (2014)
Biographical
The sensational biography of the three-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Dutch Boyd, a man who has won and lost millions playing against the world’s best players for close to two decades.
Buy this book55
Cowboys Full : The Story of Poker
James McManus (2010)
Biographical
Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker is the second book by James McManus to appear in the Top 59 (#42 Positively Fifth Street). This time, he shelves the biographical work to bring you a history of one of the most popular games every created.
Buy this book55
More Hold'em Wisdom for All Players
Daniel Negreanu (2008)
Hold'em Strategy
The sequel to Hold'em Wisdom for All Players sees Daniel Negreanu outline a further 50 powerful tips that will make you a winning player.
Buy this book55
Read 'em and Reap
Joe Navarro (2012)
Psychology
Former FBI counter-intelligence officer, Joe Navarro, using all of his skills and experience to help poker players interpret the body language of their opponent’s.
Buy this book55
Way of the Poker Warrior
Paul Hoppe (2010)
General Strategy
Paul Hoppe, a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwon-Do, uses the martial arts narrative to dissect the game of poker in a way that has never before hit the pages of a poker book.
Buy this bookAn underrated but good instructional book that will help both your overall strategy as well as your mental game.
55
Pass The Sugar
Joe Hachem (2009)
Biographical
The autobiography of the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Joe Hachem.
Buy this bookBeing a close friend to Joe, I was excited to read this biography and gain further insight into such a generous and caring family man.
56
The Course : Serious Hold ‘Em Strategy For Smart Players
Ed Miller (2015)
Hold'em Strategy
Ed Miller takes a look at the saying in the golf world that ‘you don’t worry about the other players, you just play the course,’ and applies that principle to poker in this cracking read.
Buy this book56
Hold'em Wisdom for All Players
Daniel Negreanu (2007)
Hold'em Strategy
The first of two books written by Daniel Negreanu offering 50 powerful tips that will make you a winning poker player.
Buy this bookI picked this up one after I starting to take my game more seriously knowing he was a ‘big name' and found it to be easy to read for someone who wants to take their ‘fun home game' play to the next level.
56
Poker Tournament Formula
Arnold Snyder (2006)
Tournament Strategy
Arnold Synder’s shares his strategies that will help you win No-Limit Hold’em tournaments.
Buy this book56
How Good is Your Pot-Limit Omaha?
Stewart Reuben (2004)
Omaha Strategy
This is one of three Omaha books to make the Top 59, and the second entry from Stewart Reuben (#50 Pot Limit & No Limit Poker).
Buy this book57
Secrets of Short-handed Pot-Limit Omaha
Rolf Slotboom & Rob Hollink (2009)
Omaha Strategy
A look at short-handed Pot-Limit Omaha games by two of the Netherlands finest.
Buy this bookOmaha is the game everyone wants to play and this is a must read if you want to improve your basic game.
57
Sit ’n Go Strategy ; Expert Advice for Beating One-Table Poker Tournaments
Collin Moshman (2007)
Sit n Go Strategy
Ranked the No. 1 book for Sit n Go Strategy
The only book on Sit n Go strategies to makes it into the Top 59. Collin Moshman is a valued author and poker coach. This was his second entry in the Top 59 (#50 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em).
Buy this bookA great way for new players to learn while breaking even or slightly winning as a novice.
57
Internet Texas Hold’em : Winning Strategies from an Internet Pro
Matthew Hilger (2003)
Hold'em Strategy
One of the earliest strategy books teaching players how to beat online poker games.
Buy this book58
Life's a Gamble
Mike Sexton (2016)
Biographical
Released in 2016, Poker Hall of Famer, Mike Sexton’s autobiography is the most recently written book to make the Top 59.
Buy this book58
Don’t Listen To Phil Hellmuth : Correcting The 50 Worst Pieces Of Poker Advice
Dusty Schmidt & Paul Hoppe (2012)
General Strategy
In this innovative little cracker, Dusty Schmidt and Paul Hoppe take 50 of the worst pieces of advice from the older pros and expose the holes in the theory.
Buy this book58
Secrets of Professional Tournament Poker I
Jonathan Little (2011)
Tournament Strategy
Another entry from the voracious author that is Jonathan Little, this time sharing his secrets on the most popular poker game in the world.
Buy this bookI feel he held back some of the secrets here, but still a good treatment of tournament NLHE.
59
Poker For Dummies
Poker For Dummies Series (2000)
General Strategy
The classic ‘For Dummies’ series even makes it into the Most Influential Poker Books charts.
Buy this book59
Check-Raising the Devil
Mike Matusow, Amy Calistri, Tim Lavalli (2009)
Biographical
An autobiography from one of the most controversial and colourful characters in the game.
Buy this bookA fun read about {Mike} Matusow’s life.
59
Middle Limit Holdem Poker
Bob Ciaffone (2002)
General Strategy
Bob Ciaffone’s second entry into the Top 56 (#50 Pot-Limit & No-Limit Hold’em). He once again shares his secrets and strategies in the game that everyone wants to play.
Buy this book