Books About Poker

Poker playing has become a very popular pass time all around the world. People play poker for different reasons; there are those that play for simple fun. They like to kick back with their friends, smoke cigars and relate with one another as they play the game. Then there are those that are out to win and win big at playing poker. This is why there are hundreds of poker rooms online that cater to these people. Poker is all about winning; there is no question about that. That is why there are many books that have been written to try and help individuals that want to improve on their poker skills. There are over 500 poker books in the market right now all of which give tips on the best way to win at poker, and there are those that are targeted at beginners and they seek to help them to become winning players in no time at all. I shall tackle a few of the more popular books.

“Psychology of Poker” by Alan Schoonmaker

The author of this book has a Ph.D. in psychology. This is one of the greatest poker books that a poker player can possess. It seeks to explain the psychology behind the game of poker and why players play the way they do. Although it does not touch on the basic skills that are necessary to play poker, it gives all the information about what a player needs to know to become a champion at the game. The advice given here is based on scientific evidence that is quantifiable. The book is concise and easy to understand. The book offers advice on how to read the players that are in a particular game and then how to make strategic adjustments that will help you to win that hand. The book is ideal for an intermediate poker player; this book will help you become an expert player in no time.

“The Book of Bluffs” by Matt Lessinger

In simple terms, this book gives tips on how to bluff your way into winning a hand. If you wish to learn how to bluff, when to bluff and who to bluff, then this is the book for you. It shows a poker player how to get their opponent to fold even when they have a strong winning hand. Bluffing is all about the correct timing; it allows you to win a hand even when you have an inferior hand. This book is ideal for rigid, mathematical players who are all about counting cards; it will help them to take their game to the next level. The book is well priced and is therefore accessible to any poker player.

“Holdem Poker for Advanced Players” by David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth

Texas Hold ‘em is one of the more difficult poker games to play. There are many concepts that need to be balanced in this game some of which will contradict each other on occasion. This book offers ideas about how to become an expert at the game. This book requires one to have discipline to get all the concepts needed to become an expert at this game. Some of the concepts covered include; reading hands, how to induce a bluff, play on the first two cards and desperation bets among others. This book will give anyone who wants to become an expert at hold ‘em poker a good head start. It offers a wealth of information that is well written and easy to understand.

“Harrington on Hold ‘em Expert Strategy for No limit Tournaments Vol.1: Strategic play” by Dan Harrington and Bill Robertie

Dan Harrington, the author of this book, was the poker world champion in 1995. It is no secret that no limit hold ‘em is a complex game; this book seeks to simplify that complexity. This book is a learning book that encompasses both the theory and real case studies about the game of no limit hold ‘em. The authors then provide answers for every problem that has been set forth as well as the appropriate explanations. This book is ideal for players that play in poker tournaments in a formal format like a casino or card room events.

“Winning Low Limit Holdem” by Lee Jones

This book is ideal for beginners at the game of Low limit hold ‘em. If you wish to learn how to play this game, then this is the book for you; it will help you to become a top hold ‘em player before you realize what is happening. It should be everyone’s first Texas hold ‘em book. It is a very easy book to read that will take only a few days to finish reading. It recommended that you read the book more than once so as to grasp all the concepts and fully digest them. The best part of this book is that it has sections on questions and answers that will help you to find out whether you have understood the material.

“Every Hand Revealed” by Gus Hansen

The author of this book is a professional poker player and has won millions of dollars from playing poker. This book is ideal for poker tournament players. In his book, Gus Hansen outlines each move that he made during the Aussie Millions event in 2007 that won him $1.2 million. This book teaches you how to be aggressive and the value of figuring out the odds. He also seeks to explain how to get a player to fold and the importance of antes in each game. This book gives the poker player an insight about the thinking of a poker genius.

“The theory of Poker” by David Sklansky

It is geared toward getting a poker player to think about his plays and discover why he plays the way that he plays. It seeks to get each player to think about what they consider about a card playing situation before they decide what their move will be. This books touches on every form of poker that there is but does not specialize in any. The author wants the player to discover that winning at poker is all about an accurate determination of the odds of a hand for seen and unseen cards, the size of the pot and it effects and the psychological effects that these two factors have on the odds. This book is for more serious poker players and is not an easy read.

“Caro’s Book of Poker Tells” by Mike Caro

This book completely breaks down the art of poker. It makes it easy for everyone to understand the game by breaking it down into simple classes of tells that are understandable and easily recognized. It helps a player to read the motives and intentions of other live players. This book gives every player an edge over their competition. The knowledge of all the poker tells makes it easier for a poker player to win hands dictated by your hand as well as hands that your opponent’s cannot win using the cards that they are dealt. The author offers that every player’s moves are from instinct and are fuelled by the subconscious mind. He says that the trick to becoming a poker player is to pick up on the signals of other players in your table and do the opposite of what they are thinking and you will dominate the game. This book is ideal for every serious poker player.

“Kill Everyone” by Lee Nelson

The author of this book combines new poker concepts and strategies with his experience in the game and poker math. This book offers tips on how to choose the right strategy to fit each game that you are playing. It offers the player new weapons that they can use to bring down their opponent as well as all the necessary tactics. Some of the tactics covered by this book include the fear and fold equity, endgame strategies, optimal heads-up play and bubble factors among others. This book is best for serious poker tournament players that play live poker as well as online poker.

“Winning in Tough Hold ‘em Games” by Ed Miller and David Sklansky

Poker Texas hold ‘em has become very popular in poker rooms. Because more and more players are learning how to play this game well, it has become necessary to come up with new strategies when playing short handed and high stakes limit hold ’em. This book tackles both these issues extensively. It covers topics like small blind defense, blind stealing, isolating a loose player and big blind among others. There are also sections on heads up playing and semi-bluffing. The book also offers explanations on over 50 online games that were played by “Stoxtrader”. If you hope to become a winning player in Texas hold ’em, then this is the book for you. It however requires that the reader is serious and makes an effort toward understanding the material that has been presented in the book.

“Poker: The Real Deal by Phil Gordon and Jonathan Grotenstein

Phil Gordon, the author of this book is a two time World poker tour champion. This book seeks to give instructions about the game of poker, as well as the lifestyle and culture that accompany the game without being too technical. The book offers that poker is a game that is determined by the player’s shrewdness and astuteness and that it is not a game of tricks of some people have suggested. The authors explain everything about poker history of poker, its terminologies, its strategies and the appropriate etiquette among others. The book also offers information about websites that specialize in online poker and famous venues where poker tournaments are held. This is a book for anyone that seeks to understand the game of poker and its origins and learn how to play the game by making use of the best tactics.

“Read ‘Em and Reap: A career FBI Agent’s Guide to Decoding Poker Tells by Phil Hellmuth, Joe Navarro and Marvin Karlins.

For one to become a champion at playing poker, they have to realize that the game of poker is a combination of subterfuge, math and luck. The math part of the game has been perfected over time and most poker players use this when they are playing the game. However, it is reading the tell signs that has posed a great challenge for most players. They often rely on a trial and error method to read their opponent’s signals. This is where this book comes in handy. It offers a player foolproof techniques that will help them to read their opponent’s body language while at the same time concealing their own. Joe Navarro is a former FBI agent that specialized in behavior analysis while Phil Hellmuth is a poker professional. These two have put together a book that is a must have for any poker player that hopes to perfect their game by reading tells as well as math to win every hand that they are dealt. Once you finish reading this book, you will be able to call out your opponent’s bluffs without breaking a sweat.

Poker is a game of chance; but there are different things that you should or shouldn’t do that will affect the outcome of the game. Poker books give you invaluable information about the best moves to make with each play. Poker books are an investment that every serious poker player should make; in just a matter of days, they give you all the information that you need to know about poker that would take you years to learn. A beginner in the game needs to first concentrate on books that offer the basics about the game of poker. An advanced player may choose a book that specializes in the form of poker that is of interest to them and begin to sharpen their skills in that game. The good news is that all these books are available for sale.