A library of good poker books is one of the most powerful tools in
a winning player's arsenal. Each book contains advice, pointers, and
useful thought problems from expert players. Part of their value
comes from prescriptive advice (“Do this; don't do that”), but the
greater value of reading poker books is in learning new ways to think
about the game. Here are some of the books we have read and found
useful for improving our play.
Texas Hold'em Books
Hold'em Poker by David Sklansky is a great
introductory text for players new to Texas Hold'em. It's a slim,
quick, and easy read that will get you off the ground and help you
prevent many of the costly mistakes of a novice player.
Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players by David
Sklansky and Mason Malmuth has a similar flavor to the previous title,
but is several times thicker. It covers topics in greater detail, and
covers some advanced topics omitted entirely from the slimmer book.
There's a great quiz section at the end so you can test your
knowledge.
Small Stakes Hold'em by Ed Miller, David
Sklansky, and Mason Malmuth focuses on games from $2/$4 to $6/$12.
The rules of the game are the same, of course, but players at these
levels are weaker than those considered in Hold'em
Poker for Advanced Players, requiring a somewhat different
strategy.
General Poker Books
The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky covers
a wide variety of difficult problems that arise in frequently poker,
including a detailed analysis of playing heads-up on the end. Other
topics include an extensive section on bluffing and semi-bluffing,
including applying game theory to determine the optimum bluffing
strategy (as well as the optimum calling strategy to use against other
players).
The Mathematics of Poker by Bill Chen and
Jerrod Ankenman has a greater focus on mathematics than the other
books listed here and is not recommended for those with math-phobia.
For those who enjoy math, this book is a wonderful addition to their
poker library. It covers a more thorough discussion of how
probability and statistics may be applied to poker. Of particular
interest are the sections on applying Bayes' Theorem, which
may be unfamiliar to most players.
Caro's Book of Poker Tells by Mike Caro is
the best guide to interpreting the body language of other players, and
distinguishing between players who are trying to fool you and genuine
nervous behavior. Additionally, a solid understanding of tells can
help you control your own body language and give off fewer tells to
your opponents.
