Poker is an exciting game. To the inexperienced, it is a simple card game that predicates around the luck of the draw more than anything else. To the expert, however, it is a nuanced experience full of strategy. It is played for fun or extraordinarily high stakes.
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- Best No Limit Poker Books
- Best No Limit Poker Books
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Suffice it to say this is a book that definitely strays outside the norm which makes it a unique gem and one of the best poker books I've ever read. Here's a taste of Phillips' teachings: 'Any high-stakes poker game, especially among experienced players, is as much a ceremony as any Zen ritual. 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.
Even if you play Poker on a regular basis, you may not understand it or know how to improve the likelihood that you will be victorious. There are hundreds of professional Poker players that have decided to share their strategies and know-how through tell all books.
However, with so many authors and players out there, how do you find the book that will best suit your needs? Luckily for you, we have put in all the hard research already. Our article will provide you with ten of the best Poker books on the market. We also have delved a bit deeper and reviewed three of the books so that you can better find the books that suit your needs.
Top 10 Poker Books Ultimate Table
| Picture | Name | Kindle Edition | Price | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture | Name | Kindle Edition | Price | Rating (1-5) |
| 1. Jonathan Little's Excelling at No-Limit Hold'em: Leading Poker Experts Discuss How to Study, Play and Master NLHE | Yes | $$$$ | 4.8 | |
| 2. Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Play | Yes | $$$ | 4.7 | |
| 3. Strategies for Beating Small Stakes Poker Tournaments | Yes | $$$ | 4.6 | |
| 4. The Mental Game of Poker: Proven Strategies for Improving Tilt Control, Confidence, Motivation, Coping with Variance, and More. | Yes | $$$ | 4.5 | |
| 5. Phil Gordon's Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'em | Yes | $$ | 4.5 | |
| 6. The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How To Think Like One | Yes | $$ | 4.4 | |
| 7. Doyle Brunson's Super System | Yes | $ | 4.4 | |
| 8. Every Hand Revealed | Yes | $$ | 4.4 | |
| 9. Power Hold'em Strategy | Yes | $$$ | 4.3 | |
| 10. Real Grinders: How to Play Poker for a Living | Yes | $$ | 3.8 |
Puchase Information
Whenever you are trying to read the best Poker books out there, you need to take a few factors into consideration.
- Poker Type. There are so many different varieties of Poker that you can choose to play. Some of the more popular variations include Texas Hold ‘Em, Five Card Draw, and Seven Card Stud, just to name a few. Depending on the kind of poker you are looking to play, you should look for a Poker pro who specializes in the same type. Making sure of this will give you the best chance of emerging victorious from your games.
- Strategy Type. Based on what kind of Poker you are playing, there will be different strategies that come into play. Make sure that you find a book that focuses on strategies that will be useful to whatever version you choose to play.
- Stakes. The kinds of stakes that you will be playing with will affect the strategies that you use. If you are playing for lower stakes, you might be more willing to try riskier strategies than if you are playing in a higher stakes game.
Top 3 Best Poker Books Reviews
1. Jonathan Little's Excelling at No-Limit Hold'em
This is one of the best Poker books on the market today. What makes it stand out from the crowd is the depth of knowledge that the book provides to its audience. Instead of only offering insights from one professional Poker player, this book asks a wide array of the world's top pros their strategies to win at No-Limit Hold ‘Em.
With this great depth of knowledge comes a somewhat higher price than some of the other books we looked at, but this book offers an unparalleled breadth of knowledge and strategy. If you are looking to play and win at NLHE, this book is an indispensable resource.
Summary: This Poker book is outstanding. It offers multiple different strategies provided by a wide array of pros and is an excellent resource to learn and master No-Limit Hold ‘Em.
2. Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy Vol. 1
This book offers more strategies that you can use to increase your chances of winning at No-Limit Hold ‘Em. It offers a broad range of advice in an easy to read and understand format. While it is discussing NLHE, it also delves into the wider world of tournaments. It gives strategies and advice to survive all the way from the first table to the last in a competition.
A cool part of this book is that it is the first one in a series of books that offer excellent advice; this would allow you to extend your understanding and Poker knowledge even further. However, a drawback to this, of course, is that you will need to purchase all three books if you truly want to become a master at No Limit Hold ‘Em.
Summary: This series of books offers excellent insights and advice into the world of NLHE Poker tournaments. However, since you have to buy three different books to get the full breadth of knowledge, this might be a bit too voluminous for some readers.
3. Strategies for Beating Small Stakes Poker
If you are looking for a plan book that offers high risk-high reward strategies, then this is the Poker book for you. It provides wonderful insights and strategies to use in small stakes tournaments. It will also give you some strategies that might make a big difference in any Poker tournament if you are willing to take the risk.
However, the strategies covered in this book take much greater chances than in any of the others that we reviewed. These plans are great to have in your Poker toolbox, but should not be your first choice for consistent use. Though they most definitely can be effective, we would not recommend you try them all the time, or in higher stakes games.
Summary: The strategies listed within this book are great to keep in the back of your mind, but we would not recommend them for consistent use. They are high risk-high reward strategies that will more than likely cost you as many wins as they gain you.
There is a wealth of instructional material for beginning poker players available all over the internet, but there are some amazing poker strategy books for beginners that all aspiring poker players should study.
Sure, poker training has become its own industry, with a plethora of professionals teaching players how to win on video. Plus, there are any number of poker forums with in-depth discussions on just about every situation you'll face at a poker table.
For anyone new to the game of poker, the opportunities to learn and get better are almost endless.
But with a few thousand poker strategy books to be read, beginners should be use books as the foundation to any poker syllabus. That said, it can be almost impossible for beginners to decide where they should begin, so we've put together our very own list of the Top Five Poker Strategy Books For Beginners.
Poker For Dummies, Richard D. Harroch and Lou Krieger (2000)
A lack of understanding of the basic concepts of poker doesn't necessarily make you a dummy. But since the 'For Dummies' book series has taught people everything from how to fix their car to how to program a computer, it is as good a place as any to start with poker.
This book is ground zero for poker beginners as it covers all the basics and even some winning concepts along the way. It's perfect for our list of top poker strategy books for beginners.
The poker book is written by lawyer and poker player Richard Harroch and veteran poker author Lou Krieger. Plus, it includes anecdotes from professional players like T.J. Cloutier and the late legendary Stu Unger. The book was originally published in 2000, but later editions now include a forward by 2003 World Series of Poker Champion Chris Moneymaker as well.
It goes into everything from setting up a game at home to the do's and don'ts of playing poker in casinos. Plus, Poker For Dummies will give you a good grasp of poker jargon, and all the poker rules and etiquette the game employs.
The book doesn't include a lot of the advanced modern game theory practices employed by young professionals today. It may be a bit cliché, but Poker For Dummies is exactly that and a great place to start if your knowledge of the game is in its infancy.
Doyle Brunson's Super System: A Course In Power Poker, Doyle Brunson and Others (1979)
Doyle Brunson's Super System is the original poker strategy bible. The book was written by some of the greatest minds in the game. Brunson was joined by late Cash Game Legend Chip Reese, World Champion and Casino Executive Bobby Baldwin, and respected Poker Theorist and Author Dave Sklansky.
While there is a Super System 2 and several later editions, the original was published in 1979, making some of it dated. The concepts, though are pure, most are still relevant. If you believe in the old adage that you have to know where you've been to figure out where you're going, it's a perfect book for beginners. Bet calculation example.
Best No Limit Poker Books
Super System contains tips on Texas hold'em, Omaha and stud. The book dives into tournament poker and cash game strategy, and by and large covers all the poker bases.
These are legends giving you access to the moves that make up their own personal playbooks and a great foundation on which to build a poker education. Considering how much the game has changed over the past 20 years, anyone wanting to learn more about poker strategy isn't going to end with Doyle Brunson's Super System, but it is a great place to start.
Harrington on Hold'em, Dan Harrington (2006)
This book from 1995 World Champion Dan Harrington has now seen three volumes published. The book remains the best-selling poker strategy book in the history of the game.
Harrington focuses on Texas hold'em tournaments, the most popular type of poker. Even ten years later, Harrington's concepts regarding all the different stages of a tournament remain viable.
These days, beginners might want to go beyond what Harrington teaches, but they won't likely be successful in doing so without it.
The volumes also include quizzes where you can put your newfound knowledge to the test. This is a concept that reinforces the idea poker is a game that can be studied, with strategy that can be tested, not just played – One every beginner should grab hold of early on if they really want to succeed.
Best No Limit Poker Books
Positively Fifth Street, James McManus (2003)
James McManus' Positively Fifth Street is not, strictly speaking, a poker strategy book. It is instead an account of McManus own run in the 2000 World Series of Poker Main Event. The book also examines the murder of Horseshoe Hotel and Casino owner Ted Binion, and is as solid an introduction to the culture surrounding poker as a beginner is likely to find.
McManus was hired by Harper's Magazine to write an article about women participating in the WSOP and cover the Ted Binion murder trial. Instead, he blew his advance money on a WSOP Main Event satellite, ended up finishing fifth in poker's World Championship, and came out of all of it with Positively Fifth Street.
Sure, there are some strategy concepts in the text, including advice McManus weaned by reading books by poker greats. There's even a bit of a blow-by-blow account of his deep run in the tournament that beginners can certainly learn from.
However, Positively Fifth Street stands more as a great introduction to poker culture than poker strategy. Either way, it's perfect for a beginner immersing themselves in the game.
Mastering Small Stakes No-Limit Hold'em: Strategies to Consistently Beat Small Stakes Tournaments and Cash Games, Jonathan Little (2017)
Best No Limit Poker Books
Over the past few years, WPT Season VI Player of the Year Jonathan Little has put out several books. Little's books cover both advanced and beginner concepts in tournament and cash game poker.
Best Poker Book To Read
However, 2017's Mastering Small Stakes No-Limit Hold'em: Strategies to Consistently Beat Small Stakes Tournaments and Cash Gamesis perfect for our list of top poker strategy books for beginners. After all, unless you're a billionaire hedge fund manager you're likely starting out at small stakes.
Little presents an easy to follow plan for how players can exploit small stakes poker. While it's great advice for beginners, it's even something he claims advanced players can learn.
It's all about a solid, competent, and moderately aggressive approach to the game that beginners will easily benefit from. Tthe book provides a basic strategy for crushing small stakes poker games. The book also identifies the adjustments needed for tougher opposition. This poker book is absolutely perfect for anyone just starting out.
3. Strategies for Beating Small Stakes Poker
If you are looking for a plan book that offers high risk-high reward strategies, then this is the Poker book for you. It provides wonderful insights and strategies to use in small stakes tournaments. It will also give you some strategies that might make a big difference in any Poker tournament if you are willing to take the risk.
However, the strategies covered in this book take much greater chances than in any of the others that we reviewed. These plans are great to have in your Poker toolbox, but should not be your first choice for consistent use. Though they most definitely can be effective, we would not recommend you try them all the time, or in higher stakes games.
Summary: The strategies listed within this book are great to keep in the back of your mind, but we would not recommend them for consistent use. They are high risk-high reward strategies that will more than likely cost you as many wins as they gain you.
There is a wealth of instructional material for beginning poker players available all over the internet, but there are some amazing poker strategy books for beginners that all aspiring poker players should study.
Sure, poker training has become its own industry, with a plethora of professionals teaching players how to win on video. Plus, there are any number of poker forums with in-depth discussions on just about every situation you'll face at a poker table.
For anyone new to the game of poker, the opportunities to learn and get better are almost endless.
But with a few thousand poker strategy books to be read, beginners should be use books as the foundation to any poker syllabus. That said, it can be almost impossible for beginners to decide where they should begin, so we've put together our very own list of the Top Five Poker Strategy Books For Beginners.
Poker For Dummies, Richard D. Harroch and Lou Krieger (2000)
A lack of understanding of the basic concepts of poker doesn't necessarily make you a dummy. But since the 'For Dummies' book series has taught people everything from how to fix their car to how to program a computer, it is as good a place as any to start with poker.
This book is ground zero for poker beginners as it covers all the basics and even some winning concepts along the way. It's perfect for our list of top poker strategy books for beginners.
The poker book is written by lawyer and poker player Richard Harroch and veteran poker author Lou Krieger. Plus, it includes anecdotes from professional players like T.J. Cloutier and the late legendary Stu Unger. The book was originally published in 2000, but later editions now include a forward by 2003 World Series of Poker Champion Chris Moneymaker as well.
It goes into everything from setting up a game at home to the do's and don'ts of playing poker in casinos. Plus, Poker For Dummies will give you a good grasp of poker jargon, and all the poker rules and etiquette the game employs.
The book doesn't include a lot of the advanced modern game theory practices employed by young professionals today. It may be a bit cliché, but Poker For Dummies is exactly that and a great place to start if your knowledge of the game is in its infancy.
Doyle Brunson's Super System: A Course In Power Poker, Doyle Brunson and Others (1979)
Doyle Brunson's Super System is the original poker strategy bible. The book was written by some of the greatest minds in the game. Brunson was joined by late Cash Game Legend Chip Reese, World Champion and Casino Executive Bobby Baldwin, and respected Poker Theorist and Author Dave Sklansky.
While there is a Super System 2 and several later editions, the original was published in 1979, making some of it dated. The concepts, though are pure, most are still relevant. If you believe in the old adage that you have to know where you've been to figure out where you're going, it's a perfect book for beginners. Bet calculation example.
Best No Limit Poker Books
Super System contains tips on Texas hold'em, Omaha and stud. The book dives into tournament poker and cash game strategy, and by and large covers all the poker bases.
These are legends giving you access to the moves that make up their own personal playbooks and a great foundation on which to build a poker education. Considering how much the game has changed over the past 20 years, anyone wanting to learn more about poker strategy isn't going to end with Doyle Brunson's Super System, but it is a great place to start.
Harrington on Hold'em, Dan Harrington (2006)
This book from 1995 World Champion Dan Harrington has now seen three volumes published. The book remains the best-selling poker strategy book in the history of the game.
Harrington focuses on Texas hold'em tournaments, the most popular type of poker. Even ten years later, Harrington's concepts regarding all the different stages of a tournament remain viable.
These days, beginners might want to go beyond what Harrington teaches, but they won't likely be successful in doing so without it.
The volumes also include quizzes where you can put your newfound knowledge to the test. This is a concept that reinforces the idea poker is a game that can be studied, with strategy that can be tested, not just played – One every beginner should grab hold of early on if they really want to succeed.
Best No Limit Poker Books
Positively Fifth Street, James McManus (2003)
James McManus' Positively Fifth Street is not, strictly speaking, a poker strategy book. It is instead an account of McManus own run in the 2000 World Series of Poker Main Event. The book also examines the murder of Horseshoe Hotel and Casino owner Ted Binion, and is as solid an introduction to the culture surrounding poker as a beginner is likely to find.
McManus was hired by Harper's Magazine to write an article about women participating in the WSOP and cover the Ted Binion murder trial. Instead, he blew his advance money on a WSOP Main Event satellite, ended up finishing fifth in poker's World Championship, and came out of all of it with Positively Fifth Street.
Sure, there are some strategy concepts in the text, including advice McManus weaned by reading books by poker greats. There's even a bit of a blow-by-blow account of his deep run in the tournament that beginners can certainly learn from.
However, Positively Fifth Street stands more as a great introduction to poker culture than poker strategy. Either way, it's perfect for a beginner immersing themselves in the game.
Mastering Small Stakes No-Limit Hold'em: Strategies to Consistently Beat Small Stakes Tournaments and Cash Games, Jonathan Little (2017)
Best No Limit Poker Books
Over the past few years, WPT Season VI Player of the Year Jonathan Little has put out several books. Little's books cover both advanced and beginner concepts in tournament and cash game poker.
Best Poker Book To Read
However, 2017's Mastering Small Stakes No-Limit Hold'em: Strategies to Consistently Beat Small Stakes Tournaments and Cash Gamesis perfect for our list of top poker strategy books for beginners. After all, unless you're a billionaire hedge fund manager you're likely starting out at small stakes.
Little presents an easy to follow plan for how players can exploit small stakes poker. While it's great advice for beginners, it's even something he claims advanced players can learn.
It's all about a solid, competent, and moderately aggressive approach to the game that beginners will easily benefit from. Tthe book provides a basic strategy for crushing small stakes poker games. The book also identifies the adjustments needed for tougher opposition. This poker book is absolutely perfect for anyone just starting out.
Best No Limit Texas Holdem Poker Books
Are you ready to take the challenge and start playing poker? Be sure to check out our list of legal poker sites in New Jersey and Nevada.
