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Ultimate Guide: Poker Gifts
For Everyone1) The Theory of Poker, by David Sklansky Sklansky is one of poker's top theorists. Although he has not had great success as a tournament player, his books are a vital reference for any player who is learning the game, and The Theory of Poker is his best work, because it describes many fundamental poker principles. A bit tough if you've never played poker before. 2) Supersystem, by Doyle Brunson While some of the 1978 material is outdated, Supersystem is still a must-read. Brunson is one of the greatest money and tournament players who ever lived, his style is entertaining, he taps several other poker greats to contribute chapters, and the book covers most of the more popular poker games. Beginners will probably find the book a bit tough to follow, but it's worth the work. 3) Zen and the Art of Poker, by Larry Phillips Probably a surprise entry, for those familiar with the more famous poker books, but in poker, as in so many other parts of life, mastering and understanding yourself is something you have to do before you can hope to conquer others. A high percentage of poker players play very well when things are going their way, only to fall apart when trouble arrives. As the name implies, not really a how-to book, but a very useful part of any serious player's arsenal. 4) Improve Your Poker, by Bob Ciaffone A lot of excellent advice for both the beginning and experienced player, from a respected teacher and player. 5) The Body Language of Poker, by Mike Caro I recommend the book strongly, but with one very important caveat: don't take every word as gospel. The book's mere existence has made some of the information less reliable, because good players have read it and taken steps to avoid giving away information in the manner Caro describes Read it to raise your awareness of information you might be giving away, and to help you spot information on other players, but always remember, tells are individual, not universal. 6) The Art of War, by Sun Tzu Not a poker book at all, but poker is warfare, at least once you get beyond the friendly kitchen game for matchsticks, and anyone who doesn't realize that will be a losing player. For Beginners and Intermediates1) Thursday Night Poker, by Peter O. Steiner Most of the better poker books around focus on casino or cardroom poker, but that's not how most players start: they begin in home games, and home games are a very different animal. Steiner's book helps the home game player more than most. He does a good job of explaining a lot of the fundamentals in ways that a beginner can follow, yet the book is also very useful to someone who has been playing for a few years. 2) Fundamentals of Poker, by Mason Malmuth and Lynne Loomis A very short, pocket-sized, non-intimidating book, more for beginners than intermediates, that does a good job of preparing the novice for his or her first poker efforts. 3) Total Poker, by David Spanier Spanier is a terrific writer, much more so than most of the poker-playing authors out there, and you should grab hold of this and all other Spanier books. 4) Hold 'em Poker, by David Sklansky Hold 'em is certainly THE poker game in casinos and cardrooms, and Sklansky gets novices off to a good start here. Advanced players would find this work a bit too mechanical, but Sklansky didn't intend this book for advanced players (you'll find that one on the next list). 5) Hold 'em Excellence, and More Hold 'em Excellence, by Lou Krieger Krieger, a mid-limit Southern California player, provides a lot of useful information for the intermediate player, in an easy to digest, short-chapter style. 6) 7-Card Stud, by Roy West West is a solid writer who aims his text squarely at low and mid-limit games. Well worth a look. 7) Scarne's Guide to Modern Poker, by John Scarne Although Scarne's self-confidence sometimes exceeds his expertise, that's only because his self-confidence was more or less limitless. The book is a bit older, but certainly deserves a place among any list of good starting books. For Advanced Players1) Championship No-Limit and Pot Limit Hold 'em, by T.J. Cloutier and Tom McEvoy Cloutier is a poker tournament legend, and '83 WSOP Champ McEvoy isn't far behind. If you're thinking about moving up into poker's big leagues, this is a must-read. 2) Hold 'em Poker for Advanced Players (21st Century Edition), by David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth Although some of poker's biggest names like to take pot-shots at Sklansky and Malmuth, mostly based on their lack of tournament and/or high-limit success, there's no disputing this work as one of the fundamental building blocks for taking your hold 'em game to the next level. 3) Tournament Poker, David Sklansky Unless you're some sort of natural poker savant, if you aspire to tournament success, you must read this book. Tournament play is very different from money play, and Sklansky does a fine job explaining how. 4) High Low Split Poker, Seven-Card Stud and Omaha Eight-Or-Better for Advanced Players, by Ray Zee High-low is a very different animal from straight high poker, and this book does a great job of explaining just how different. 5) Seven-Card Stud for Advanced Players (21st Century Edition), by David Sklansky, Mason Malmuth, and Ray Zee. The name says it all. I have a lot of respect for Sklansky and Malmuth, and when you add Ray Zee-who has won a LOT of money playing poker-to the team, you get a VERY good book. 6) Championship Stud Poker, by Max Stern, Tom McEvoy, and Linda Johnson A useful guide for both mid-limits and tournament play, especially because the authors don't hesitate to disagree with one another. I'm very fond of the book for that reason: too many poker authors write as if their recommended plays are the gospel that no sane person should dare challenge. Stern, McEvoy and Johnson freely admit that there's more than one road to success. 7) Championship Omaha, by T.J. Cloutier and Tom McEvoy What can I say about yet another appearance by these two authors? If Cloutier and McEvoy write it, you should buy it. 8) Pot-Limit and No-Limit Poker, by Bob Ciaffone and Stewart Rubin Don't even consider getting into a pot-limit or no-limit game for any significant money until you really know what you're doing: a good player can roast you alive. 9) Poker Essays, Volumes I and II, and Poker Essays, Volume III by Mason Malmuth Malmuth is better known as a theorist than as a successful tournament or high-limit player, but that shouldn't stop you from eagerly devouring his essays. My only reservation is that he tends to talk a bit too much in absolutes for my liking. Malmuth's opinions are very useful and usually right, but they are opinions, not facts. Great Poker Stories and AnecdotesThe books in this section aren't exactly instructional, but they aren't just a collection of whopping good poker tales, either. A nice mix of good stories and good lessons. 1) Big Deal: A Year as a Professional Poker Player, by Anthony Holden Holden, a writer first and a poker player second, does a great job of describing a good player's foray into the world of big-time poker. If you read it, you'll almost certainly get Big Tournament Fever and start playing a lot more poker. 2) The Biggest Game in Town, by A. Alvarez Out of print at the moment, although you can probably find a copy in a poker playing friend's library. Alvarez fits in with Holden and Spanier as a writer first and poker player second, and if you like stories about Big Time Poker, you'll love this work. 3) The Education of a Poker Player, by Herbert O. Yardley Another oldie but goodie-enough of a goodie to still be in print, despite a 1957 publication date. Helped launch me, and probably a few hundred thousand other players. 4) The Man with the $100,000 Breasts (and other gambling stories) , by Michael Konik The only reason this book doesn't land at #1 in my poker list is that a lot of the tales are about fascinating gamblers outside the world of poker. But if I were making a list of the best anecdotal gambling books of all time, I'd put this one #1. Konik is a great writer who is also a great player. 5) According to Doyle, by Doyle Brunson A very entertaining, and also informative, collection of articles by one of poker's all-time great players and personalities. 6) Tales Out of Tulsa, by Bobby Baldwin Baldwin, who was the youngest player ever to win the WSOP until Phil Helmuth broke his record, provides a little wisdom here and a little humor there, You'll be glad you picked it up. View the Complete Poker Collection at Amazon.com >> View the Complete Poker Collection at Overstock.com >>
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