The Best Poker Books to Take Your Strategy to the Next Level

It’s not a sign of weakness to lean on the best poker books to improve your poker game. As a matter of fact, it’s a sign of strength that you’re prepared to broaden your mind and consider new ideas and approaches, adding even more strings to your bow at the tables.

We’ve got your back if you don’t know where to start with your poker reading journey. This article explores the most suitable poker books for novice players and the most experienced players looking to help tilt the fine margins in their favour.

Why Read Poker Books?

If you’re serious about levelling up your poker game, dedicate some of your free time to reading poker books. They offer invaluable insight and guidance on handling certain scenarios at the table. These insights are typically offered by poker professionals who have been there, done it, and got the metaphorical WSOP t-shirts.

The beauty of the vast poker material available to read on and offline is that there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re a newbie looking to master concepts like hand selection or bluffing, an intermediate keen to grasp pot odds and table position, or an advanced player wanting to embrace ICM in tournament poker, this content can help you to make informed future decisions at the table, without relying solely on your gut instinct.

It’s also possible to find poker books that offer comprehensive analyses of hands played by elite-level players. These books equip you with the aptitude and fortitude to think like the pros, giving you a deeper understanding of the game. 

There is a saying in poker that it takes a minute to play and a lifetime to master. With new styles and strategies evolving at the poker tables all the time, poker books can help you become a more adaptable player.

If you’re an Aussie who’s just starting in the world of poker, there are plenty of poker books targeted at complete beginners. All of which are designed to equip you with the basic fundamentals of the game and its strategies.

• The Theory of Poker (David Sklansky)
  Although this was written in 1989, long before the “poker boom”, Sklansky’s content is still just as relevant today as it was three decades ago. The game covers the fundamentals of what it takes to become a winning poker player. Although Sklansky talks about Limit Hold’em more than No-Limit Hold’em, much of the principles can be applied across both variants. 

• Getting Started in Hold’em (Edward Miller)
  Ed Miller published this beginners’ guide to Hold’em poker in 2005. Miller says that the reality is that while many people enjoy playing poker seriously, only a few win regularly. This book covers pre-flop hand valuation, value betting, semi-bluffing and using your chip stack to your advantage. 

• Every Hand Revealed (Gus Hansen)
  Imagine if there was a book that covered literally every possible hand scenario at the poker tables. Oh wait, there is one! Scandinavian poker ace Gus Hansen explains over 300 hands played in minute detail. It’s one of the all-time favourites for poker newbies who want to understand what’s needed to become consistent winners. 

• Harrington on Hold’em: Volume 1 (Dan Harrington)
  Harrington’s first volume of Harrington on Hold’em was released in 2006, covering all forms of strategic play in No-Limit Texas Hold’em tournaments. You’ll learn about playing styles, how to read opponents, pre-flop and post-flop betting, and mastering your betting decisions on the turn and river.

Advanced Poker Strategy Books

Suppose you’re a keen poker amateur who’s looking to take the next step and incorporate advanced game theory into your poker strategy. In that case, we’ve got a trio of book recommendations to get you thinking along the right lines.

• Harrington on Hold’em: Volume 2 (Dan Harrington)
  Harrington’s Volume 1 on Hold’em covers basic strategy, but Volume 2 is where it counts. Here, he talks about the so-called “Endgame” and how to approach the latter stages of a multi-table tournament. There’s also a dedicated section on heads-up play, which is often overlooked. 

• Essential Poker Math (Alton Hardin)
  Make sense of the maths of poker with Alton Hardin’s hugely popular book. Master pot odds, implied odds, expected value, and other elements of poker probability will help you determine the right play each time. 

• Applications of No-Limit Hold’em (Matthew Janda)
  If you’re planning on stepping up your poker and playing cash games or tournaments at a higher level, Matthew Janda’s book will get you thinking about all the theoretical concepts of the game in readiness to tackle those who think more deeply about their poker.

Books by Poker Legends

Some of poker’s most successful players have gone on to document their journey and talk about the game in great detail in paperback form. If the biggest names inspire you in poker, check out this killer quartet of books authored by some of the game’s legends.

• Super System II: A Course in Power Poker (Doyle Brunson)
  Two-time WSOP Main Event champion Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson penned a second edition of his Super System book, providing a crash course in “power poker” in 2005. Within it, he collaborates with some of the biggest names in the game to provide golden nuggets of advice – a genuine encyclopaedia of poker. 

• Play Poker Like the Pros (Phill Hellmuth)
  The “Poker Brat” Phill Hellmuth also published his book in 2004. Play Poker Like the Pros does exactly what it says on the tin—it provides tried-and-tested approaches to beating all kinds of players, from “jackals” to “mice.” 

• Power Hold’em Strategy (Daniel Negreanu)
  Poker prodigy Daniel Negreanu published Power Hold’em Strategy in 2008, which remains relevant today. The Canadian offers insider knowledge and trade secrets on approaching various game types, including Limit, No-Limit, Pot-Limit Hold’em and Omaha. 

• Check-Raising the Devil (Mike Matusow)
  Mike “The Mouth” Matusow is one of the most charismatic players in poker. His book documents his whirlwind life at and away from the poker tables. From jail to the World Series of Poker, Matusow’s journey is a true rags-to-riches tale.

Psychological Aspects of Poker

In poker, you don’t just play the cards; you play your opponents, too. The psychology of poker requires you to not only master your own emotions at the table but those of your rivals. Here are three book recommendations to help Aussie poker fanatics sharpen their mental attributes.

• The Mental Game of Poker (Jared Tendler)
  Poker is one of the few games on the planet where it’s possible to play exceptional poker and still lose. Coping with tilt and variance is part and parcel of becoming a successful poker player. Jared Tendler’s book is a masterclass in emotional control. 

• The Body Language of Poker (Mike Caro)
  Despite being written in 1994, this book remains highly relevant if you plan to become a successful live poker player. Mike Caro teaches you all you need to know about mastering your opponents’ physical tells. 

• The Poker Mindset: Essential Attitudes for Poker Success (Matthew Hilger)
  Many professional poker players have heralded Hilger’s book for rewiring their brains and helping them see the game differently. From tilt to bankroll management and downswings, these are vital topics that most books only scratch the surface of.

Online Poker Strategy Books

Do you prefer the convenience and accessibility of online poker rooms to playing live in a brick-and-mortar poker room? If so, this trio of book recommendations will be very useful to help you crush some of the most popular online poker formats, including sit-and-go’s.

• Moorman’s Book of Poker (Chris Moorman)
  Learn from one of the most successful online poker players ever with Chris Moorman’s paperback. Moorman’s Book of Poker is perfect for graduating from mid-to-high stakes poker online. 

• Sit-and-Go Strategy: Expert Advice for Beating One-Table Poker Tournaments (Colin Moshman)
  Moshman’s sit-and-go encyclopaedia offers unrivalled advice on how to become a consistent winner at single-table tournaments. From mastering the early blinds to the bubble and the latter stages, this is 292 pages of SnG gold. 

• The Raiser’s Edge (ElkY Grospellier, Lee Nelson, Tysen Streib and Tony Dunst)
  If you’re struggling to find a way to beat loose-aggressive players in tournaments, The Raiser’s Edge is a great book to help you get back to the drawing board. Learn how to apply pressure on them and defend your blinds against them.

Poker Book Reviews and Recommendations

This is just 17 of the dozens of poker content available online and offline today. Below, I’ve listed a few more poker books that have personally helped me improve my poker game and emotional durability at the tables.

• Treat Your Poker Like a Business (Dusty Schmidt)
  Schmidt equips you with the skills and mindset to turn poker from a leisure pursuit into a dependable income stream. It’s an inspirational book encouraging self-discipline and a workmanlike attitude to improve your poker game. 

• The Poker Blueprint: Advanced Strategies for Crushing Micro & Small Stakes No-Limit (Tri Nguyen and Aaron Davis)
  As someone who started out playing the micro-stakes No-Limit Hold’em tables, this book helped me to hone my game and graduate to small-stakes tables thanks to minute adjustments. 

• How I Made My First Million From Poker (Tri Nguyen)
  Nguyen covers over 50 advanced poker concepts in this fascinating book, which demonstrates his journey to becoming a self-made poker millionaire online.

Final Thoughts

If you’re passionate about self-improvement at the poker tables, this collection of the best poker books should motivate you to dedicate more of your downtime to wider reading of this classic card game. Any poker novices Down Under should check out the best online poker sites for Aussies, offering everything from Texas Hold’em to 2-7 Triple Draw Poker.