In order to become a successful poker player that can live out of the game, you have to take your time in educating yourself about the game and the different strategies that you can use. Remember that poker is primarily a game of strategy and, therefore, the more you know compared to the other players at the table, the better your chances will be to leave the game victorious. Below, I will present to you three books that many players found very useful, especially in the beginning of their poker careers. Let’s start with the book of one of the public’s favourite poker stars – Daniel Negreanu.
Power Hold’em Strategy by Daniel Negreanu
No-limit Hold’em is the most popular type of poker out there and as such, there are many books that are dedicated to the players that want to beat the game. Being himself one of the most successful poker players of all time (in some Internet rankings he’s even occupying the number one spot), Daniel Negreanu has written one of the most influential and useful books in the field – Power Hold’em Strategy. This is a book that every beginner that aspires to become a professional player should read and, of course, apply its content into his or her gameplay.
Doyle Brunson’s Super System II
You might find Doyle Brunson’s Super System II especially useful if you’re planning on mainly playing live poker as he goes more into the psychology of the game rather than the hard math. He puts a lot of emphasis on the tells in poker, i.e. reading other players. This book will be especially useful for players that cannot seem to loosen up and are playing too tight. Though many players find Doyle’s style a little bit too arrogant and stupidly brave, I personally found it very useful for me, because up until a certain point I was only playing the ‘sure’ hands which, as you can imagine, come once in a blue moon. After reading the book, I got bolder and started using my position and a little bit more aggression in order to dominate hands where I was definitely not the favourite.
The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky
The full name of this book is: The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How to Think Line One. This is the ultimate beginner guide to poker. It covers all the basic particularities of the game and is applicable to all types of poker. Here you will learn about bluffing, slow play, reading the opponent, playing according to the position and many other skills that every aspiring player should acquire. The Theory of Poker is considered to be one of the best and most essential books about poker ever written.