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Note from MonkieSystem: I only list books here that I own and believe in. I never advertise books that are outdated, or that in my opinion would lead you astray. To do otherwise would in my world be unethical and — well — scummy.
Applications of No-Limit Hold ’em: A Guide to Understanding Theoretically Sound Poker – Matthew Janda
Rigorous technical examination of no-limit hold’em poker. This book was a source document for the work of other authors who published poker work. You can find all of Janda’s work here.
Beyond GTO: Poker Exploits Simplified (The Poker Solved Series) – Dara O’Kearney
How to exploit your opponents using Game Theory Optimal (GTO) principles. Dara O’Kearney gets into the meat and potatoes of poker here. He shows you how to optimize your strategy and make the most money against players who play sub-optimally.
O’Kearney has written many books on poker topics such as satellites and PKO formats. You can find all of Dara O’Kearney’s work here.
Doyle Brunson’s Super System – Doyle Brunson
Twice-world champion and Hall of Famer Doyle Brunson and five leading experts in their various specialties tell you when to raise, call, bet, and fold. You can find all of Doyle Brunson’s work here.
Essential Poker Math, Expanded Edition: Fundamental No-Limit Hold’em Mathematics You Need to Know – Alton Hardin
All the math you need to know to become a winning poker player. You don’t need to memorize everything. You don’t need to be a math wiz. But you need a basic understanding of concepts like pot odds, equity, and minimum defense frequency. You can find all of Hardin’s work here.
Exploitative Play in Live Poker: How to Manipulate your Opponents into Making Mistakes – Alexander Fitzgerald
Alexander Fitzgerald applies a “Moneyball” approach to poker, in which he uses extensive database analysis to develop winning strategies against the poker population. He also applies a psychological approach. You can find all of Fitzgerald’s work here.
FossilMan’s Winning Tournament Strategies – Greg Raymer
Comprehensive and practical guide for poker tournament players. A good book for amateur and part-time players who want to improve their game. You can find all of Raymer’s work here.
Mastering Small Stakes No-Limit Hold’em: Strategies to Consistently Beat Small Stakes Tournaments and Cash Games – Jonathan Little
Tournament strategy for beating small-stakes games. Jonathan Little is a prolific poker writer and content creator. You can find all of Little’s work here.
Modern Poker Theory: Building an unbeatable strategy based on GTO principles – Michael Acevedo
A comprehensive and rigorous study of Texas Hold’em theory. If Texas Hold’em theory were an upper-division university course, this would be the textbook – but without the quizzes. You can find all of Acevedo’s work here.
Mental game is a big part of successful poker. Tommy Angelo shows us how to maintain the right state of mind in poker and life. You can find all of Angelo’s work here.
Play Optimal Poker – Andrew Brokos
An examination of the technical aspects of Texas hold’em poker, written by a professional educator and poker player. The first of a two-part series. You can find all of Brokos’ work here.
Poker Plays You Can Use – Doug Hull – edited by Ed Miller
A practical guide and workbook for improving your poker game. You can see all of Hull’s work here. You can see all of Miller’s work here.
Poker Satellite Success – Bernhard Lee
Excellent book on satellite play, including practical formulas you can use at the table or program into a spreadsheet. You can find all of Bernard Lee’s work here.
Poker’s 1%: The One Big Secret That Keeps Elite Players On Top – Ed Miller
A way of thinking about how you play, a way to unify every hand you’ve ever played and ever will play into one single, overarching strategy. You can find all of Miller’s work here.
Purposeful Practice for Poker: The Modern Approach to Studying Poker – Dr. Patricia Cardner and Gareth James
Purposeful practice is the gold standard for anyone who wishes to take full advantage of the remarkable adaptability of the human brain and is the fast track route to improving your poker skills. You can find all of Dr. Patricia Cardner’s work here. You can find all of Gareth James’ work here.
Reading Poker Tells – Zachary Elwood
How a professional poker player analyzes the facial expressions, body posture, physical gestures, and verbal statements of their opponents. First of a trilogy. You can find all of Elwood’s work here.
Short Stack Ninja: Tournament Strategy From A Professional Poker Coach – Chris ‘Fox’ Wallace
Mastering short stack poker is a must for tournament players. The terms coined in this book often find their way into poker conversations and elsewhere. You can find all of Wallace’s work here.
Spin And Go Strategy English Version: The first guide that teaches you to play from the first to the last hand – Salvatore Patti
Do you like fast action? Spin and go poker is for you. One of the few works available on spin and go games. The first two chapters themselves are some of the best general poker advice for amateur players I’ve ever seen. You can find all of Salvatore Patti’s work here.
The Game Plan: How Casual Players Become Threats in No Limit Hold ’Em Tournaments – Matt Matros
Poker theory with an emphasis on how you can develop your “poker brain.” You can find all of Matros’ work here.
The POSTFLOP Poker Workbook: Advanced Technical Analysis Of The Flop And Beyond (The Practicing Poker Series) – James Sweeney
Poker math exercises to help you learn and practice poker math problems accurately and quickly – just like you have to do at the table. Along the way you may find some eye-opening insights as you see the results of these problems during your work.
James Sweeney is the leader of Red Chip Poker. He has published many workbooks as well as general theory books. You can find all of Sweeney’s work here.
The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How To Think Like One – David Sklansky
The classic book on poker theory. This book is a must-read for the serious poker player. Sklansky’s work is the foundation of much of the published work in poker today. You can find all of Sklansky’s work here.
Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Khaneman
Best-selling psychology book very relevant to poker players. Recommended reading by a lot of poker coaches and players. You can find all of Khaneman’s work here.
Tournament Poker for the Rest of Us – Steve Selbrede
Great book for tournament players. Includes a brilliant tool for evaluating and comparing tournament structures. You can find all of Selbrede’s work here.