Best Poker Book Ever

Poker is not an easy game, and those who want to stay ahead of the curve need every bit of help they can get. Books are one of the best sources of organised information you can find on the subject of poker, and one of the best ways to improve your poker game. Unfortunately, some poker books are not as applicable in today's games; whereas some are gold mines which will greatly improve your. Jared Tendler's The Mental Game of Poker is the best poker book ever written for the mental side of the game. This is absolutely required reading for all poker beginners in my opinion. Treat Your Poker Like a Business by Dusty Schmidt brings it all together for you, teaching you how to think about this game like a world class pro does. The Best Non-Strategy Poker Books Positively Fifth Street, by James McManus The story of Ted Binion’s murder interwoven with McManus’ run to the final table of the 2000 World Series of Poker makes for a very interesting read from start to finish. 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.

“Poker books: Three of the best poker books written. Master game theory optimal and and mathematic formula to win small or big stakes tournament!” is a book designed for poker players looking to gain a deeper understanding of poker strategy as well as mastering game theory optimal, both of which are vital for winning any game of poker!

While interacting with fellow players in discussion forums, watching a training video presented by a seasoned pro, or reading a blog on your favorite poker site are all excellent ways of improving your game, there will be times when even the most digitally integrated of us want to step away from the laptop for our poker fix.

Fortunately, there is a wealth of terrific poker material available in long-form, with some of the game’s most revered analysts having published books in traditional and electronic form.

Before we take a look at our favorite poker books, let’s consider something Daniel Negreanu stated in a post he wrote about selecting one. In poker, one should not separate the author’s achievements from their work. Unlike many other competitive pastimes, knowledge about poker has to play out as success at the tables.

While many experts on sporting technique and strategy were themselves never competitors at the highest level of their areas of expertise, this should not be the case with poker. Pay attention to who the author of a particular book is. Find out what their achievements are before putting stock in their views. This is solid advice when exploring poker literature.

1. Gus Hansen: Every Hand Revealed

There are few players to whom a “window into the mind of” would be more fascinating than Gus Hansen and with this publication, the eccentric and massively successful Dane gives us just that.

The innovative concept behind this book would surely have been enough to render it a worthy read, but, as it turns out, the content is absolutely stellar too, giving insight into the thought processes that drove a remarkable tournament performance.

Here’s some background: In 2007, Mr. Hansen won his fifth major title when he became the Aussie Millions Champion, outlasting more than 700 players to take home an astonishing $1.2M in prize money.

Every Hand Revealed is the inside story of that victory. It is an unprecedented analysis of over 300 hands in which one of the game’s most popular and enigmatic figures reveals the reasoning behind every single decision he made on his way to the final victorious hand.

About the author
Gus Hansen has reported live winnings well over $10M and was, at the height of his success, ranked 11th in the Global Poker Index (GPI)’s All Time Money List Best Rank.

2. Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier: The Raiser’s Edge

Possibly the most relevant publication in terms of unpacking the current Loose Aggressive (LAG) style of poker employed by today’s most successful players, The Raiser’s Edge has far more going for it than just a clever title.

Focusing only on tournament strategy, the book helps readers understand the stages and spots where and how to employ a LAG approach and even when to shift to hyper-LAG. The book also deals with how to defend against a player who is bossing the table with this particular strategy.

The Raiser’s Edge doesn’t compromise its value by having too narrow a focus, however, with a significant portion of the book also focusing on innovative, but extremely valuable, concepts like opponent nationality and age.

A guest-chapter, written by leading body-language expert Steve van Aspelen – a man who regularly assists the Australian police force in suspect interrogation – focuses on spotting and interpreting physical “tells”. This novel inclusion elevates The Raiser’s Edge to must-read level for players who focus on live tournament poker.

About the author

With over $13M in live winnings, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier is one of the world’s leading tournament players. His groundbreaking style of play, and his remarkable ability to explain it coherently makes him one of the most popular figures in the world of poker.

3. Mike Caro: Caro’s Book of Tells: The Body Language and Psychology of Poker

Mika Caro’s book, as you may have guessed from the title, deals entirely with the art of interpreting your opponents’ physical behavior. The ability to pick up clues about a player’s cards based on a combination of shrugs, sighs, shaky hands, eye contact, and many more is invaluable, and here Caro gives us 320 pages of information on this obscure topic.

Despite its length, the book only covers 20 basic tells but includes a significant amount of information on how each one can be interpreted based on certain conditions. It also defines how each of these tells can be exploited for maximum reward.

Critically, the book also deals with how to spot and respond to opponents who are deliberately exhibiting fake tells.

Bear in mind, though, that Caro’s Book of Tells is an influential piece of literature and is likely to have been read by a number of players at any given table.

About the author

Mike Caro is a professional poker player with seven WSOP “in the money” finishes under his belt. The 73-year old also contributed a chapter to Doyle Brunson’s seminal Super/System, one of the first ever books on poker strategy.

4. David Sklansky: The Theory of Poker

In publishing, the term “classic” is ordinarily reserved for texts that have influenced generations of readers, and, strictly speaking, this is entirely true of David Sklansky’s seminal effort.

Despite being published a mere 24 years ago, The Theory of Poker could easily be regarded as being outdated, given how quickly the game and meta-game has evolved in recent years. However, nothing could be further from the truth since the book focuses on introducing and demystifying the fundamental logical and mathematical concepts that drive a winning poker player’s decisions.

It is rightfully regarded as setting the benchmark for poker debate and is pretty much as essential as reading can get.

About the author

It may not come as much of a surprise to those familiar with his legacy to learn that David Sklansky practiced as an actuary before taking up poker as a full-time profession. A three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, Sklansky is predominantly a live player and boasts career earnings in excess of $1.3M.

5. Dan Harrington: Harrington on Hold’em Vol. 1: Strategic Play & Vol. 2 Endgame

Best Poker Book To Read

The first volume in a series of three was without a doubt the most influential work on the topic of tournament poker and introduced the world to many strategic concepts that are nowadays taken for granted, even at the micro-stakes.

It’s almost impossible to think that there was a time, not too long ago, when most tournament players were not taking their M-ratios into consideration. This concept was introduced by Harrington and Robertie and is widely regarded as one of the most important contributions to the poker lexicon.

While the books’ significant level of influence does render some of its knowledge less valuable than more contemporary offerings, it is still packed with a wealth of essential information and considered required reading for anyone interested in tournament success.

The second volume in the series narrows its focus to the final stages of the tournament – a topic so complex, the author felt it warranted a publication of its own. This volume deals with the fragile dynamics of playing when the money is in sight and the blinds and antes are starting to overwhelm the short stacks. “Endgame” navigates these complexities expertly, providing readers with an arsenal of strategies to employ during this crucial phase of the tournament.

About the author

Dan Harrington won the 1995 WSOP main event, has ranked as high as 8th on the All Time Money List Best Rank and boasts career earnings of over $6.5M.

The 72-year old also recently expanded his bibliography by publishing two new volumes dealing with cash poker.

Bonus. Jared Tendler: The Mental Game of Poker

As an exception to the rule mentioned in our introduction, here is one book written by a non-player that has received such recognition that it is impossible not to include it in our list.

Psychology plays a bigger role in poker than most other competitive pursuits since it’s the only game in the world where a good player can continuously play well but still lose. The mental repercussions of losing a big hand or running bad for two months can ruin a tournament or, in extreme cases, a career.

This highly insightful book helps serious players overcome the challenges they will face when their emotions become involved in their decisions. It provides an actionable approach to dealing with tilt and it has been hailed by several WSOP bracelet winners, including 2012 Main Event Champion, Greg Merson, as having revolutionised their game.

About the author

Former mental health practitioner, and holder of a master’s degree in psychology, Jared Tendler, is a coach to over 500 professional poker players. His now defunct podcast, The Mental Game, has over 4.5M downloads and is still considered one of the most valuable resources on the psychology of poker.

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One of the best ways to improve your poker skills is to read a poker book. Many such books are written by pros who have enjoyed considerable success in their careers. You can find books on anything. From the basics to advanced strategies.

Amongst my favorites are books on poker tells. To find more success in poker, learning to spot tells is essential. Unfortunately, it’s a difficult skill to master. Luckily, the books I’ll review on this article have a lot of information on how you can easily read your opponent.

What are the best books on poker tells? From Caro’s Book of Tells by Mike Caro to Reading Poker Tells by Zachary Elwood, there are a few books on tells that have managed to provide unique details on how poker players can read their opponents.

Here are the Six Best Books on Poker Tells (they are in no particular order):

1. Caro’s Book of Poker Tells by Mike Caro

This book was written over 2 decades ago by Mike Caro, known as the Mad Genius of Poker. 20 years later, it is still relevant today. The book focuses on reading your opponent’s body language. The book defines a tell as any mannerism, which helps you determine the secrets of an opponent’s hand.

It is divided into four sections titled: Tells from “Those who are Unaware”, “Tells from Actors,” “Some General Tells,” and “The Sound of Tells.” In these sections, what the tell means is explained along with pictures that give more realism. What prompts this tell as well as what to do if the tell is noticed. It goes further to give an estimate of the reliability and value per hour of tells.

He uses the MCU (Mike Caro University) poker chart to describe poker hands that I found quite useful. The book draws to an end with a summary, a quiz, and the author’s final thoughts.

The book made an excellent read and proved insightful once I got past all the figures Caro didn’t quite back up and grainy photographers that were a little hard to decipher except for the accompanying texts.

Top Poker Strategy Books

This book is a good read, and I recommend it for beginners and intermediate players. It is a must-have in any poker library.

2. Reading Poker Tells by Zachary Elwood

This book has been referred to as the new Caro’s Book of Poker Tells. Published in 2012, it is an insightful read into the physical and verbal tells of poker players. It is recommended for both new players to the live setting, and experienced players looking to get better. Elwood goes beyond the behavior of the players to the psychology behind the tells.

The book is divided into three sections. The first section gives a brief history of the theory of poker tells, and he explains the need for interpreting tells and doing so in context. I especially like how Elwood emphasizes that “tell-reading is only a part of playing great live poker.”

The second section focuses on specific tells. Elwood gives a detailed and thorough insight on tells. He breaks tells down into before, during, and after an action, placing the tells in context rather than listing a number of them randomly.

He includes a discussion on General Poker Psychology that I find particularly useful. He concludes this section with a discussion on “General Verbal Tells” that any new players and even experienced ones will find useful.

The last section describes winning strategies on Deception and Manipulation that can be used to coax tells from other players. Elwood warns that these strategies should be used judiciously.

I loved that it was an easy read, and Elwood was quite descriptive in his explanations.

Get it on Amazon now.

3. What Every Body is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People by Joe Navarro

Although this isn’t really a poker book, many poker players have agreed that it’s a terrific book on tells. Most players seem to focus on the face as a ‘potential tell revealer,’ but Navarro debunks this and presents ways to spot a tell and false tells through other body parts. He shows how to understand their movements or lack of movement and what they could mean. He explains the limbic system in depth. This portion of our brain helps us read the people we are playing with.

I find this book particularly interesting because unlike the other books written by your everyday poker players, this author was trained to spot when people are trying to hide the truth. Navarro brings a new perspective to reading people. It is a perspective that can help you become great a reading people even when they try their hardest to hide them from us.

Get it from Amazon.

4. Phil Hellmuth Presents Read ‘Em and Reap: A Career FBI Agent’s Guide to Decoding Poker Tells by Joe Navarro, Marvin Karlins, Phil Hellmuth

Seeing Phil Hellmuth on the book cover immediately upped my expectations. The main author, Navarro, focused on the physiological motivation for a particular tell, which would help interpret similar tells. I like that he focused on tells that haven’t received as much discussion in previous books, including false tells and tells of the feet. The section on avoiding tells was also very informative.

The book teaches you how to improve your tell skills in great detail. The photographs with detailed description was a plus. Apart from the unnecessary chapter on “What you should know to Vanquish a Pro,” the book is a worthy read and right for players of all skill levels.

You can get the book from Amazon.

5. Verbal Poker Tells by Zachary Elwood

Talking at poker tables is almost a given. Some players know how to use this to their advantage. This book analyzes several hands and verbal tells that gave their position away. It covers research and theories on verbal tells.

It was refreshing to read a book where the author didn’t claim to know it all. I like how the book analyzes verbal tells and helps you change the way you talk.

The book is recommended for beginners and experienced players, but the author says that the materials are best when playing with less experienced players.

Link to Amazon where you can buy the book (Audible available).

6.The Psychology of Poker by Alan N. Schoonmaker

The Psychology of Poker is another book that can significantly change how you approach tells. With 300 pages of undiluted poker information to digest, you’ll have your hands full. I like that this isn’t just a book on how to or how not to catch tells. It discusses other skills like understanding hand selection, bluffing, reading hands, and applying the appropriate aggression during games.

Alan Schoonmaker holds a Ph.D. in psychology, and you can see how much he knows about the human mind from the richness of the information laid bare on this boom. As well as telling you how to do things better, this book also takes a critical look at what you have been doing and how it affects your game. The book was released in 2000 and is recommended for all categories of poker players, be you an amateur or professional.

Get it from Amazon.

What are Tells and how do They Affect the Game of Poker?

In our daily life, it’s easy to assume that we can mask our expressions. But in the game of Poker, even the slightest expression(facial, body language) can give hints to your opponent.

Tells are hints gotten from a change in a player’s expression. These hints can be used to determine a player’s hand or what’s going on in their mind.

Tells could come from the movement of any facial muscle, hand, or demeanor.

Just a little out of rhythm flutter of your eyelashes could give your opponent all the hints needed to outplay you.

Humans vibrate with expressions. We express ourselves via every part of our body. We respond to good situations with a smile and bad situations with a frown. We clench our fist in joy and curse in disgust.

If you’re attentive, you can tell what’s going on in a person’s mind by merely reading their body language. The spirit of competition amplifies these emotional reactions. This is why it’s so difficult for people to mask their emotions in poker completely.

How do Tells Affect the Game of Poker?

Imagine this, you have a good hand, but to prevent your opponent from folding, you frown, or you appear tensed, your opponent mistakes this for a bad hand, and they don’t fold. This goes well for you.

The revised case happens if you mistakenly show off what you have from your expressions.

This is why poker players always keep a straight face. Always keep a straight face void of emotions– despite what cards you are holding.

This may not be easy to achieve as most of these expressions are borne out of reflex, but there’s nothing that relentless practice can’t improve.

Common Tells in Poker

Below is a list of standard poker tells and how you can recognize them.

• Bet Hesitation: Humans have been known to take their time while making a “huge” decision. This knowledge can be applied in Poker too. A player with a good hand would most probably take time to decide on the bet. You’d think having a good hand makes their play a lot easier.

But there’s a kind of pressure that comes with knowing you have a genuine chance to win. With the odds in your favor, you’re more likely to take some time to maximize your advantage.

This very factor plays a role even with players with a bad hand. In a bid to exude the confidence to defy the reality of what they have, they make quick on the spot betting decisions. With this formula in mind, you’d better tell who has got a premium hand and who hasn’t.

• Sitting Position: This is easy to spot. Players who sit relaxed and suddenly sit up and lean forward, especially after seeing their hole cards, are usually prepared to go hard. It’d be better to lay aside your weak aces unless you’ve thoroughly understudied your opponent.

Likewise, when a player sitting up suddenly relaxes, this could be in a bid to prove confident and on top of his game. Most times, they are trying to protect themselves from showing off the bad hand they have. Either way, to look out for tells, it’s essential to take note of your opponent’s position at every point.

• Speech: This factor has different aspects. They are:
• Voice sound: When a player has an easier time talking without fluttering, it indicates a strong hand. But when the player is stuck on giving stifled replies, this is usually from the tension of having a bad hand. He’s probably counting his losses or trying to figure out a way to get the best from a bad bargain.
• Talkative: When a player who has been talking refrains from talking, it’s most likely due to bad hand and vice versa; when a quiet player gets all chatty, especially after placing a bet, beware, this player has probably built a strong hand. The speech is an excellent way to spot a tell, especially when having an opponent that’s well suited with sunglasses and the ultimate hoodie. Listen to the player’s voice and gauge the emotions from there.
• Eagerness to Play: When a player starts to hurry the other players up, exhibiting impatience, he may just be ready to bag a nice pot. The excitement that comes with knowing you have a clear advantage over your opponents can make you uneasy and raring to go. It’s good to study your opponent during a game, to avoid misreading any tell.
• Body Movements: What do you do when facing an opponent without any “obstructing” bodysuit and accessories? You look out for every of their body movement. From good old’ shaky hands when there’s a good hand that can sink the pot to tensed shoulders and the very delicate shifty eyes. Look out for all of this. Pay proper attention as you may miss this tell if you look away for even a second.
• Bet Size: This is, in fact, a bluff tell. You can tell whether your opponent has a good hand or not from their bet size. For example, a player with a bad hand may try to scare others off the table. To do this, the player may bet around 5 to 10 times the blinds. While this behavior may indicate he’s trying to get the best out of a good hand, the reality is that the player would probably go all-in if he were truly in a good position. This is a classic sign of a bluff.

How to Prevent Giving Away Tells in a Poker Game

This is where the ultimate act of camouflage comes into play.

What Is The Best Poker Book

Using the general rule of weakness means strength: Here, do the exact reversal of what you could have done given the circumstance. Are you with a bad hand? You may want to try a social bluff. Smirk, stare at your opponent, confidently. Try to be intentional with your facial expressions. Your opponents are obviously trying to read you.

If you play your social bluff well, you can successfully lead them on to your advantage.

Best Texas Holdem Books

If you’re looking for more ways not to give away tells, here are a few ideas:

• Learn from the book: Reverse what you’ve learned on how to get tells from your opponent to protect yourself from giving off that kind of tell. Did they say uneasiness can be read? Try to look more confident. You can also find books like John Navarro’s Em and Reap to help you work on your poker face.
• Hats and Sunglasses: This can never go wrong. Have you ever seen the professionals dressed in sunglasses and baseball hats? It’s not just for style. Like you, they’re protecting themselves from giving off tells to their opponent. They say the eyes are a doorway to the soul and that you can read a person by merely looking at their eyes, be it disappointment or joy. Sunglasses can help prevent anyone from looking directly into your eyes.
• Hoodies: Now, this takes the protection to a new level. The good old hoodies. When worn properly, these loose hoodies hold off opponents from catching tells like how tensed your shoulders are or when your ears blush with excitement. Some hoodies are broad enough to hold off the light from your eyes and make your eyes too dark to be read. This is a great way to prevent your opponent from picking up some clues.

Best Poker Book Ever

Final Thoughts

The pointers above are sure to get you through live poker matches. Although, when not used properly, they could backfire. Before using them, do make sure to have studied your opponents keenly.

Of course, the tell you caught may just be a social bluff, but no one can keep that up for long. However, many great players like to mix up their game, so you may merely be chasing shadows. But that’s why I’ve reviewed these 5 excellent books on tells to help you master one of the most effective strategies in poker.