8 Best Poker Books To Help You Up Your Game in 2024

Whether you’re an advanced poker player or you’re just starting, research doesn’t stop.

Thus, to help you improve your poker skills, we prepared a list of the 8 best poker books you can read to improve your gameplay and truly become a poker master!

Let’s dive right in!

Top 8 Poker Books at a Glance

Best Poker Books for 2024

Let’s take a deep dive into some of the best poker books as of 2022!

1. Excelling at No-Limit Hold ‘Em by Jonathan Little

Rating: 10

 

Jonathan Little’s books have been known in the world of poker for a long time, and this one is among the best Texas Holdem books out there.

Published in 2015 by D&B Publishing, this book covers different strategies and focuses on the power of the mental game in poker. The book is divided into different sections and is extremely easy to follow regardless of the poker skills you possess.

The author boasts over $7 million in live tournament wins, which is exactly what made his name a credible source when it comes to poker strategies. If you’re looking for specific poker courses, make sure to check out his very own poker training website.

2. Play Optimal Poker by Andrew Brokos

Rating: 9.8

Published in 2019, Play Optimal Poker shatters the myth that only advanced poker players are able to understand poker game theory. Driven by the idea that anyone can learn poker, Brokos provides a detailed master class, making sure that his writings, in a sense, serve as a poker for beginners book.

What makes this book exceptionally good is the fact that it doesn’t just explain the theory, but it provides you with the details on how to actually put the theory in practice, thus earning its rightful place on every poker book list.

Andrew Brokos is a poker instructor for Card Player Pro and is well known for his success in the World Series of Poker.

3. Strategies for Beating Small Stakes Poker by Tournaments by Jonathan Little

Rating: 9.6

Yet another title in the Jonathan Little poker books series!

Published in 2015, Strategies for Beating Small Poker by Tournaments talks about the possible distractions during the game and the importance of focusing on your opponents. More specifically, Little describes the types of players you can meet in small stakes tournaments and the different ways to locate their weaknesses. It can definitely come in handy when you’ve already mastered the gameplay and you’re looking for some additional tips.

Well structured and easy to read, this book can easily be classified as the best tournament poker book out there.

4. Modern Poker Theory by Michael Acevedo

Rating: 9.5

Published in 2019 by D&B Publishing, this book talks about poker game theory fundaments such as range classifications as well as complex data analysis. It’s an in-depth guide to some of the essential aspects of No-Limit Hold’em, including optimal play and its application to an actual table.

The author did a really good job organizing the theory. His systematic approach to the GTO analysis is especially praised within the poker community, making Modern Poker Theory one of the best poker strategy books today.

Michael Acevedo is a world-renowned poker theorist and a game theory expert.

5. How To Study Poker Volume 2 by Sky Matsuhashi

Rating: 9.4

If you’re looking for some truly great poker books, we strongly advise you to check out this one.

Learning how to play poker is not complicated, which is actually what this book published in 2017 is trying to say. Sky designed this book as a 28-day template, organized in such a way that lets you learn about his poker journey in specific stages, which is exactly what makes his work probably the best book to learn poker from scratch.

The book also contains his hand-reading practices, calculations and processes that he learned while studying poker.

Matsuhashi started his poker journey in 2003, and right now, he is helping people improve their poker game on his Smart Poker Study Podcast.

6. Playing The Player by Ed Miller

Rating: 9.0

Published in 2012 by Createspace, this book revolves around the theory of poker and various strategies on understanding your opponents and making good use of their weaknesses to significantly improve your profits.

The book is divided into different sections where the author describes all sorts of players, ranging from tight players to loose-aggressive ones and of course, bad players. He goes into detail on how to use their weaknesses against them and win the game.

Ed Miller started as a software developer for Microsoft, and after many years of playing, he wrote some of the best game theory books, which brought him fame in the poker world.

7. Elements of Poker by Тommy Angelo

Rating: 8.8

Most of the books we have compared so far fall under the poker strategy books category, but not this one.

Published in 2007, this book gives you advice on how to gain success in the long run. Elements of Poker will teach you how to stop titling and spewing money, when to quit, how to control your emotions and other crucial things that don’t really pop into our heads in general.

Tommy Angelo is a poker expert from California. If you’re looking for more professional advice, make sure to check out his Tiltless Coaching Program. Apart from being an experienced poker player, Tommy is also a musician.

8. The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky

Rating: 8.5

Even though the book was published in 1999, which might seem a bit too long, it’s still as relevant as ever, thus earning its place on our best poker books list.

The author gives the reader insight into all the factors that should be considered during the game, including the very psychology of the game, the different types of players, as well as an excessive hand-reading guide.

The Theory of Poker is not your step-by-step book on how to play poker. It’s more complex and it might take a few reads in order to understand it correctly, but you will definitely find it impactful in the long run.

Advantages of Poker Books

Reading poker books surely gives you a broader knowledge of the game. Let’s see what some of the main benefits of poker books are.

1. Get Down to the Nitty-Gritty

Most authors share personal experiences as well as strategies that have helped them increase their winning rate, which in turn can help you understand the game on a more fundamental level.

2. No Expiry Date

These types of books will never get outdated, not only because the rules of poker have practically been set in stone for quite some time, but also due to the fact that the game mainly relies on psychology and mindfulness. This means that poker books will be as relevant in the future as they are today.

3. A Good Read

Even if you don’t consider yourself a passionate poker player, you can still enjoy the content. Some of the best books on poker consist of adventurous personal experiences that are very fun to read.

Finishing Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed our journey through the top 8 best poker books. Whether you’re looking for a way to increase your winning rate or just a good night’s read, there’s no doubt this list will suit your needs!