The 10 Best non-strategic poker books of all-time Part 2

When it comes to lists of the best poker books people’s minds immediately gravitate towards the poker primers like Super System, Harrington on Hold’ Em, and The Theory of Poker. Lost in the shuffle are the books that do not detail the strategies of poker, but instead offer insights and background into the most American of strategy games. So here is my list of the 10 best non-strategic poker books that should be on every serious poker player’s bookshelf.

Before I begin I should point out that I have not read The Doyle Brunson Biography, Mike Matusow’s Biography, the new Devilfish Biography, The Roy Brindley Biography, Bigger Deal, or the Michael Craig book that details the Andy Beal game.

I’ve ranked the books with #1 being the best in my opinion, and #10 the least of the best Here are the final five entries on the list culminating with #1:

• 5. The Biggest Game in Town, by A. Alvarez

Alvarez was the first author who went behind the scenes into the world of high-stakes poker players, and his moving account remains one of the classics in poker literature. Alvarez details the players involved in the poker scene is the early 1980′s, one of the forgotten times in poker history.

• 4. Education of a Poker Player, by Herbert O’ Yardley

An absolute classic! What makes Education of a Poker Player so interesting is the life of its author Yardley, who was a code-breaker, card-sharp and more in what must have been a whirlwind of a life. You can read even more about O’ Yardley in Cowboys Full where McManus dedicates a number of pages to the man who wrote the first definitive book on poker.

• 3. Titanic Thompson: The Man Who Bet on Everything, by Kevin Cook

This is a very new book, and I must say was very impressed with Cook’s research into the life of arguably the greatest gambler in the history of the world. Thompson is one of the most intriguing people in history, and Cook does a great job of separating fact from fiction in the latest account of the man named Titanic.

• 2. Positively Fifth Street, by James McManus

It should come as no surprise that the man who wrote the best poker book on my list also wrote the second best! Unlike Cowboys Full, in Fifth Street McManus gives a compelling first-person account of his life-changing trip to Las Vegas for the 2000 WSOP.

• 1. Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker, by James McManus

This is the definitive poker book covering the games origins, straight through the Internet age. Cowboys Full is well written, well researched, and as comprehensive as it gets! History buffs and poker enthusiasts alike will enjoy this book.