The 10 books every poker player should read Part 2

There are plenty of specialized poker books a poker player could read that will improve one specific part of their game. Whether it’s a strategy book like Chris “Fox” Wallace’s No Limits, Lee Nelson et al. Kill Phil series, or Rolf Slotboom’s Secrets of PLO, or if it’s a psychology book like Jared Tendler’s Inside the Poker Mind or Paul Hoppe’s Way of the Poker Warrior (all excellent books I might add) these books are helpful to certain players or for certain leaks.

However, in terms of becoming a well-rounded poker player there are certain books a player can read that will help them regardless of what stakes, formats, or poker games they play. Some of these books I’m about to list were written for poker players, by poker players, while some of them are simply applicable to the game of poker.

So in no particular order here are the next three entries on the list:

Numbers Rule your World, by Kaiser Fung

If you are a new or struggling player this book isn’t simply recommended reading, this book is mandatory! Fung describes how every decision we make can be boiled down to the math of it all, using equity and risk to reward. And there is no endeavor that relies on equity and risk to reward than poker.

Even though this book may not be as insightful to experienced poker players, who already understand this concept, it’s still an important book to put on your shelf as it will remind you of what it was like before you looked at the world this way, and why some of your opponents are doing the things they do.

The Art of Speed-Reading People, by Tieger and Baron-Tieger

This is another entry on this list that won’t really help you when it comes to poker strategy or theory, but will be immensely beneficial to your understanding of the other players in the game, their motives, and why they do the things they do.

Speed-Reading essentially refers to a player’s personality type and can be done rather quickly, and with little effort. This can be monumentally important when you are playing against unknown opponents, where anything from their body language to a simple three-minute conversation could offer you the insight into their personality that you need to generally categorize them.

Game Theory: Analysis of Conflict, by Roger B. Myerson

Understanding Game Theory will not only help you when it comes to making mathematical decisions and formulating strategies, but it will also be incredibly important to you when you find yourself up against a game theory practitioner. Since Game Theory is more reactionary, if you understand how your opponent is adjusting to you (and what he is basing his information on) you’ll be able to mix-up your play and disguise your overall strategy far better against these players.

Read Part 1

Read Part 3

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