Poker Books: Review

"I want to start reading more about Poker - which books do you recommend?"
is a question that comes up regularly in discussions with fellow poker players.

Regardless of your skill level and the types of games you like to play, there are good books out there for you to work on the general approach and strategy of your game.
Yet, I always tend to warn players that get overmotivated to read a lot. It is important to understand that every player has his own style and that this is the basis of your game (which you should feel comfortable with). Taking the wrong approach towards the material you read can infact harm you play. In other words, using the information you find in books in the wrong way can be bad for your game.

Before starting to read up on advanced concepts, you should be aware of what kind of player you are. In Poker, more than any other sport I know, the first step to success is self knowledge. Knowing yourself and realising how others might view you will give you a big edge on your competition. Know your strengths and weaknesses, and you can use them to your advantage.
Only as you do know yourself can your brain serve you as a sharp and efficient tool. Know your own failings, passions, and prejudices so you can separate them from what you see.

I've always been hesitant to read certain books because of the effects they could have on my "natural game". I'm not a big fan of telling people how to do something. You need to be able to think on your own and try out certain things in order to become good. Instead of telling someone how to do something, try making him think about what he wants to achieve and often he will surprise you with his ingenuity and not only him but you too can learn something from it. The beautiful thing about Poker is that there is not one single truth or one single successfull strategy. Adapting to the game is the key to success.

On the other hand, use the wealth of information you can find in the books out there wisely, and it can be an enormous enrichment for your game and overall skill level. After all, people seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy.

That being said, I will progressively post a list of books and articles that are of great importance and value in my opinion. Don't expect to read a book and instantly turn into a great player though. At the end of the day, experience counts for a lot. "years teach us more than books"



Under construction