Top 10 advanced poker books
Hwang focuses on the second most popular form of poker.
10. Pot Limit Omaha by Jeff Hwang
While many other books on this list will help you improve your Texas Hold’Em skills, this one is focused solely on the second most popular poker variation out there — PLO. Jeff Hwang does a great job explaining the best strategies for beginners and more advanced players. It’s especially good if you’re making a transition from Texas Hold’em to PLO.
9. Small Stakes Poker Tournaments by Jonathan Little
The small stakes poker tournaments usually attract tons of players. While many of them are rather weak, it’s still not that easy to beat the games consistently. If that’s your goal, Jonathan Little can certainly help. He explores various successful strategies that will give you an edge in small stakes tournaments and will help you avoid common mistakes.
8. Small Stakes Poker Cash Games by Jonathan Little
Little is among the few authors on this list who focuses more on specific formats and strategies, instead of general poker-related content. This book will help cash players start beating the lower stakes consistently by explaining the most common mistakes of their opponents and how to exploit them.
7. Moorman's Book of Poker by Chris Moorman
It is probably one of the best books on poker for an online strategy. Chris Moorman is the most successful online tournament player, with more than $13 million in winnings. In this book, he shares his knowledge and the thought processes that helped him reach the highest levels of the game. He analyzes hands that he played in different tournament stages, explaining them step by step. If you are playing tournaments or planning to do so, this book is a must for your library.
Elwood focuses solely on reading tells.
This book is vastly underrated for some reason. It gives the unconventional approach of Tommy Angelo, who explores more than 100 specific situations. If you want to expand your thinking and learn some out-of-the-box techniques, give it a shot.
5. Reading Poker Tells by Zachary Elwood
Many of the other books on this list touch on the topic of reading your opponents, but none of them are dedicated to this aspect of the game. Zachary Elwood did just that, and you can quickly improve your reading skills in live games thanks to his work. He will give you useful tips on how to understand what’s going on, as well as strategies to take advantage of this information.
4. Essential Poker Math, Expanded Edition by Alton Hardin
Math is a crucial part of poker, especially nowadays, when it seems everyone is much more prepared than they used to be. This book by Alton Hardin gives you all the basics you will need. It can be useful to many players, but if you’re just starting, it’s a must-read.
3. Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book by Phil Gordon
The name of this one seems quite casual, but that shouldn’t fool you. The Little Green Book is considered a poker bible by many poker players out there. It covers pretty much all the important aspects of the game and could improve your style immensely.
2. The Mental Game of Poker by Jared Tendler
Poker can be difficult, and the mental side of the game is crucial if you want to achieve long-term success. Learning how to absorb unfortunate runs and handle bad beats is often the difference between a decent player and a poker pro. This book by Jared Tendler is one of the best on the topic and will help you take your mental strength to the next level.
1. Applications of No-Limit Hold'em by Matthew Janda
This is by far the best poker book I have ever read, and many pros agree with me. Matthew Janda breaks down the essentials and explains equity calculations, hand range structure, game theory optimal play, the purpose of balancing your ranges and much more. Moreover, he breaks down all of this information into structured parts, so the book is easy to follow and will surely help you understand the strategy much better.
Before jumping into reading advanced strategies, you can start by getting poker cheat sheets or even dedicated poker software for your specific game. Nevertheless, eventually, you will reach the point where you want to study more advanced topics, and deciding to start with poker books before jumping into paid options is an excellent choice!