The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How To Think Like One
by David Sklansky
List Price:
Our Price: $16.48
You Save: $13.47 (45%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $5.94 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: David SklanskyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1994-12
ISBN: 1880685000
Number of pages: 316
Publisher: Two Plus Two Publishing
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9781880685006
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How To Think Like One
Book Review: If It's Not The Best Out There, It's Certainly Very Close.
Summary: 5 Stars
Sklansky's The Theory of Poker has generally been reguarded as a classic since its initial release. Along with Doyle Brunson's Super System and Mike Caro's Book of Poker Tells these three book were the the 1-2-3 knockout combo of poker books. Super System covered many main types of poker specifically, Caro's Book of Tells covered much of the psychology of poker, but Sklansky's Theory of Poker was quite different.
Instead of focusing on one aspect of poker, Sklansky decided to focus on the "big picture". Odds, psychology, information, using these things in combination to make the correct decisions is what poker is all about. And with The Theory of Poker Sklansky wrote a book that attempted to teach you how to do just that. Simply stated, if you make more correct decisions than your opponent, and make less wrong decisions, then in the long wrong, you will win. Luck is the thing that keeps beginners and gamblers coming back to try and "hit it big". And it's what keeps those in the know in the money.
That said, this book is not the easiest read for the uninformed. I admit that I was one of those caught up in Poker big boom a few years ago but I have truly fell in love with it since then and have become a true student of the game. I have gone from dead money to a profitable player - and alot of that thanks goes to many of the books I have read by many great authors. In an attempt to categorize them to help beginners like myself choose what's right for them (in order):
Beginners:
Phil Gordon's The Real Deal - A very easy read to get beginners thinking about the game.
Sklansky's Hold'Em Poker - Not much more complicated than Phil's book and offers more good ideas for the novice for getting started.
Caro's Book of Poker Tells - Pretty straight-forward. Even most beginners should be able to grasp the concept of the tells and the psychological aspects of poker. Just beware of others who've read this book.
Intermediate:
Sklansky's The Theory of Poker - Certainly a must have. Will definitely get you thinking critically about the game.
Doyle Brunson's Super System - A classic, but you won't be able to dominate the tables like Doyle used to. And considering all the poker types it covers it's an invaluable book.
Harrington on Hold'Em vol. 1 and 2 - Even though this applies to mostly tournament play, much of this advice can be used in cash games. But if you play many tournaments (like I do) these are invaluable books and I would even put them ahead of Super System.
Phil Gordon's Little Green Book - A great suppliment to The Real Deal. Offers some great ideas and concepts and a pathway into the mind of one of the better Hold'Em players in the world.
Advanced:
Sklansky's Hold'Em for Advanced Players - Simply the best book on Hold'Em written but a pain in the brain to read if you're not in the know. Definitely work your way up to it.
Poker Essays vol. 1-3 by Mason Malmuth - Much like The Little Green Book these offer some great ideas but is more advanced. I still highly recommend them.
There are no doubt many other great books out there I haven't read. But the fact that these books have helped (and I say helped, because it requires much more than just reading books) turn me from dead money to a profitable player is good enough for me to recommend them. I recommend buying them in the order listed if you're new to Poker or reading them in that order if you've already bought several.
***UPDATE***
It's been more than a year since I wrote this review, and since then there's been a wealth of new poker literature out there.
Among them, Sklansky's No Limit Limit Hold'em: Theory and Practice is the most invaluable. It is akin to this wonderful book, but focuses on No Limit specifically. It belongs in the "super-advanced" section, but it has been the book that has raised my game to the next level.
Also in that advanced category, "The Mathematics of Poker" delves into the complicated math behind the game, and while it is not exactly a practical book, it may introduce the math inclined to an insightful look behind the math that rules the game.
Joe Navarro's "Read em' and Reap" is now the definitive book on poker tells. It was written by a career FBI agent who specializes in reading people. It not only gives you the tells, but goes into the deepest psychologies of what makes people reveal these tells.
Both Phil Gordon's Little Blue Book and Harrington vol. 3 tournament book are invaluable additions to each's library. Harrington vol. 3 especially for its breakdown of famous hands, and the thinking behind them. Weighing the Odds in Hold'em Poker is another superb Limit book, and has become perhaps my biggest aid when playing Limit. Doyle's Super System 2 is a valuable addition to vol. 1 if you wish to read up on various other games besides Hold'em.
I wish the best of luck to everyone at the tables - there's still enough fish to go around!
More The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How To Think Like One reviews:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Summary of The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How To Think Like One
The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky discusses theories and concepts applicable to nearly every variation of the game, including five-card draw (high), seven-card stud, hold ?em, lowball draw, and razz (seven-card lowball stud). This book introduces you to the Fundamental Theorem of Poker, its implications, and how it should affect your play. Other chapters discuss the value of deception, bluffing, raising, the slow-play, the value of position, psychology, heads-up play, game theory, implied odds, the free card, and semibluffing.Many of today?s top poker players will tell you that this is the book that really made a difference in their play. That is, these are the ideas that separate the experts from the typical players. Those who read and study this book will literally leave behind those who don?t, and most serious players wear the covers off their copies. This is the best book ever written on poker.
Poker Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Poker Books
Lessons From The Professional Poker Tourby David Apostolico
Lyle Stuart; Published: 2006-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.84
Price in other shops:
Powerful Profits From Internet Pokerby Victor Royer
Lyle Stuart; Published: 2006-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.46
Price in other shops:
The Portable Poker Pro: Winning Hold'em Tips for Every Playerby Lou Krieger, Sheree Bykofsky
Pinnacle; Published: 2007-03-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.50
Price in other shops:
Winning at Pokerby Dave Scharf
Chartwell Books; Published: 2003-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.00
Price in other shops:
Deal Me In! Online Cardrooms, Big Time Tournaments, and The New Pokerby Glenn McDonald
Sybex; Published: 2004-11-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.30
Price in other shops:
The Poker Player's Bible: Raise Your Game from Beginner to Winnerby Lou Krieger
Barron's Educational Series; Published: 2004-11-01; Spiral-bound; Book
Best price: $3.00
Price in other shops:
Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion's World Series of Pokerby James McManus
Books On Tape, Inc.; Published: 2003; Audio Cassette; Book
Best price: $165.00
Texas Hold'em For Dummiesby Mark Harlan
For Dummies; Published: 2006-10-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.75
Price in other shops:
Poker A Guaranteed Income for Life by Using the Advanced Concepts of Pokerby Frank R. Wallace
Warner Communications; Published: 1978; Paperback; Book
Big Dealby Anthony Holden
Abacus; Published: 2002; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.33
Similar Books and other products
Cash Games (How to Win at No-Limit Hold'em Money Games) Vol. 1by Dan Harrington, Bill Robertie
Two Plus Two Publishing LLC; Published: 2008-03-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $22.17
Price in other shops:
Phil Gordon's Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'emby Phil Gordon
Trademark Global; Gallery Books; Published: 2005-10-04; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.29
Price in other shops:
Every Hand Revealedby Gus Hansen
Citadel; Published: 2008-05-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.48
Price in other shops:
Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 2: Endgameby Dan Harrington, Bill Robertie
Two Plus Two Pub; Published: 2005-06-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $16.78
Price in other shops:
No Limit Hold 'em: Theory and Practiceby David Sklansky, Ed Miller
Two Plus Two Publishing LLC; Published: 2006-05-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $17.99
Price in other shops:
Small Stakes Hold 'em: Winning Big With Expert Playby Ed Miller, David Sklansky, Mason Malmuth
Two Plus Two Pub; Published: 2004-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.95
Price in other shops:
Hold'Em Poker for Advanced Players (Advance Player)by David Sklansky, Mason Malmuth
Two Plus Two Pub; Published: 1999-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.97
Price in other shops:
Caro's Book of Poker Tellsby Mike Caro
Cardoza; Published: 2003-03-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.99
Price in other shops:
Doyle Brunson's Super System: A Course in Power Poker, 3rd Editionby Doyle 'Texas Dolly' Brunson, Chip Reese, Joey Hawthorne
Cardoza Publishing; Published: 2002; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.87
Price in other shops:
Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Playby Dan Harrington, Bill Robertie
Two Plus Two Pub.; Published: 2004-12-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.85
Price in other shops: