The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How To Think Like One by David Sklansky
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Book Reviews of The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How To Think Like One
Book Review: THE BEST BOOK ON POKER, HANDS DOWN.
Summary: 5 Stars
Sklansky is the best writer on poker theory and strategy, and this is his best book, period. This is not a light read or an easy read, but its not poorly written either, its just that he examines his Fundamental Theory of Poker with a good bit of math and logic. This is a book that is meant to be highlighted and notes should be taken along with it, and re-reading it is a must.
Once the basic theory and its more specific applications of this book are internalized and come out in your play effortlessly and without conscious thought, you will see why this book is so highly regarded by the poker community, critics, and even the most skilled players in the world.
Has sections on every aspect of poker - expectation, his Fundamental Theory of Poker (amazing), odds (effective, implied, reverse, pot), deception, bluffs & semi-bluffs, raising & check-raising, loose vs. tight play, position, reading hands, and the psychology of poker. he covers in section better than entire books that focus specifically on any of them.
I can't say enough good things about this fantastic book. It will give you a better and more complete understanding of the game than any other book ever made; it will make you a better player, period.
Book Review: Best Poker Book Out There
Summary: 5 Stars
I love poker and cannot get enough of it. I like reading whatever I can, trying to learn more. I read through Sklansky's "Theory of Poker" once, and learned so much. As I'm reading through it a second time, I'm learning so much more. It is by far the best book on Poker that I've read.
The book does not tell you what to do when you're dealt pocket aces in hold'em or when you're dealt three kings in stud. It deals with the concepts underlying what you should do when you're dealt those hands. It's not an instruction manual about how to play each and every specific hand, but it goes over the concepts that are behind each play you could decide. In reading, I have thought back to previous hands that I've played and how I should have played them differently, or how I played them well, based on what the right play would have been for the situation I faced.
The book seems fairly well written. Some of the concepts are very complex and I am only now beginning to really understand them, in my second reading of the book. I highly recommend this book, and I recommend reading it once, and then probably re-reading it a month or so later, you will learn so much more from the second time. Enjoy
Book Review: excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
I prefer later titles by this author but the valuable information in here should not be bypassed. Contained in ALL their titles: The best advice backed up with easy to understand examples. Contains the least amount of dubious advice of any poker text. Skylansky and Malmouth will effect a huge difference in your poker fortunes. No matter how good a player you are you are a "clueless newbie" until you have mastered the knowledge offered by David and Mason. Once caveat: Keep in mind that in general their advice is directed towards your playing in a game with tight aggressive skilled players. These authors no longer play in low limit games and to some extent have lost touch with the type of player the low limit playing reader faces.You should add another title to your shopping basket here to read that addresses games with loose bad players in it so as to obtain a proper strategic approach to all situations. A good poker book teaches you how to think about situations more so than what to do in specific situationAny text by the team of skylansky malmouth is worth it's weight in gold. Look for a revision of some of their classic texts, subtitled- "year 2000 or 20c. update"Book Review: Great general theory
Summary: 5 Stars
The Theory of Poker is easy to read, providing insights behind Poker in general. It's a great starting point on understanding key concepts like implied odds, positional advantage, and bidding strategy. It is written assuming the reader is a novice, but the concepts are powerful enough to improve the poker skills of a more experienced poker player.
The book applies a very mathematical approach to the game. The key is understanding the odds you have of winning, versus the odds you are being given to play. It is less about playing by feel or reading the other players body language, and more about approaching poker with the mathematical rigor used by pros. Very solid approach to improving one's poker abilities.
The reader should not take this book as the be-all end-all of a poker education, it is merely the beginning. For more specific scenarios ("How do I do well in a no-limit hold-em tournament?") there are books with more finely tuned odds and strategies. In fact, Sklansky has written several of them.
Book Review: For those truly willing to study the game.
Summary: 5 Stars
This book isn't going to turn its readers into a winning poker player overnight. Sklansky has other books that were written for that purpose.
Instead, Theory of Poker is a book that explores the deep intricacies of the game. Understanding the knowledge within this book will help make the other information a player needs to utilize to become a winning player much more tangible.
It's actually kind of a shame. When this book was first published, it simply revolutionized the world of poker like so few other events have.
This is definitely a must read for anyone who intends to become a student of the game, but I wouldn't recommend it to beginners. Simply put, I have yet to encounter a long term winning poker player who has not read this gem. It's not going to turn a losing player into a winning player, but it will to change the attitude of a losing player, and most poker players are losing players.