30 of the Best Texas Hold'Em Books You Should Read

Iasmina Bunea

Casino expert

Updated:
30 of the Best Texas Hold'Em Books You Should Read

There is plenty of poker content online, with many blogs and news sites floating around. So, finding the best no limit poker book is quite a struggle. We will share a complete list of 30 top Texas Hold ’em strategy books!

1. Poker Math That Matters – Owen Gaines

Poker-Math-That-Matters-–-Owen-Gaines

Poker Math That Matters Summary

This is the first Texas Hold ’em strategy book that deals mainly with the math part of the game. Poker games deal precisely with numbers. Therefore, there is no way you will win as a player if you have no idea how to navigate numbers.

Owen Gaines understood the need for learning numbers and does a great job in the publication explaining in simple ways. This book covers almost everything you would think of in this game of numbers.

Areas covered

  • Equity calculations
  • Pot odds
  • Implied odds

Main reasons to read Poker math that matters

  1. You will make higher returns through learning the math behind different players like semi-bluffing, hero calling, and set mining.
  2. You will have a deeper poker understanding to make math-based and educated decisions instead of guessing.

2. Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book – Phil Gordon

Phil-Gordons-Little-Green-Book-–-Phil-Gordon

Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book Summary

Phil Gordon was a player who came standing tall among all the most significant players he played poker with. Phil was teaching other players taking part in big games.

After years of coaching and playing, he compiled everything he knew into the Texas hold’em poker book. This book is more of a general book since it does not focus on a particular poker format.

What can you learn about while reading?

  • Strategies
  • Psychology
  • The math of the game

Main reasons to read Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book

  1. You will learn to think outside the box since Phil shares his secretes about approaching different spots and the decision-making process.
  2. By understanding his thinking, you will learn how to follow essential adjustments, react in different situations, aspects which are critical when engaging in activities on online casinos.
  3. You will gain the most critical skills, which are the importance of progression and learning.

3. Modern Poker Theory – Michael Acevedo

Modern-Poker-Theory-–-Michael-Acevedo

Modern Poker Theory Summary

This book focuses more on the mathematical part of the game, but it is more advanced. Michael Acevedo decided to concentrate on GTO instead of dealing with random numbers.

He also explains ways of implementing his knowledge in actual games.

As one of the best Texas Hold ’em books, GTO improves your understanding of Texas Hold ’em, making a better decision when playing.

What is GTO?

GTO stands for game theory optimal. It’s an umbrella term used by a poker player to describe the holy grail of one-on-one poker strategy.

How can Modern Poker Theory give you an advantage?

  1. It is the newest Texas Hold’ em strategy book; hence will give you the latest information in all areas, including available software to improve your gameplay.
  2. You will advance your strategies from the explained truth behind poker.
  3. You will build an intense Texas Hold ’em understanding to be a better player.

4. Elements of Poker – Tommy Angelo

Elements-of-Poker-Tommy-Angelo

Elements of Poker Summary

This is not a strategy book but a book on how to deal with poker for long-term success. The author covers something that best poker strategy books leave aside.

This book will teach you more than just strategies to succeed in the long run.

5 crucial elements you will learn

  • Manage your money
  • Prevent spewing money
  • Control your emotions
  • Find the best games
  • When to quit

Main reasons to read Element of Poker

  1. You will have a clear understanding of online and live poker.
  2. You will know how to approach cash games and tournaments appropriately since the book offers a solid foundation before mastering strategies.

5. Kill Everyone – Lee Nelson

Kill-Everyone-–-Lee-Nelson

Kill Everyone Summary

Kill everyone has a cash game section, but that isn’t the primary purpose of the book. It is the best no limit hold’em book when it comes to tournaments players.

This book starts by comparing today’s strategies vs. old school ones and tips for using this information. Nelson explains the techniques that come from covering the late and early stages of play.

Why should you start reading Kill Everyone?

You will learn simple things such as full-colour chats and illustrations for better play.

6. The myth of poker talent – Alexander Fitzgerald

The-myth-of-poker-talent-Alexander-Fitzgerald

The myth of poker talent Summary

This book focuses on constantly improving your game and showing the importance of it.

Alexander stressed the importance of HUD and using the right poker software. The book goes beyond the general gaming experience, shares math-based shoving, and breaks down the critical parts.

Some of the topics in the book include

  • Check-raising
  • Triple barrelling
  • C-betting

How can The myth of poker talent be of assistance?

It helps you make the right decision when playing due to the lessons on HUD and using the right poker software.

7. Playing the player – Ed Miller

Playing-the-player-–-Ed-Miller

Playing the Player Summary

Ed Miller has written several best poker strategies books but took a different direction to deal with various playing styles.

This book is trying to help adjust your strategies in the right way since everyone knows the importance of strategy adjustment.

The topics on this book are divided based on:

  • How to change strategy post-flop to win more
  • Ways of playing against group preflop
  • How to exploit your mistakes

2 reasons to start reading Playing the player

  1. You will learn how to steal more pots to counter tight players
  2. By reading this book, it will be easy to deal with loose-aggressive and weaker opponents.

8. Every Hand Revealed – Gus Hansen

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Every Hand Revealed Summary

The book tries to reveal Gus’s hand to win the Aussie Millions Championship by breaking down his thought process. You will get a clear strategy from a top player.

Gus shares general advice on how to:

  • Deal with various situation
  • Adjust when the table become short-handed
  • Put pressure

How Every Hand Revealed is different from other poker books?

This Texas hold ’em poker book will offer you unique formats to analyze the exciting hands and give you an understanding of every play.

9. Harrington on Hold ’em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments – Dan Harrington

Harrington-on-Hold-em-Expert-Strategy-for-No-Limit-Tournaments-–-Dan-Harrington

Harrington on Hold ’em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments Summary

Dan Harrington is one of the best poker authors for tournaments and cash games; hence the book deserves to be on the list.

From all his books, this is the best no limit hold’em book you can read to gain more skills in poker games.

The book explains essential information and math-based theories.

The 4 main aspects of the book

  • Flop
  • River play
  • Turn
  • Preflop

Why read it?

This book will teach you how to adjust different strategies on various players.

10. Winning Poker Tournaments One Hand at a Time – Eric Lynch

Winning-Poker-Tournaments-One-Hand-at-a-Time-–-Eric-Lynch

Winning Poker Tournaments One Hand at a Time Summary

It is not a popular Texas hold’em poker book, but it is worth a position in the list. The author knows some vital information about tournaments because he is a winner.

This book, as suggested by the title, is all about tournaments strategies. It offers an in-depth analysis of different spots to help you better understand advanced topics.

It provides many hand examples hence giving you a great understanding of tournament poker.

Topics in the book

  • Bluff catching and bluffing
  • Various area C-betting strategies
  • Heads-up pots and multiway differences
  • Adjustment of short-stack and deep stack situations

11. Strategies for betting small stake poker tournaments – Jonathan Little

Strategies-for-betting-small-stake-poker-tournaments-–-Jonathan-Little

Strategies for betting small stake poker tournaments Summary

This is the best hold’em poker book for people playing at low stake.

If you tend to lose against any player, you need to look for this Texas Hold ’em strategy book for guidance.

The publication talks about the principles employed in small games and during making the proper adjustment.

What you’ll discover by reading this texas hold’em strategy book?

How to counterattack passive or aggressive opponents from the explanation of the different types of players.

12. Winning low-limit Hold’em – Lee Jones

Winning-low-limit-Holdem-–-Lee-Jones

Winning low-limit Hold’em Summary

This book concentrates more on low stake tournament games but mostly on cash games.

Rather than adjusting the play to different players, this book explains the foundation strategies and how to understand pot odds and read the board.

Lee Jones focuses on strategies on different table positions and how to play preflop in different situations.

The knowledge you’ll gain through Winning low-limit Hold ’em

  1. It offers a great understanding of how to deal with different spots as a newbie
  2. It contains questions to make the reading experience great

13. Excelling At No-Limit Hold ’em – Jonathan Little

Excelling-At-No-Limit-Hold-em-–-Jonathan-Little

Excelling At No-Limit Hold ’em Summary

This is among the best Texas Hold’ em books you will ever get.

The author was clever enough to gather all the best professional players to discuss different Texas Hold ’em strategies for various situations.

The book explains the game’s basics in more profound and more advanced concepts

  • Final table play
  • GTO approach
  • Short stack strategies
  • Analyzing ranges

Read Excelling At No-Limit Hold ’em & Learn

  1. Get an idea of how different players think when it comes to the same spot hence promoting growth.
  2. You will read the importance of this game psychology.

14. Exploitative play in live poker – Alexander Fitzgerald

Exploitative-play-in-live-poker-–-Alexander-Fitzgerald

Exploitative play in live poker Summary

This is a second Texas hold’em poker book by Alexander. There are fewer books that cover live casinos. Therefore, you should read this book if you want to start a session on live dealer casinos.

The book understands the difficulty online playing can be and will help you keep your money at all times.

Alexander talks about strategies that will force other players to make mistakes while playing.

How will Exploitative play in live poker give you an advantage?

  1. You will learn to manipulate other players into making wrong decisions and then exploit that calculated move with an effective counter-strategy.
  2. It will help you think out of the box while putting your opponents in a tricky situation.

15. Reading poker tells – Zachary Elwood

Reading-poker-tells-–-Zachary-Elwood

Reading poker tells Summary

This book is all about people’s behaviours on the table. Based on all videos Zachary Elwood has released, it is safe to say that he knows what he is talking about in the book.

All explanations in the book are easy to understand and straightforward, essential when dealing with complex topics.

The book’s chapter is grouped by tells that show strengths or weaknesses, making it easy to read and flow.

Reading poker says: Why read it?

  1. You will understand famous behavioural and verbal tells.
  2. You’ll learn ways of deceiving your actions and spot when opponents try to do something to you.

16. Essential Poker Math – Alton Hardin

Essential-Poker-Math-–-Alton-Hardin

Essential Poker Math Summary

This is one of the best poker strategy books to help you learn the basics of math in the Texas Hold ’em strategy.

Hardin talks more about poker math in a straightforward manner which mostly favours new players.

He goes ahead and explains that it is unnecessary to make complex math calculations during the play. Instead, understand the principles and importance of decision-making skills.

Essential poker Math Essential Lessons

You will learn:

  1. Odds
  2. EV calculations
  3. Different play’s mathematical explanation
  4. Poker probability
  5. Equity
  6. Implied odds
  7. Pot

17. The mental game of poker – Jared Tendler

The-mental-game-of-poker-–-Jared-Tendler

The mental game of poker Summary

Most players ignore the importance of psychology and the whole topic, which will cost lots of money.

Making emotional decisions will cost you a lot, but with this book, you will know what to do in a particular situation regardless of the outcome.

This book explains the details to compete in higher levels.

What does The mental game of poker guarantee?

Reading it guarantees a considerable amount of return regardless of the game you are playing.

18. The theory of poker – David Sklansky

The-theory-of-poker-–-David-Sklansky

The theory of poker Summary

This is a must-read Texas hold’em poker book.

This book has proven and tested to be among the best poker strategy books to be ever written.

It does not entail cutting-edge strategies, but it offers everything you need to play poker and approaches it correctly.

Give The theory of poker a try and gain information

The book contains all vital information like:

  1. Advice on hands reading
  2. General game approach
  3. Math on different situation
  4. Poker psychology
  5. Various play explanations

19. Application of No-limit Hold’em – Mathew Janda

Application-of-No-limit-Holdem-–-Mathew-Janda

Application of No-limit Hold em Summary

If you want to master Texas hold ’em strategy, this is the book for you.

The book contains a lot of explanations with real-life illustrations to understand what Janda is talking about. It covers almost every topic with in-depth analysis to see the right move and why they are right.

Why is the Application of No-limit Hold ’em different?

It develops a solid understanding of ways to play the whole range

20. Super system – Doyle Brunson

Super-system-Doyle-Brunson

Super system Summary

This belongs with other best Texas Hold ’em books.

It majors mostly on no-limit plays and is loved by pros as the best no limit hold ’em book ever existed.

It contains:

  • Theories
  • Tactics
  • Money-making techniques
  • Advanced strategies

21. The course – Ed Miller

The-course-Ed-Miller

The course Summary

This is a severe Hold ’em strategy book for intelligent and professional players.

This book is written differently from others, mainly for savvy players who understand that you need to be different to be successful.

It explains why you will fail if you act and think like everyone else.

Main reasons to read The course

Development of think-out-of-the-box technique through following the given guidelines.

22. One of a kind – Nolan Dalla

One-of-a-kind-Nolan-Dalla

One of a kind Summary

It focuses on the achievement of the best card player of all time: Stuey Ungar.

It explains all the strategies used to win different games.

The publication closely follows the journey of Stuey to becoming one of the best poker players in history.

One of a kind: A book full of strategies

You will discover different ways of dealing with opponents in various games and beat them point-blank.

23. Power Hold ’em strategy – Daniel Negreanu

Power-Hold-em-strategy-Daniel-Negreanu

Power Hold ’em strategy Summary

This power-packed book is one of the best Texas Hold’ em books focused on beating no-limit hold ’em.

Daniel brought together a group of young and professional players to share their experiences.

The players include:

  • Paul Wasicka
  • David Williams
  • Evelyn Ng
  • Erick Lindgren

Therefore, it contains almost all secretes used by these great players to win.

24. Poker workbook – James Sweeney

Poker-workbook-James-Sweeney

Poker workbook Summary

The author brings all his poker experience into one of the best Texas Hold’ em books.

This book comes with plenty of exercises that encourage the better side of you while playing poker.

The use of colour makes the book have one of the beautiful layouts.

Poker workbook quick insights

  1. This book can take you far just by reading the theories inside.
  2. Taking into account all practices, you can excel in poker without a doubt.

25. Play optimal poker – Andres Brokos

Play-optimal-poker-Andres-Brokos

Play optimal poker Summary

The book caters players with intermediate skills and have less impact on beginners.

If you like C$1 games, this is the right book but have a hard time with higher stake games.

The book offers skill enhancement and different strategies to use in other games.

What is the goal of Play optimal poker?

The end goal is to provide a deeper game understanding to make you see it from new perspectives.

26. Decide to play great poker – Annie Duke

Decide-to-play-great-poker-Annie-Duke

Decide to play great poker Summary

Annie talks about what you should do to be among the top poker player in this Texas holden strategy book.

The book offers the critical first steps in becoming a more confident and best Texas hold ’em player.

The book is all about the intricate details that make the game and how to make the right decisions.

What can Decide to play great poker bring to players?

You will know the importance of following and understanding the game’s rules and becoming a real table contender.

27. A fishy poker tournament – Tyler Nals

A-fishy-poker-tournament-–-Tyler-Nals

A fishy poker tournament Summary

This is one of the funniest, and the best Texas Hold ’em books. Tyler compiles all his strategies and poker characters into one entertaining book.

The book was written to be entertaining by avoiding the traditional approaches.

What are the main reasons to read A fishy poker tournament?

You will follow all the ups and downs in the poker tournament to the final table.

You will:

  • Solve any mysterious puzzle behind the scene
  • Learn more on different poker strategies
  • Learn poker stereotypes.

28. Life’s a gamble – Mike Sexton

Lifes-a-gamble-Mike-Sexton

Life’s a gamble Summary

Sexton is a legendary poker star who explained his forty-year career in the industry through thick and thin to become successful.

The book talks about his Vegas experience. He shares the good side, ugly and wrong side of the real poker world.

2 motifs to read Life’s a gamble

  1. The book is easy to read and fun, providing the life of a golf and poker player.
  2. Enjoy the cultivating story of a professional player to help you become better.

29. Check-Raising the Devil – Mike Matusow

Check-Raising-the-Devil-–-Mike-Matusow

Check-Raising the Devil Summary

The book talks about the turbulent nature of Mike’s life.

The book has dealt with the professionals’ humanity, which changes how we see the game. Mike talks about the challenges that players and other professionals go through to get their money.

How can Check-Raising the Devil impact you?

The inspiration story will have a positive impact on your life both as a player and an individual.

30. Sit’ n Go Strategy- Collin Moshman

Sit-n-Go-Strategy-Collin-Moshman

Sit’ n Go Strategy Summary

This is an epic book for a single-table tournament. It is the primary resource for Sit’ n Go game.

The book starts by explaining the basic concept of this game and covers pot odds, equity, and expected chip value.

The concepts are divided into:

  • High blind play
  • Mid blind play
  • Low blind play

Give Sit’ n Go strategy a try and gain knowledge

  1. You will gain plenty of actionable tips for building a successful career and choosing the suitable game.
  2. Above all, you will gain valuable materials like preflop probabilities, odds charts, and tables for different stack depths.

Conclusion

Many professional players worried about average skills when poker books became popular with the general public. However, that is not the case.

Although many players had Texas hold ’em books, most didn’t reach the experience level of the pros. The increased number of Texas hold ’em strategy books has led to a rise in skill for pros and common players.

The more you play poker, the more you need to read Hold ’em books. Without one, the other will not benefit you much!