1. GENERAL STRATEGY
This is your first building block when it comes to understanding some of the key concepts in poker. Most of the older pros would certainly have read this and most decent players would have given this the once over. Up there with Brunson's "Super System" it's almost considered to be "The Bible" for a lot of players. For me, it certainly was a good read for getting to grips with some of the more aggressive elements of the game but some of the heavy maths parts did have me struggling.
This is just one of those reads that are good, solid nourishment for a long plane or a coach journey. The writing style is very informal but it's an absorbing read and is particularly good at teaching the beginning player about attitude towards the game. It's fairly light reading, it won't teach you a thing about strategy, but it does deal with all those psychological issues about being composed and freeing yourself of the propensity to tilt.
2. PSYCHOLOGY
This one reminds me of Allan Carr's self-help book; "Easy Way To Stop Smoking." A book that stated the bleedin' obvious but was just something that smokers needed to be told (yet again) about why it might be a good idea to give up. "Mindset" really states what most people already know about discipline and self-control but, like Carr's book, just strikes the right chord and reminds people in the right way. For making sure you're being steered in the right direction - it's worth picking up.
3. MTTs
"Winning Poker Tournaments One Hand At A Time Vols 1 & 2" by Lynch, Van Fleet & Tuner
This one is the next in line on the evolutionary scale to the, now almost obsolete, "Harrington On Holdem" books. They are very well-presented and accessible to the reader who likes to unpick the thinking process behind successful tournament players. It is critically acclaimed and, I believe, Volume III is on the way. A good read.
"Poker Tournament Formula 1 & 2" by Arnold Snyder
This one is a bit of a mind-blower if you're still chugging along with Harrington's out-of-date principles. It's almost exclusively directed at the fast-structured online MTTs but its layout and readability factor are superb. For those players who are still putting the importance of survival over chip accumulation in the donkfests of today then it's time to wake up and smell the coffee. This one is for winners and most definitely not for wimps.
4. SnGs
"Sit 'N Go Strategy" by Collin Moshman
This comes very close to Phil Shaw's "Secrets of Sit 'n' Gos" but it pipped Shaw's to first place in the SnG category because, personally, I'm always a bit wary of quizzes - which totally ignore the other hidden variables that are at work at the table. Anyway, this one does the business and is a pretty solid read. Again, personally speaking, although I'm sure there is money to be made at this form of poker, I've kind of had it with SnGs.
5. CASH GAMES
"Harrington on Cash Games Vols I & II" by Dan Harrington
As a beginner's guide for anyone making the switch from MTTs to cash, then I would say that this book is essential reading. It is great for divulging the basic principles and will stand you in good stead for the short term and for finding your feet. Unfortunately, as is is often the case with Harrington's books, evolution moves fast in the world of online poker and sticking with these principles will possibly get you run over by astute opponents. Yes, read and absorb - but be prepared to up your game and move on.
"No Limit Hold 'em: Theory And Practice" by Sklansky & Miller
As far as depth goes, this is just a step deeper than Harrington and just asks that little bit more from the reader. I think if you're willing to go with the authors though, this book can give you the rewards. I'm really beginning to like Ed Miller's style (see below) but with Sklansky on board, those maths sections do leave my mind a little fuzzy. Nevertheless, this definitely comes recommended.
"Secrets of Short-Handed No Limit Hold'em" by Danny Ashman
This first edition copy got absolutely ripped to shreds by some of the 2+2 forum people for its inconsistencies and grammatical mistakes. Luckily, for the more pedantic, a new edition was published just a week ago. Much in the same vein as the "Winning Poker Tournaments One Hand At A Time" series, this lets the reader follow the thought processes behind some of the decision-making skills of a top-notch winning player.
"Harrington On Online Cash Games: 6 Max" by Dan Harrington
This is another great read for the player who is just starting out in the cash game arena but who is beyond the micro-stakes level. This book is ahead of the others in that it does put the tracking software stats in some kind of perspective and it helps the player to understand the significance of some of those numbers. It gives plenty of food for thought but it can get a little monotonous and it's possible to get a little bogged down. Anyway, definitely worth a whirl.
6. LATEST ACQUISITIONS (CASH GAME BOOKS)
"Small Stakes No-Limit Hold'em" by Miller, Mehta & Flynn
This is a very recent purchase so I can't really comment in any depth at the moment. It's geared towards the $1/$2 player and what I have read would certainly make it worthy of a Top 10 place. Muggings here paid £22 for it but you can snap it up cheaper online.
No Limits: The Fundamentals of No Limit Holdem by Wallace and Stemple
Similarly, this book was purchased not 12 hours ago. From a skim read, it looks like a good, fresh read and probably worthy of a Top 10 place. It's also good for the $1/$2 player. No expense spared with the publishing costs - the cards have colour!
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