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Even novice poker players know that for a confident game of plus over the theoretical base, psychology and emotional component will have to work hard and hard. Out of habit, the first thing beginners start to do is look for poker books. Active action is already a plus in your karma. Why books are no longer so relevant, you will find out at the end of this article. In the meantime, I will tell you about the best books on tournament poker that you can read. It will be a useful waste of your free time.
1. TOP books about tournament poker
I am a tournament poker coach, so we will talk about books that will help novice players in MTT and SnG. They will not be so useful for spins players, since the strategy of playing in these hyper-turbo tournaments is significantly different from other types of poker.
Dan Harrington "Harrington on Modern Tournament Poker"
Dan Harrington is an amazing person for several reasons. First, his books on poker are considered almost the Bible of the card game even several decades after their publication. Harrington is not only a successful theorist, but also a practitioner. He has several World Series of Poker bracelets, and the total amount of prize money in live tournaments exceeded $6 million.
“Harrington on Modern Tournament Poker” in the community is considered a continuation of the famous “Harrington on Hold 'em” trilogy.
The book was published in 2014, so many of the concepts described in it will no longer be relevant and modern. However, from here you will get the basic knowledge for a successful profitable game at microlimits and in tournaments with average bets. And in general, reading books is always good.
Dan Harrington - Harrington on Modern Tournament Poker
Chris Murman "Murman on Poker"
Chris Moorman decided to offer the poker community a slightly different view of poker literature. The book "Murman about poker" was published in 2015. In it, a well-known professional analyzes the poker player's 80 hands from the middle limits (along with him), highlighting mistakes and offering interesting alternative lines. Why is this paper edition worthy of your attention? Chris Moorman is one of the most successful poker players both offline and online. The prize amount is more than $20,000,000. Therefore, to find out the course of thoughts of a well-known professional will be, at least, curious. And also compare the logic of thinking in 2015 with 2022.
Chris Murman - Murman of Poker
Jonathan Little "bluff"
Bluff is not a randomly made bet, with which you will win the pot. This is a planned operation, for the success of which you need to do a lot of preparatory work and take into account many factors. In general, you need to be able to bluff!
The success of a bluff consists of a number of factors:
- Structure of the board;
- Combination of the opponent;
- Type of opponent;
- Your previous interactions;
- Current psychological state of the player, etc.
In his book, Jonathan Little gives many examples of successful and unsuccessful bluff, explaining in simple words why one hand ended in failure and the other in success.
Jonathan Little - "bluff"
Alex Fitzgerald "The Myth of Poker Talent"
Alex Fitzgerald is my colleague, he has been training for more than fifteen years (at the time of writing - more than ten years). More than 1,000 students of various levels passed through it. And it is all the more interesting to learn about his reflections on what makes an ordinary person a great poker player who wins millions. There is such a thing as “poker talent”. But how important is it? Or is hard training and working on the game able to turn any person into a professional?
I will not spoil you by publishing the author's opinion, but I will tell you a number of my thoughts. Turning poker into a source of additional or basic income is real for everyone. It depends on the current state how much time and effort it will take to do this. One game and its understanding are much easier than others, but everyone can win. And the feedback from my students confirms that together we find an individual way to a profitable game for everyone!
Alex Fitzgerald - The Myth of Poker Talent
Ed Miller holdem for beginners
I want to finish my recommendations with a basic book, but not with Harrington's trilogy, but with something unusual. “holdem for beginners” by Ed Miller is a detailed guide for beginners, so players of even an average level will not be interested in it. Finding revelations in a book is difficult. Date of publication - 2005. I recommend it to anyone who is just planning to start playing unlimited Texas holdem or is already making the first attempts. You will learn to look at poker not as a game, but as a potential source of income that you can make real. Basic concepts are enough to feel confident at microlimits. And then - you can study advanced concepts of hold 'em.
Ed Miller - holdem for beginners
2. Why books about MTT poker are no longer so relevant
Now let's digress a little from the books. I said at the very beginning that in the second half of the article I would explain why poker literature is gradually becoming obsolete. I do not make this statement because I do not have my own paperwork; most coaches and professionals think so today. It's all about the too long process that the book has to go through from the moment the idea appeared to its implementation in the form of a manuscript (printed pages) and the moment of publication.
Many stages do not depend on the author himself: approval, editing. The process may be delayed due to long negotiations with the publishing house, discussion of circulation, compensation, etc. Do not forget about the most important stage in writing the book - the collection of material, its generalization and presentation. As a result, it turns out that many years can pass from the moment an idea appears in the author's head to the day of its implementation. And poker will not stand still at this time. The game is constantly evolving.
3. How to develop in poker
If tournament poker books are no longer relevant, where do you get your information from?
There are several options for improvement that cannot be stopped:
Reading articles
Trainers and professionals have found a simpler approach to reach the reader: to publish short articles on the Internet. They are often devoted to one small topic that is detailed and relevant at a given time. You can find a lot of useful information on the Poker University website.
Watching videos
There is a lot of content in English. In Runet, units make high-quality content. Therefore, articles and videos from Alexey Exan13 are rare in their usefulness content, which cannot be overlooked.
Connecting with other players
Singles rarely succeed, especially in poker. This is an individual game, but it is better to discuss the hands collectively, rather than boil in your own juice. The most convenient modern way is to be in the community of players of our portal in the Telegram channel and chat with it.
Classes with a coach
This is the most effective way to improve your game. An experienced mentor will quickly find global problems in the student's game and help to eliminate them.
Buying video courses
Videos supplanted books due to easier perception and relevance of strategies. You do not need to strain, choose the right environment for reading. Video courses, unlike simple content, provide large amounts of useful information without unnecessary water in a convenient structured form with a detailed explanation of the logic of certain decisions.
On our site, you can access paid professional video courses for free by participating in the site's loyalty program for free education.
Poker Training Articles
I do not leave my students, as well as site visitors, without free content, regularly releasing articles and videos in which I analyze in detail the current issues that players face every day (for example, using bet sizing in MTT poker), conducting streams - live broadcasts with discussion of complex hands during the session. In the articles, I pay attention not only to poker, but also to general points that will help to achieve stability, and in general make the life of any person easier, brighter and a little happier.
Classes with an MTT coach
When I say that individual lessons with a poker coach are the most effective way to achieve a positive change in my game and avoid major mistakes, I am not doing self-promotion. This is true. Self-education can be compared to traveling on foot, group classes - with a trip by car, and an hour of personal communication with a trainer - flying by plane. The ultimate goal can be achieved by following any of the three paths described above. It is only a question of time spent and desire.
