Some say “The Theory of Poker”, written by David Sklansky, is the best poker book ever written. Sklansky covers multiple varieties of poker with this title, including five-card draw, seven-card stud, hold’em, lowball draw and razz. Numerous pros have been recorded saying how much of an influence this book had on their poker game.
Published for the third time in 1994, the book introduces the Fundamental Theorem of Poker, explaining its concepts and how play should be affected. These concepts are quite complex, however Sklansky does an excellent job expressing his ideas as simply as possible. Sklansky also presents his thoughts on bluffing, raising, slowplaying, value of deception, psychology, heads-up play, implied odds and much more. Content is so extensive that this may be a bit of a slow read, but readers will gain strategies and concepts that will prove profitable in the long haul.
Sklansky’s overall concept is that all forms of poker can be played profitably with the right amount of patience and the right approach. He wants players to understand what factors to consider when making poker decisions. Once players understand this, they can more accurately access situations when making decisions. All poker players should read this book (most already have).