The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You How to Think Like One [Paperback]

This book was written 11 years ago. Think about that for a second, and what it says about how fundamentally revolutionary the concepts Sklansky presents must be, that players still consider this book among the most important ever put into print. You'll still find this book on the bookshelves of every serious poker player, and I, along with most serious amateurs I know, refer to it on a continuing basis. Other so-called "classic" books, such as Brunson's first Super System and even the first printing of both Jones' and Sklansky & Malmuth's books were outstanding in their time, but most acknowledge that they have since lost their applicability to the more aggressive modern game. Theory of Poker, however, stands as a shining exception to these other outdated books, and continues to be what I believe to be the most important book for any and every poker player. In addition, Sklansky discusses many different poker games, and not just hold'em which seems to be all the rage at the moment. Understanding how the theoretical concepts he discusses apply to different games really helps reinforce the underlying reasoning.

As written above, the most amazing aspect of the book is that it has not, in any way, become outdated as the game has continued to change. Even with the explosion of internet poker, I found myself constantly re-reading chapters, and Sklansky's discussion of things such as the "fundamental theorum of poker" are even MORE applicable in the online arena, where loose play is the norm, especially post-flop in holdem. My son recently convinced me (after much pleading) to give online play a shot, and I was stunned at how well the lessons from Theory of Poker adapted to the style of play I found...they really teach you how to extract the most from less-skilled opponents, while being able to properly fold hands that are beat. If you decide to give the online thing a shot, another review here had a good suggestion to check out [...] which had site reviews and sign-up bonus codes for most major sites. Is Sklansky's writing style the most entertaining or gripping? Assuredly not: this is anything but a page-turner, but it's the reader who can look past his occasionally dry writing style who will truly reap the rewards of the nuggets of wisdom contained herein. In my humble opinion, a must-read for poker players of all levels.

There's no doubt that this is one of the most respected books on Poker ever written. The advice given is sound, and has influenced almost every top player and theorist who is around today.

However...

1. Sklansky is not a good writer. His English is often stunted, flows badly, and often gets lost in poker lingo, instead of explaining concepts in the clearest possible terms. Although he is writing about a topic that the reader should be interested in, Sklansky manages to bore fairly often. Sklansky also seems to have a distorted sense of self-importance that really comes across when he writes. Perhaps he was bullied at school.

2. The book is printed in a style which does not help the reader. Poor layout and ugly fonts, plus several typographical errors are unfortunate characteristics of every book released by Two Plus Two Publishing.

3. If you're only interested in learning about the fashionable game of today, No Limit Hold'em, this is perhaps not the best book for you. This book talks about the general concepts that will help you win at all forms of poker, and includes examples from less widely-played games, such as A-5 Draw Lowball, Razz, and Stud Eight or Better.

4. The book talks about some advanced concepts very early on and contains some unintuitive mathematics. Whilst it's probably one of the first books you should read, if you don't know how to play poker at all, don't expect any help from Sklansky. Try Poker for Dummies if you're an absolute beginner.

While this book is an essential part of any poker student's library, it probably shouldn't be your first book, and in it's current, slightly outdated form, it is overrated.

First, let me say that I own this book and have read it cover-to-cover a number of times. It is well presented and contains everything you ever wanted to know (plus much you din't know or didn't even want to know) about the mathematics and tactics of poker. I have given it a high rating as I believe reading it will make anyone a better tactical poker player

However, much as I feel that I am a better poker player after reading this book, the vast majority of online opponents that I have come across quite clearly haven't read it. Most low-limit online players are far looser than the poker experts Sklansky plays against and the subtleties of the semi-bluff or the meaning of a re-raise are completely wasted on them. This can cause the variance in winnings/losses per hand to be enormous and anyone with a less than infinite bank balance will suffer

While this book is unquestionably one of the definitve texts on the game of poker, it is not suitable for the casual online player. I'd recommend starting with one of the books aimed directly at online play and only purchasing this book when you feel you're interested and confident enough for higher-limit online or casino play