Christmas Gifts for Poker Players by Bernard Lee

As we enter the month of December and the holiday season, many readers often ask me for a list of poker books for holiday gift ideas.  In this blog, I have compiled a thorough list that ranges from timeless classics to modern day standards to recent releases.  I hope you enjoy them.

Timeless Classics:

1) Super System by Doyle Brunson and others: For years, this book was considered the poker bible, as it revolutionized the way people played when it was released in 1977.  This was the first poker book that I read (and re-read), as I initially devoured Chip Reese’s section on Seven Card Stud.  I would religiously review this section to establish my foundation before heading off to the casino.  Since then, an updated version of the book (Super System II) has been released with new content by other authors such as Daniel Negreanu and Jennifer Harman.

2) Championship No Limit and Pot Limit Hold’em by T.J. Cloutier and Tom McEvoy:  Together, these two poker legends have captured ten World Series of Poker bracelets (Cloutier owns six, whereas McEvoy has four to his credit, including the 1983 WSOP Main Event).  Off the felt, they have also combined forces to co-author four poker books.  This particular book is my personal favorite.  I consider this my own poker bible, as I re-read it before every major tournament.  Some players may feel the concepts discussed in this book are basic, but I firmly believe that this book establishes a solid foundation for good tournament play.

3) The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky.  This book has influenced many current professional players, as the author explains the “logic and principles of skillful play” in poker.

Modern Day Standards:

4) Harrington on Hold’em, Volumes I, II, and III by Dan Harrington and Bill Robertie:  This series has instantly become a classic, overthrowing Brunson’s previously mentioned book as the new bible on tournament No Limit Hold’em.  A three-time WSOP Main Event final table participant (he won in 1995), Harrington provides an informative strategy book which contains numerous concepts that are critical for solid tournament play.  Volume III contains numerous hands to illustrate specific situations.  Overall, this trilogy is a must for any serious tournament poker player.

5) Read ‘em and Reap by Joe Navarro: Utilizing his years of experience, this former FBI agent provides insight into decoding poker tells.  Navarro has earned the praises of numerous poker professionals including Phil Hellmuth and T.J. Cloutier.  This book is another must have for your poker library.

6) Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book and Phil Gordon’s Little Blue Book by Phil Gordon:  These underrated and often overlooked books provide instructive anecdotes and key analysis of specific hands that will definitely improve your play.

7) The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide edited by Michael Craig:  Poker professionals from Team Full Tilt, led by Howard Lederer, provide championship tournament instruction.  Overall, this book does not focus solely on Texas Hold’em, but also other games such as Omaha and Stud.  Craig summarizes that the 12 contributors have over $30 million in career tournament earnings.

Recent Releases:
8 ) Power Hold’em Strategy by Daniel Negreanu and others: This thick tome is a modern day version of Brunson’s Super System. However, the primary difference is Negreanu’s section about his personal style of play: Small Ball.  For this section alone, this book is worth every penny.  This book will become an instant modern day standard.

9) Sit ‘n Go Strategy by Collin Moshman:  If sit and gos are more your cup of tea, this book has quickly become the go-to guide on how to play these one table tournaments.

10) The Poker Tournament Formula by Arnold Snyder:  This book enables you to formulate a strategy for smaller buy-in events.  Recently, Snyder released a second volume focused on deep stack tournaments.

11) Every Hand Revealed by Gus Hansen:  This book allows you to get inside the head of this poker superstar during his victory at the 2007 Aussie Millions.  As the title suggests, Hansen walks the reader through his rationale for every hand that he played during the tournament.

12) Winning Poker Tournaments (One Hand at a Time), Volume I by Eric “Rizen” Lynch, Jon “Apestyles” Van Fleet, and Jon “PearlJammer” Turner: Written by these three legends of online poker (including fellow Poker News Daily columnist Lynch), this book allows the reader to review hands they have played.  The book’s premise is for players to garner insight on how these highly successful professionals play hands online.

Last, but certainly not least.
13) The Final Table, Volumes I and II by yours truly.  Many of you know that in addition to writing for ESPN.com and Poker News Daily, I also write a weekly poker column in the Boston Herald.  These books are a compilation of these columns (Volume I includes 2005-2006 and Volume II contains 2007 through June 2008) and also include additional side notes for each.  For Volume I, 2005 WSOP champion Joe Hachem wrote the foreword, while poker legend T.J. Cloutier composed the foreword for Volume II.  For the remainder of 2008, all Poker News Daily readers will receive a 20% discount.  Just visit BernardLeePoker.com/BookSale for your personally signed copy.

Finally, if you would like to read a poker book without all the strategy, here are some good stories:
14) One of a Kind by Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson: This book follows “The Rise and Fall of Stuey ‘The Kid’ Ungar,” who was arguably the best poker player ever.  Ungar captured an unprecedented three WSOP Main Events (1980, 1981, and 1997).

15) Positively Fifth Street by James McManus:  Sent to Las Vegas to cover the 2000 WSOP, McManus became fascinated with the story of Ted Binion’s death and also participated in the WSOP Main Event, finishing in an incredible fifth place.

Enjoy the books!
Happy Holidays everyone and see you in 2009!

Since finishing 13th in the 2005 WSOP Main Event, Bernard Lee has cashed in numerous tournaments, capturing three titles and earning over $1.35 million.  He is also a columnist for the Boston Herald and ESPN.com’s Poker Club.  He is the radio host of “The Bernard Lee Poker Show.”  Listen every Tuesday night now from 5:00 to 6:00pm ET on 1510 AM in Massachusetts and also on 1510thezone.com and RoundersRadio.com.  The show is replayed several times during the week and is also available on podcast. Visit www.BernardLeePoker.com for the latest news regarding Lee.