> the best description of playing poker professionally that I ever heard was that it was like playing a game of chess for $1, then flipping a coin for $100. In the long run that chess game is the only thing that matters, but in the short run those coin flips can be brutal
Great quote! What books or online resources would you recommend for getting better at poker? Not looking to play professional but do enjoy the game and always looking to improve.
It's been a long time now since I've studied intensely (haven't played much poker outside of the occasional home game with friends for 10 years), but I imagine the 2+2 forums are still the best forums around for discussion of strategy, hand reviews, theory, etc.
David Sklanksy and Harrington and Ed Miller's books are probably the best around still in terms of a comprehensive overview of the various games, especially Hold Em and Stud, the games of course change as people change styles, but the basics are there.
If you are mathematically minded or just interested in a whirlwind tour through game theory and gambling theory, I highly recommend The Mathematics of Poker by Chen and Ankenman -- but it's a pretty heavy lift https://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Poker-Bill-Chen/dp/188607...
I've also heard good things about Applications of No-Limit Holdem by Matthew Janda but it came out after I pretty much quit playing regularly so I haven't read it.
If watching people play is more your thing there are tons of good sites out there now were good players record themselves playing and give a running commentary on their thought process as they play. It can be quite an eye opener to listen to what a good player thinks about when they make their decisions.
Daniel Negreanu is always fun to watch, and he has some great streams on Twitch when he's out of the country: https://www.twitch.tv/dnegspoker (He often plays Hearthstone when he's home in Vegas, and that's fun to watch too.)
Pretty good recommendations. I'd add that if the Chen/Ankenmann book is too abstract, then possibly the Intelligent Poker Poker by Phil Newall is a better choice - it's kind of the more applied game theory book. MoP is an excellent book for those with a math background, but as you say, it's a bit tough for those without it.
There are very few books that are up to date on the current meta game of poker. You are much better off watching training videos done by professionals.
I recommend UpswingPoker [1], created by debateably the best heads up no limit player in the world. It will give you a very solid foundation for understanding poker in a short time. The training videos are not free, if you want something for free you can watch them on Twitch [2].
Professional poker players streaming on Twitch is rising in popularity. You can learn quite a bit about the game by simply tuning in on a regular basis. There are people who play small stakes ($10-$100) and people who have streamed tournaments where they've won >$100k for a 1st place finish.
Great quote! What books or online resources would you recommend for getting better at poker? Not looking to play professional but do enjoy the game and always looking to improve.