Well, I've only read about 90 or so books on poker, most of them written pre-boom (2002 or earlier; the newer ones have a lot less character, 'twould seem), so I don't know if it's fair to say this is the best all-around poker book of them all, but it's easily top five. It's the Cadillac of poker books, to paraphrase Doyle.

This would be the nuts even if it was ony comprised of the introduction to poker "basics" (actually very advanced in some respects). Brunson lays out much of the stuff that takes some players years to figure out, and in only a few pages. Having played many thousands of hours of poker since first reading this in 2000, I can say that he hits the nail on the head as well as anyone ever has. Read that section alone and truly digest it and you're already half way home.

This book changed the poker landscape in many ways. Few were playing small suited connectors until Doyle made their value clear...no one but the top pros and "crazy gamblers", at least. Yes, he overrates J-10, but we weren't in his games back then, and I'm guessing he made a LOT of cash with it...and a man as crafty as Doyle knew that he had to write SOME misleading stuff here. You can't give away ALL your secrets!

Add to that excellent thoughts on many different games (if you can't play at least a half dozen games well you're hardly a real player), and what is still the best no-limit guide around, and you've got a book that truly lives up to its long-time nickname, the Bible Of Poker.

Haven't read the new edition, but going back to this one after some years made me realize that some of my more advanced poker thoughts and moves had their genesis right here.

This is a great read as well, not perfectly written but done with much feel and loads of understanding of what makes poker players tick. For those who play hold'em only, this is an excellent introduction to games like lowball and seven stud, the precursors of HE. It never hurts to have a larger skillset (and if you can play a good tripledraw game, you'll be sitting pretty when it breaks out in that Vegas hotel room game you stumbled into with your old buddy's wife's brother). Baldwin's limit HE section is solid as are all of the others. Add in the various anecdotes, told by men who are still some of the best to ever play their respective games even 30 years after publication, and you've got what is probably the most important poker book of them all.

If Yardley's Education is the granddaddy of poker books, then this is without doubt the Big Daddy.



[PS I'm no Doyle, but I have a column at pokerpagesdotcom where I share my thoughts on hold'em, PLO, strategies and gambling in general. My old articles are archived; if you've seen some poker on tv you might especially enjoy "Poker Needs More Sponsors", one of the few things I've written that makes me laugh every time I read it. Feel free to stop by and share your thoughts.]