The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky - Poker Book Review

David Sklansky is one of the top poker authors of all time and has written an amazing collection of information in The Theory of Poker. This book is different than most due to the fact that Sklansky goes over different ideas in poker instead of specific situations in a hand. This type of information is great for players of every level because it touches in on the fundamentals of the game and the ideas behind the reasons you make one play over another.

In Sklansky’s work he lets the reader get into the mind of a great poker player and not only see, but understand the thoughts and decision making that goes through their mind. He states in the beginning of the book that poker is a game of skill. Skilled players will always be skilled players whether they are the one who took the hand down or not. He explains the skilled player must overlook the immediate loses that he has from playing a situation the correct way and see it as variance that comes with the territory of playing a lot of poker. The more skilled the player is the more money they will win in the long run by making correct plays.

In another section of the book Sklansky sets up a leak finder for common leaks in players games. A leak is something that a player does wrong regularly that causes them to lose money. By finding these flaws in your game you can fix them and stop losing money due to them. The less money you lose directly relates to the more money you win. By finding leaks in your game you will increase your win rate significantly and will begin to truly understand why what you were doing was wrong and conquer the problem even better.

Sklansky goes over the mind set of implied odds and how it can relate to your table image. He talks about timing your bluffs correctly. He goes over under representing your holdings to induce somewhat of a bluff by your tight opponents and value betting against weak opponents. This is important for the player to understand because it is the basis of choosing what the correct play is. He explains how that ties in with playing the player more than playing your cards.

David Sklansky goes over adaptations to the game as your surroundings change and the blinds and pots you are in are bigger. Your table image and the image of other players at the table are also always changing so the player needs to know how to adapt to that accordingly. If the table you are at is mainly tight players then you should loosen up to steal more pots. If it consists of mainly loose players then you want to tighten up because you will be getting called too often and have to give up after a continuation bet. These are all important things Sklansky goes over to help you build your game skill.

The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky is an outstanding read. This book is guaranteed to improve your game skill and increase your win rate no matter what level of player you are. Read David Sklansky’s, The Theory of Poker.