About Us
Contact Us7 Best Cash Poker Books
Do you want to improve your cash poker skills? I share my list of the best cash game poker books available today.
This list includes a little bit of everything: math, psychology, and specific advice on poker principles from legendary pros.
If you read a good chunk of them, you’ll have the knowledge of an experienced poker player. Let’s dig in.
Strategies for Beating Small Stakes Cash Poker Games
- Author: Jonathan Little
- Published: 2015
In this one, Little shares the strategies he used to grow his $50k bankroll into millions. He shows you how to stop relying on luck and teaches essential skills to improve your poker game.
He also points out some common pitfalls to avoid and shows some secrets of the pros, and outlines how to adjust your strategy to various scenarios.
Essential Poker Math
- Author: Alton Hardin
- Published: 2016
This is widely considered one of the best poker books for cash games ever written. The full title is Essential Poker Math: Fundamental No Limit Hold’em Mathematics You Need to Know.
The author, Alton Hardin, is a former college professor and is now the lead instructor at his company MicroGrinder Poker School. He’s had over 100k enrollments on his Udemy courses and is a hugely popular poker guru.
In the book, Hardin analyzes 75 unique poker hands in great detail. The book is very much focused on the math of poker, zooming in on odds and probabilities.
Small Stakes Hold’em: Winning Big with Expert Play
- Author: Ed Miller
- Published: 2004
Ed Miller is a Texas-born pro poker player and former Microsoft software engineer who has written several much-loved poker books. This is one of them.
Unlike some other books, this one teaches you how to be aggressive and go on the attack in both real-world and online small-stakes games. It covers lots of useful topics like implied odds, pot equity, hand categories, evaluating the flop, and more.
Once you’ve read the material, this book has 50 quizzes that help you evaluate what you’ve learned.
Treat Your Poker Like a Business
- Author: Dusty Schmidt
- Published: 2012
Treat Your Poker Like a Business: An Inspiring Guide to Turning Your Hobby Into an Empire takes you on a journey from casual poker player to a savvy shark – playing with the intention to make money and build your bankroll.
This book is specialized in the specific topic outlined in its title. It covers things like bankroll management, strategically changing stakes, avoiding tilt, creating sources of revenue, and becoming profitable. All of these are very useful when playing cash poker games.
The author, Dusty ‘Leatherass’ Schmidt, was an online poker legend who sadly passed away in 2021 at age 40. This book is part of his legacy. It has a 4.3 rating on Amazon at the time of writing and is especially useful for online players.
The Theory of Poker
- Author: David Sklansky
- Published: 1999
This is it if you’re looking for cash game poker books that cover the fundamentals in great detail. Even a beginner could pick this book up, read it, and walk away with more knowledge about poker than most players.
Famous American poker pro David Sklansky teaches fundamental principles and poker math. What makes this book unique is that what Sklansky teaches is applicable to nearly every game variant. It also covers psychological elements such as bluffing, deception, game theory, and much more.
Even if it was written long ago, this book has influenced some of today’s pros who credit it with making a difference in how they play. It has a 4.4 rating on Amazon and is possibly the best poker book for cash games for beginners.
The Mental Game of Poker
- Author: Jared Tendler & Barry Carter
- Published: 2011
Whereas many of the other books on this list focus on math, probability, and odds, this one is all about the mental element, as the title The Mental Game of Poker: Proven Strategies for Improving Tilt Control, Confidence, Motivation, Coping with Variance, and More suggests.
The book is much more focused on poker psychology than the others and will help you with the psychological element of winning cash poker games. As experienced players will tell you, your biggest opponent in poker is yourself.
Harrington on Cash Games: Volume II
- Author: Dan Harrington & Bill Robertie
- Published: 2008
This is no doubt one of the best poker books for live cash games. In it, pro player and 1995 WSOP champion Dan Harrington shares a lifetime of poker experience.
Harrington highlights his stance that turn and river play are the most important streets in No-Limit Hold’em.
He explains when to bet, check, call, fold, and go all in. He even expands on how to make the transition from online to real-world live games, so if you cut your teeth in online cash games, you can potentially become a pro.
This book is a classic and has a 4.6 rating on Amazon. It’s one of the most influential readings on cash games ever, even if it was written some time ago.
Best Poker Sites for Cash Games
What’s the best book for poker cash games? It depends on what you’re after. This list is enough to get you started, and it covers every element from odds and probability to the mental game and specific advice on playing cash games from the pros.
Playing cash poker games online has several advantages over playing ‘real-world’ games. Online games have much more flexible limits, poker sites usually offer enticing welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions, and there’s always someone to play with, wherever you are in the world.
To start putting the advice in this list of the best books for poker cash games to use, practice at some of the following top-rated poker sites online.
100%
up to $2,000 + 20 Free Spins
- Big bonus
- Slots players will love it
- Good variety of table games
$125 FREE!
with $25 deposit
- History of reliable service
- Tournament offerings
- Substantial progressive jackpots
500%
up to to $7,500
- High bonuses/low rollovers
- Banking versatility
- Reliable live dealer options
