Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 10: Five Must-Read Poker Books of 2014
I read at the poker table. When I attended Tulane Law School, I spent too much time at Harrah��s New Orleans and not enough in the classroom. As a compromise I forced myself to study at the table, and ever since then I��ve developed an ability not only to read at the table in between hands, but also to absorb the material.
Most of the time I try to focus on the game, but as any player can attest, sometimes you need to break up the monotony. Some players watch movies or listen to music, but me, I read either comic books or poker material. I��ll skip addressing the former (other than to say comic fans should check out Saga, East of West, and Lazarus), but I want to devote some attention to the latter. That��s because every time I read a poker book at the table I��m bombarded by a dozen different questions.
What book is that? Who is it by? Is it any good? There seems to be a great deal of interest in poker books nowadays, but since they don��t get a lot of press, oftentimes players only learn of them through word of mouth. As such, I��ve decided to share a list of five poker books I��ve added to my collection in 2014.
Check out Nolan Dalla��s lists of ��The 10 Most Important Poker Strategy Books Ever Written and Why They��re Special�� and ��The 10 Most Important Poker Books and Why They��re Essential.��
For transparency��s sake, I did receive a free copy of each of these books for review purposes. That said, I am neither obligated nor compelled to provide a positive review. But in the case of these five books, I am more than happy to recommend them to poker fans.
Mastering Pot-Limit Omaha: The Modern Aggressive Approach by Herbert Okolowitz & Wladimir Taschner
This is actually the book I��m reading right now, and admittedly I��m not done with it yet. Still, I can confidently say it��s the best poker book on pot-limit Omaha that I��ve ever read. If I��m not playing a tournament, I��m playing PLO cash, and earlier this year I made it a goal to improve my game. Simply put, Mastering Pot-Limit Omaha has allowed me to do that.
The book has helped me cultivate an aggressive style and understand some dense concepts such as game theory and frequencies. It also paints a great picture of the current PLO landscape. So far it��s the best book on PLO I��ve read and I recommend it to anyone looking to take their PLO game to the next level.
The Moneymaker Effect: The Inside Story of the Tournament That Forever Changed Poker by Eric Raskin
I actually prefer poker narratives such as histories and biographies to strategy books. Books like Positively Fifth Street, Big Deal, and The Godfather of Poker are all classics and among my favorite ever poker-related reads. In 2014, Eric Raskin released an excellent new poker narrative that I immediately put in that company �� The Moneymaker Effect.
Raskin��s book was expanded from an earlier Grantland feature titled ��When We Held Kings�� and is written primarily in ��oral history�� format. It centers on Chris Moneymaker��s remarkable run in the 2003 World Series of Poker and features interviews with more than 30 people involved including Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, and Sammy Farha, just to name a few.
I thought I knew everything there was to know about Moneymaker��s win, but The Moneymaker Effect shed light on a lot of new information. I really couldn��t put it down and highly recommend it to anyone who was introduced to the game as a result of the Tennessee accountant.
Check out my review of The Moneymaker Effect and author interview with Raskin by clicking here.
How to Be a Poker Player: The Philosophy of Poker by Haseeb Qureshi
Say what you will about Haseeb ��DogIsHead�� Qureshi �� he knows how to write. Upon being embroiled in the ��Girah Scandal�� a few years back, Qureshi disappeared from the poker spotlight. After taking responsibility for his role in the scandal and apologizing, Qureshi returned in a limited capacity by releasing How to Be a Poker Player: The Philosophy of Poker. It turned out to be one of my favorite books of the year.
As I wrote in my review, ��How to Be a Poker Player: The Philosophy of Poker isn��t quite a strategy book, nor is it dedicated to mindset techniques. Instead, it is focused on informing the reader on what it means to be a poker player. In this regard, it is unique. Sure, that means strategy and mindset are covered, but it��s more than that �� it��s philosophical. By that I mean it forces you really think about the game on a more personal and spiritual level.��
I learned that poker is not life, but it is a way of life. How to Be a Poker Player got me thinking about poker in a different way, and that��s always a good thing.
Poker Tilt by Dutch Boyd
Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, Dutch Boyd has released a book documenting his life while offering up various pieces of poker wisdom. It��s not the most polished book out there, but the material is good. From dealing with bipolar disorder to the PokerSpot fiasco, Boyd opens up about it all.
It��s rare for a player to pull back the curtain on his life in this way, especially when things haven��t gone according to plan. Boyd��s ride has been filled with ups and downs, and he makes himself vulnerable by confronting it all head on. It was an honest and raw read, which was made all the more sweet when Boyd won his third gold bracelet at the 2014 WSOP (something that happened after the book��s release). Perhaps happy endings really do exist.
Check out my review and interview with Boyd here.
Moorman��s Book of Poker by Chris Moorman with Byron Jacobs
I have to be honest �� I haven��t had a chance to read this one quite yet. I received my copy in the mail a few days back, and right now it��s sitting on my desk waiting for the holiday break. That said, I get the impression this one is going to be a game changer and feel it needs to be on any list of significant poker books released in 2014.
For the first time, Moorman shares strategy tips he has developed during a career as the most successful online tournament poker player in history. The book finds Moorman examining in detail 80 tournament hand histories from co-author Byron Jacobs. Paging through I can tell it��s written in a coaching format, which will no doubt resonate with readers. Toss in a foreword by the great Doyle Brunson and I don��t see how you can go wrong.
Find all of these books and more over at the PokerNews Book Section. What are your favorite poker books? Let me know your recommendations below in the comments or on Twitter @ChadAHolloway.
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In this Series
- 1 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 1: Making Reads and Trusting Them
- 2 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 2: Playing in Poker Charity Events
- 3 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 3: Throttle Back Before You End Up Punting
- 4 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 4: Punish the Satellite Bubble
- 5 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 5: What is Proper Accumulator Strategy?
- 6 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 6: A Chip and a Chair Story with ��SirWatts��
- 7 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 7: 15 Things About Poker I Wish I��d Known Sooner
- 8 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 8: Examining the Largest Overlay in Poker History
- 9 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 9: Differences Between Rebuys and Reentries
- 10 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 10: Five Must-Read Poker Books of 2014
- 11 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 11: When Will You Finally Break Through?
- 12 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 12: Dealing with a Target on Your Back
- 13 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 13: Knowing When to Call It Quits
- 14 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 14: Embarking on a Year-Long Weight Loss Journey
- 15 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 15: Navigating Multiple Decision Points in a Poker Hand
- 16 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 16: Chris Moorman Tells Me How Badly I Play Poker
- 17 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 17: Richard ��nutsinho�� Lyndaker on Getting It in Marginal
- 18 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 18: Getting Inside the Head of Poker Pro Brian Rast
- 19 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 19: Stupid Calls & Lucky Draws in MSPT WI Championship
- 20 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 20: Talking Ante-Only Strategy with Greg ��FossilMan�� Raymer
- 21 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 21: Contributing to Jonathan Little��s New Book
- 22 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 22: Consequences of Acting Out of Turn & Tossing in Chips
- 23 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 23: When It Comes to Chops, Do What��s In Your Best Interest
- 24 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 24: Accepting Bad Beats & Lessons in Selling Action
- 25 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 25: Heinz�� Ace-High Call Shows Why He's a World Champ
- 26 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 26: Is Keeping the Short Stack Alive Collusion?
- 27 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 27: Great Laydown or Bad Fold on Poker Night in America?
- 28 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 28: Calling Hellmuth with Jack-Deuce Offsuit
- 29 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 29: The Philosophy of "No-Chop" Chad
- 30 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 30: Preparing to Play the World Series of Poker
- 31 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 31: Staying on Your Grind at the World Series of Poker
- 32 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 32: The Perilous Decision to Call Off with Ace-Queen
- 33 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 33: Using Poker Skills in Reality TV Competitions
- 34 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 34: Esfandiari Explains How to Recover from Bad Beats
- 35 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 35: Tilly vs. Brunson in Super High Roller Cash Game Hand
- 36 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol 36: Unconventional Play Leads to Good WSOP Main Event Start
- 37 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 37: Lessons in Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low w/ Evan Jarvis
- 38 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 38: Things to Say and Do When You Bust a Poker Tournament
- 39 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 39: How Much Did I Have to Raise to Get You to Fold?
- 40 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 40: Practicing Patience in My Deep PPC Poker Tour Run
- 41 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 41: Analyzing a Questionable SHRPO Main Event Hand
- 42 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 42: Analyzing the Play of Neymar Jr. at EPT Barcelona
- 43 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 43: The Value of a Reliable Poker Reputation
- 44 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 44: John ��KasinoKrime�� Beauprez Rips My PLO Game Apart
- 45 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 45: Satellite Dilemmas -- To Call or Not to Call
- 46 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 46: Seiver Leverages the River in Super High Roller Bowl
- 47 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 47: What Untraditional Moves in Poker Might Mean
- 48 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 48: Thinking About the Future with Sam Grizzle
- 49 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 49: WCOOP Champ ��Coenaldinho7�� Offers Up His Biggest Hands
- 50 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 50: The Peril of Shoving Weak Aces
- 51 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 51: The Importance of Not Giving Up in Poker Tournaments
- 52 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 52: Does Asking ��Check�� Actually Constitute a Check?
- 53 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 53: Thomas Cannuli Impresses Even After Main Event Bustout
- 54 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 54: Dealers Aren��t Always Right
- 55 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 55: Don��t Get Married to Pocket Aces
- 56 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 56: Bazeley��s Survival Instinct Leads to Continued Success
- 57 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 57: Playing ��Deuces Wild�� on the European Poker Tour
- 58 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 58: The Wildest Hand in European Poker Tour History
- 59 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 59: Death, Zombies & Spending Time w/Phil Hellmuth
- 60 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 60: How the Unstoppable Fedor Holz Managed to Win Again
- 61 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 61: Lessons To Be Learned When You Hit the Big Stage
- 62 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 62: Steve O��Dwyer Explains the ��Oreo Cookie Tell��
- 63 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 63: What Would Happen to a Chip Stack If a November Niner Died?
- 64 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 64: Forgetting One Chip -- Should It Still Be an All-In Bet?
- 65 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 65: Todd ��sharkslayerrr�� Breyfogle on Bankroll Management
- 66 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 66: Cash Game Pro Daniel Arfin Offers Sound Bankroll Advice
- 67 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 67: Honeyman Plays Kings to Keep in Opponent��s Bluff Range
- 68 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 68: Why Do I Even Bother Drinking at the Poker Table?
- 69 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 69: Is Your Favorite Poker Pro Left- or Right-Handed?
- 70 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 70: In Order to Live You Have to Be Willing to Die
- 71 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 71: How to Amass a Big Stack Early in a Poker Tournament
- 72 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 72: Answering User-Submitted Poker Scenarios
- 73 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 73: Saying Goodbye with a Top Five List
- 74 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 74: We're Back, Baby!
- 75 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 75: Jivkov on Exploiting Capped Ranges
- 76 Hold��em with Holloway, Vol. 76: Matt Bretzfield Gets Tricky With Aces
- 77 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 77: Joseph Cheong Gets Crazy with a Pair of Ladies
- 78 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 78: Wyoming Poker Action & Wild South Dakota Hand
- 79 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 79: Calling Controversy at WinStar
- 80 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 80: Going for Value with Matt Hunt
- 81 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 81: Bracelet Winner Ryan Leng on Bad Call
- 82 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 82: Romeopro33 Recounts XL Eclipse Victory
- 83 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 83: Men The Master Doesn't Get Paid
- 84 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 84: Harman Hits Back-to-Back Miracle Turns
- 85 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 85: Jamie Kerstetter on Dealing with Bounties
- 86 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 86: Matt Stout Develops a Limp Dynamic
- 87 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 87: Matt Alexander Caught in Between w/ Two Red Aces
- 88 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 88: John Beauprez on Why He Folded a Set of Jacks
- 89 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 89: Alex Aqel Lets Opponent Hang Himself with Aces
- 90 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 90: David Peters Makes Beastly Call Against Will Givens
- 91 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 91: Poker Lessons from a Game of Risk
- 92 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 92: My Upstuck Diagnosis by the CLC Squad
- 93 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 93: Alex Foxen Coolers Nick Petrangelo in SHRB
- 94 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 94: My $25,000 PSPC Experience at 2019 PCA
- 95 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 95: The Equity of Leveraging Time Extensions
- 96 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 96: Dan O'Brien on Developing Healthy Routines
- 97 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 97: Big Hands From the WSOP-C Potawatomi
- 98 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 98: Simon Deadman Rips Apart My NLH Tourney Play
- 99 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 99: Shoving 10-6 Smack Dab Into Pocket Aces
- 100 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 100: The Revived Re-Entries Debate