Highlighting the Top Influential Poker Books

In an unprecedented initiative, 888poker undertook the challenge of identifying the literature that has made a significant impact on the game of poker. This is a detailed account of how the idea originated, developed, and culminated in the final voting results. I've been pondering what the greatest poker book of all time could be. This intriguing question emerged in the 888poker offices. Check out some of the finest poker literature organized by category:

Suddenly, curiosity arose. Who would be the one to satisfy it?

At first, we examined the voting methodology utilized for the recent Global Poker Index (GPI) American Poker Awards (APA). Since their voting process has been effective for a prestigious award ceremony in poker, we believed it could apply to our book initiative as well.

However, after reflecting deeply on this approach, we decided to abandon it. The APA judging panel is predominantly composed of poker media representatives, whose experienced opinions are certainly valuable, but we concluded that for a true influence assessment, we needed input from active professional poker players.

We reached out to 133 seasoned poker professionals to participate in our endeavor. Out of these, 36 did not respond and 41 provided legitimate reasons for their unavailability, leaving us with a panel of 56 skilled and enthusiastic judges.

These 56 judges hailed from a total of 12 different nations.

Numbers 1-10 Top Ranked Poker Books
Numbers 11-20 Top Ranked Poker Books
Numbers 21-30 Top Ranked Poker Books
Numbers 31-40 Top Ranked Poker Books
Numbers 41-50 Top Ranked Poker Books
Numbers 51-59 Top Ranked Poker Books

Enter the Judges

These 56 judges represented 12 diverse countries.

Collectively, they have accumulated more than $181 million in live tournament winnings (according to Hendon Mob statistics). They collectively hold 25 World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, 9 titles from the World Poker Tour (WPT) Alpha8 or Main Events, and 5 European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event titles. Among them, at least one individual has earned a spot in the Poker Hall of Fame. They have a combined following of a million on Twitter.

The judges' backgrounds covered a wide range of poker formats, both in-person and online. Noteworthy figures such as Erik Seidel, Justin Smith, Brian Rast, Daniel Cates, Igor Kurganov, and Philipp Gruissem were part of this accomplished group.

If Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth had invested enough time in delving into poker literature, they too might have contributed to this selection process. WSOP Adam Levy - Adam has amassed over $4.6 million from online play using the alias 'Roothlus', and has also secured $2.4 million in live tournaments.

Akira Ohyama - Akira serves as an ambassador for 888poker, playing online under the name ‘Clutch Hero.’

Allen Kessler – Often referred to as ‘The Chainsaw’, Allen Kessler is a highly seasoned poker player within the United States, having won more than $3.2 million from live tournaments.

Here are the judges:

Andrew Barber - A WSOP bracelet winner in the $10k H.O.R.S.E event, Andrew is also a proponent of Raising for Effective Giving.

Andrew Lichtenberger - A winner of the WPT Alpha8, Andrew has earned $7.4 million in live poker and an additional $2.9 million online, using the aliases ‘LuckyChewy’ and ‘runthistable’. He is an advocate for the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) and author of The Yoga of Poker.

Andrew Seidman - Known for his expertise in cash games, Andrew plays under the moniker ‘BalugaWhale’ and is also the author of Easy Game.

Andrew Frankenberger - With two WSOP titles to his name (including a win against Phil Ivey in heads-up play) and a WPT title, Andy has earned over $2.8 million from live tournaments.

Anton Wigg - An EPT Main Event champion, Anton boasts more than $2 million in live tournament earnings and is a fierce competitor online, playing as ‘AnteSvante’ and winning upwards of $6.2 million. He is currently part of the GPL team San Francisco Rush.

Bernard Lee - A professional player, podcaster, and author, Bernard has won more than $2.1 million in live tournaments and has written the Final Table Volume I and II.

Billy Chattaway - An expert in online poker tournaments, Billy has won over $3.2 million using the alias ‘b8chatz’.

Brian Rast - Highly respected in live poker tournaments, Brian regularly triumphs in High Roller events and has amassed over $16 million in winnings, including $7 million from the first Super High Roller Bowl. He holds two WSOP bracelets and is associated with the Berlin Bears in the GPL.

Bruno Foster - An ambassador for 888Poker, Bruno was a finalist in the WSOP Main Event.

Craig McCorkell - With more than $2.1 million in live tournament winnings, Craig is a WSOP bracelet recipient.

Daniel Cates - Known as 'Jungleman', Daniel Cates is a legendary figure in the high-stakes online cash game arena, racking up over $11 million in profits under the aliases ‘Jungleman12’ and ‘w00ki3z’. He is also a winner of the WPT Alpha8.

Daniel Dvoress - With over $1.4 million in live earnings, Daniel has made a final table appearance at an EPT Main Event and achieved notable success in High Roller tournaments.

David Vamplew - An EPT Main Event champion and finalist in both WSOP and WPT events, David has garnered over $3.6 million through live tournaments.

Dominik Nitsche - A rising star in global poker, Dominik is an ambassador for 888poker, boasting three WSOP bracelets and a WPT title with earnings surpassing $5.6 million from live competitions.

Dusty Schmidt - Renowned in the online cash game arena, Dusty earned iconic status for his impressive playing graphs under the alias ‘Leatherass’ and authored two books: Treat Your Poker Like a Business and Don’t Listen to Phil Hellmuth.

Dutch Boyd - Dutch has claimed 3 WSOP bracelets and earned over $2.4 million from live tournament play. He has also authored the book Poker Tilt.

Erik Seidel - Considered a living legend, Erik Seidel is a Poker Hall of Fame inductee with 8 WSOP bracelets and a WPT title. He has made over $26.5 million in live tournament earnings and continues to compete at the highest levels.

Evan Jarvis - A poker and life coach, Evan is making a tremendous impact at Gripsed Poker, a training platform that has birthed notable talents such as EPT High Roller champion Charlie Carrel.

Fintan Gavin - This Irish professional has earned over $1.5 million in live tournaments, including a runner-up finish at an EPT Main Event and being a UKIPT champion.

Igor Kurganov - Having made over $10 million in live tournament winnings, Igor achieved an EPT High Roller victory in Monte Carlo that netted him €1 million after defeating Daniel Negreanu heads-up. He is also one of the founders of Raising for Effective Giving.

Jackie Glazier - An ambassador for 888poker and a WSOP bracelet winner, Jackie has earned nearly $1.3 million in live tournaments.

Jason Koon - A regular in the High Roller scene, Jason has more than $3.6 million in live tournament earnings.

Jason Wheeler - He has garnered over $2.7 million in live tournament earnings, claiming WPT High Roller and WSOPC titles, while also accumulating more than $7.1 million in online play under the alias ‘jdpc27’. He will represent the New York Rounders in the GPL. represent the London Royals in the GPL.

Jeff Kimber - A British professional with over $1.6 million in live tournament earnings, Jeff serves as a brand ambassador for Grosvenor.

Jeremy Nock - Based in Paris, Jeremy is a businessman, entrepreneur, and poker player who is a former WPT finalist with approximately $500,000 in live tournament winnings.

Jessica Dawley - An ambassador for 888poker and a tournament player with nearly $400,000 in earnings, Jessica is also a veteran of the armed forces.

John Eames - John is a British player who has earned over $2 million in live tournaments. He is a winner of a WSOPC gold ring, secured a runner-up finish in an EPT Main Event, and has final-tabbed at the WSOP.

Jonathan Little - A two-time WPT champion with over $6.2 million in live tournament earnings, Jonathan is a prolific author known for his works on tournament strategies, cash games, and Excelling at No-Limit Hold’em, which features a contribution from Phil Hellmuth. He will represent the Las Vegas Moneymakers in the GPL.

Julian Thew - With nearly $3 million in live tournament earnings, Julian is a British professional and an EPT Main Event victor.

Justin Oliver - A WSOP bracelet winner, Justin has earned close to one million dollars in live tournament competitions.

Justin Smith - Once a familiar face in both live and online poker, Justin played under the alias 'BoostedJ'. Now, he spends his time dealing art and engaging in the film industry.

Kara Scott - An esteemed figure in the poker world, Kara serves as an ambassador for 888poker and is the ESPN anchor for the WSOP. She has accumulated nearly $700,000 in live tournament earnings, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Irish Open.

Kelly Saxby - As an ambassador for the Hippodrome card room in London, Kelly has earned more than $100,000 in live tournament winnings.

Kristy Arnett - Kristy gained recognition as a sideline reporter for PokerNews before opting to pursue a dedicated poker career, now balancing her time between playing poker and coaching.

Ludovic Jonsen - With over $1.1 million in live tournament earnings, Ludovic's achievements include a victory in the Estrellas Main Event and a recent win at the Wynn Poker Classic.

Marcel Luske - Renowned in the poker community, Marcel, known as 'The Flying Dutchman', has amassed over $4.4 million playing various poker formats.

Join us as 888poker evaluates the most significant works in poker literature, utilizing insights from esteemed and prominent poker professionals to serve as judges.

Assessing the Top Influential Books on Poker

Poker Literature - 888poker Curates the Premier Poker Books

In an unprecedented move, 888poker aimed to identify the most impactful books throughout poker's history. This document outlines the journey from the initial concept to the culmination of votes gathered.

I'm curious to know which poker book holds the title of the most significant of all time. This thought was posed within the offices of 888poker.

Discover top poker literature categorized:

All of a sudden, there arose a question. Who would take the initiative to address it?

Initially, we examined the voting method used in the Global Poker Index (GPI) American Poker Awards (APA). If this system suited such a prestigious event within the poker world, it could satisfy our book initiative as well.

Upon thoughtful evaluation, we ultimately chose to abandon that idea. The APA voters are predominantly from poker media backgrounds. While their feedback is both knowledgeable and well-founded, we realized we needed to reach out directly to those playing at a professional level for our assessment of influence.

We invited 133 professional poker players to take part in our initiative. Out of those, 36 did not reply, and 41 offered legitimate reasons preventing them from participating. This resulted in a core group of 56 eager and qualified judges.

The panel of 56 judges hailed from 12 diverse nations.

This group of 56 judges originated from 12 distinct countries.

Together, they boasted total winnings exceeding $181 million in live tournaments (according to Hendon Mob figures). They possessed 25 World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, along with 9 World Poker Tour (WPT) Alpha8 and Main Event titles, alongside 5 European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event titles. Notably, at least one judge is a member of the prestigious Poker Hall of Fame, collectively having a million followers on Twitter.

The judges brought with them a wealth of experience across a wide range of games, both on and offline. Esteemed figures included Erik Seidel, Justin Smith, Brian Rast, Daniel Cates, Igor Kurganov, and Philipp Gruissem.

If Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth had dedicated enough time to studying poker literature, they would have also been part of this judging panel.

Adam Levy - With over $4.6 million in online winnings under the alias \"Roothlus\", Adam has also collected $2.4 million in live tournament successes.

Akira Ohyama - Serving as an ambassador for 888poker, Akira competes online under the name ‘Clutch Hero.’

Allen Kessler – Dubbed ‘The Chainsaw’, Allen is one of America’s most seasoned grinders, having amassed over $3.2 million in live tournament earnings.

Andrew Barber - A WSOP bracelet holder from the $10k H.O.R.S.E event, Andrew is also an advocate for Raising for Effective Giving.

Andrew Lichtenberger - A WPT Alpha8 victor, Andrew has gained $7.4 million in live poker and an additional $2.9 million online under 'LuckyChewy' and 'runthistable'. He's a supporter of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) and penned the book Yoga of Poker.

How They Made Their Choices

Andrew Seidman - An entrepreneur specializing in cash games, Andrew plays under the alias ‘BalugaWhale’ and authored Easy Game.

Andrew Frankenberger - Having claimed two WSOP titles (including a heads-up victory against Phil Ivey) and a WPT title, Andy's live tournament earnings exceed $2.8 million.

Anton Wigg - Anton has secured an EPT Main Event win and garnered over $2 million in live tournaments while being a formidable online opponent, accruing over $6.2 million under 'AnteSvante'. He is part of the GPL team, San Francisco Rush.

How the Voting Worked

Bernard Lee - A professional poker player and podcaster, Bernard has made over $2.1 million in live tournaments and authored Final Table Volume I and II.^th Billy Chattaway – Remarkable in the online poker tournament realm, Billy has won over $3.2 million under the name ‘b8chatz’.

Brian Rast – One of the most respected competitors in live tournaments, Brian wins regularly in High Roller events globally, including over $7 million from the first Super High Roller Bowl. He holds 2 WSOP bracelets and boasts over $16 million in total earnings, representing the Berlin Bears in the GPL.