The all-time best poker books

Wednesday, May 7, 2003 | 8:16 a.m.

Instructional volumes:

1. "Super/System," by Doyle Brunson et al. In perhaps the most unrealistic scene in "Rounders," Matt Damon's character is depicted as having hollowed out his copy of the book to store cash in. No self-respecting poker player would mutilate "Super/System" like that. (1978, $50)

2. "Theory of Poker," by David Sklansky Longtime Las Vegas Valley resident Sklansky pulls out all the stops in tome that's heavy on technical analysis. (1994, $29.95)

3. "Hold 'em Poker for Advanced Players," by David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth The one with the Colt .45 on the cover. The ultimate guide to Texas hold 'em, the game that reigns as undisputed heavyweight champ in Las Vegas. (1999 revised edition, $29.95)

4. "7-card Stud for Advanced Players," by David Sklansky, Mason Malmuth and Ray Zee Stud is still king in Atlantic City and other unenlightened areas. (1999 revised edition, $29.95)

5. "Championship No-Limit and Pot-Limit Hold 'em," by T.J. Cloutier and Tom McEvoy Along with expert instruction, includes tales of Cloutier's days on the rough-and-tumble Texas poker circuit. (1997, $39.95)

Primarily non-instructional:

1. "Positively Fifth Street," by James McManus -- The author's two personalities, Good Jim and Bad Jim, mix it up at the 2000 World Series of Poker. (2003, $26)

2. "Shut Up and Deal," by Jesse May -- Novel parodies Sklansky-type mathematicians with a famous author named "Larry Sandtrap," who appears in the book only as an annoying disembodied voice whispering odds and statistics into the ear of the main character, a borderline degenerate professional poker player. (1998, $15)

3. "Big Deal: One Year as a Professional Poker Player," by Anthony Holden -- After winning accolades for his biography of Olivier, British author chronicles the poker life. (1992, 2002, $15)

4. "The Biggest Game in Town," by A. Alvarez -- Forever immortalized the old Mint's rooftop clock that we lucky Las Vegas residents can see every day in its current incarnation atop the Horseshoe. (1982, 2002, $15.95)

5. "Education of a Poker Player," by Herbert O. Yardley -- Good Herb and Bad Herb? According to the author's bio, he cracked the Japanese diplomatic code in World War I, and also bragged about knowing his way around "Chinese whorehouses." (in and out of print a dozen times since 1957, $15.95)

(Available at the Gambler's Book Shop, 630 S. 11th St.)

-- By Jeff Haney