The Mental Game of Poker is an essential classic. WSOP champions recommend it, it’s been translated into multiple languages, and it tackles the specific problems most players have rather than pure theory.
One might expect that even the best poker audiobooks would lose some of their impact in audio form. And that’s true in a sense, hand charts and range tables don’t translate well to headphones. That’s why this post will focus on what audio delivers best: the psychology factor, tilt control, and the mental game.
Below we’ll review six of the best poker books on audio, with honest takes on each. These won’t replace studying hands and ranges, but they’ll help you stop giving back what you win through mental mistakes. Pick the one that matches your current leak and start there.
Quick comparison of the best books to study poker
| Book | Author | Category | Best For | Year |
| The Mental Game of Poker 1 & 2 | Jared Tendler | Mental Game | Tilt control | 2011/13 |
| Reading Poker Tells | Zachary Elwood | Psychology | Live players | 2012 |
| A-Game Poker | Elliot Roe | Mental Game | Mindset | 2023 |
| The Poker Mindset | Taylor & Hilger | Mental Game | Beginners | 2007 |
| Exploitative Play in Live Poker | Alex Fitzgerald | Strategy | Live tournaments | 2018 |
| The Biggest Bluff | Maria Konnikova | Narrative | Entertainment | 2020 |
Jared Tendler • 4.2/5 Goodreads • ~6 hours • Audible
WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Merson calls this the only poker book he recommends. That’s a hell of an endorsement, and it tracks with what you hear from winning players when they talk about what moved the needle for them.
Tendler came from golf coaching, which is why this doesn’t read like typical poker content. He treats tilt as a solvable problem rather than just something to muscle through. Volume 1 identifies seven different types (injustice tilt, hate-losing tilt, entitlement tilt, revenge tilt, mistake tilt, desperation tilt, running-bad tilt) and you’ll probably recognise yourself in a few of them. Volume 2 gets into the zone and consistent performance.
One reviewer said the tilt descriptions helped them recognise patterns they didn’t know they had. That’s the value here: it’s a poker mindset audiobook that names the specific ways you may sabotage yourself and how to fix that.
Zachary Elwood • 4.1/5 Goodreads • ~4 hours • Audible
If you only play online, skip this one. The concepts won’t help you.
For live players though, Elwood’s framework for reading physical behaviour is solid. It’s not a list of tells to memorise (“if they touch their chips, they’re bluffing”). It’s about understanding why players do what they do when they have it versus when they’re bluffing. Reviewers note that the book uses a “baby steps” approach to build observational skills.
First book in a trilogy, translated into eight languages, still the go-to reference for live game psychology. Also makes a decent case that poker is more skill than luck, if you need ammunition for that argument.
Elliot Roe • 4.1/5 Goodreads • ~7 hours • Audible
When Fedor Holz climbed to world #1, he credited mindset coach Elliot Roe with helping him – the same guy behind some of the best poker players of all time.
Phil Galfond, Matt Berkey, Alex Foxen, all these big names and more have worked with Roe and shared their stories in the book. If you’ve ever watched poker’s elite and wondered what gives them the edge, chances are Roe had something to do with it.
This 2023 release applies sports psychology to poker with actual exercises. Probably the most practical poker mindset audiobook out in the past few years. The caveat: some reviewers felt it doubles as an ad for Roe’s coaching services. The content is still good, just know you’re getting some pitch mixed in.
Ian Taylor & Matthew Hilger • 3.9/5 Goodreads • ~8 hours • Audible
One Goodreads review is literally a parody of how often this book repeats itself. Multiple readers call it out. So you should know that going in.
That said, there’s a reason it’s been translated into multiple languages. Taylor and Hilger cover seven core attitudes and concepts, including handling bad beats and managing bankroll. If you’re newer to poker psychology, the repetition might actually help things stick. Experienced players will find it covers ground they already know.
Alexander Fitzgerald • 4.4/5 Goodreads • ~7 hours • Audible
This is the exception on the list: an actual poker strategy audiobook that works without visuals. Fitzgerald runs a coaching consultancy serving 1,000+ pros across 60 countries and has analysed more hand histories than almost anyone.
The focus is exploitative play: forget GTO, how do players really behave under pressure, and how do you use that against them? You’ll get practical angles on betting strategy – overbets, check-raises, three-barrels – from someone who’s seen how they play out across thousands of live hands.
One reviewer called it the most immediately useful poker book they’d read. Not for complete beginners, but solid for anyone with baseline knowledge who plays live.
Maria Konnikova • 4.0/5 Goodreads • ~11 hours • Audible
A psychologist who didn’t know how many cards were in a deck convinces Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel to mentor her. A year later she’s playing… and winning. That’s the premise, and Konnikova reads it herself – nerdy, relatable, honest about navigating a male-dominated scene.
It became a New York Times bestseller. But don’t expect a lesson on how to study poker technically. This one focuses on what poker teaches you regarding luck, skill, and making decisions when you don’t have all the information. Entertainment with substance.Poker audio books shine when it comes to the mental game, not the math
Five of the six books above focus on psychology rather than strategy. That’s not random. Strategy books need your eyes, you can’t visualise preflop ranges while merging onto the motorway. But tilt patterns, confidence issues, and mental frameworks land just fine in the background.
→ Tilt problems → Mental Game of Poker or A-Game Poker
→ New to the mental side → The Poker Mindset
→ Play live, want to read opponents → Reading Poker Tells
→ Want actual strategy → Exploitative Play in Live Poker
→ A good, entertaining read → The Biggest Bluff
→ Tight budget → Check Libby for library audiobooks
Worth reading: our breakdown of poker cheating methods so you know what to watch for at the table.
The Mental Game of Poker is an essential classic. WSOP champions recommend it, it’s been translated into multiple languages, and it tackles the specific problems most players have rather than pure theory.
For mental game, yes. Psychology, tilt control, and decision-making frameworks absorb well in audio. For technical strategy you need video or print. The visuals matter. Use poker audio books for mindset, other formats for hand analysis.
The Biggest Bluff follows a complete beginner’s journey, so the concepts land even if you’re new. The Poker Mindset covers fundamentals without assuming much prior knowledge. Once you know why 7-2 offsuit is terrible but still has its place in certain spots, you’re ready for the more advanced material.
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