Some poker books focus on a certain aspect of the game, or teach you about a certain strategy, such as Dara O’Kearney and Barry Carter’s book on playing poker satellites.

Others, such as Barry Greenstein’s Ace on the River, bring to life the career of the poker player in question. There’s no doubt that Ace on the River is a bona fide classic poker book, but what makes it so? Let’s take a look at one of the world’s most popular poker books.

The first thing to say about Ace on the River is that if you’re an aspirational player it won’t convince you to take up the game purely through strategic means. It’s a highly entertaining book and brings to life the legend of the ‘Robin Hood of Poker’ in some style. Well written and funny in places, you’ll have no problem flying through it the first time you pick it up. 

Greenstein is so-called largely due to his charity donations, which total anything over $3 million according to urban myths in the poker community and he’s not only won big at poker tournaments but has been a cash game king for decades too.