David Sklansky

David Sklansky is an American professional poker player and author. An early writer on poker strategy, he is known for his mathematical approach to the game. His key work The Theory of Poker presents fundamental principles on which much later analysis is based.

Early years

Sklansky was born and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, where he graduated from Teaneck High School in 1966. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, but dropped out before graduation. He returned to Teaneck and passed multiple Society of Actuaries exams by the age of 20, and worked for an actuarial firm.

Poker career

Sklansky has written and contributed to fourteen books on poker, blackjack, and gambling in general. He has won three World Series of Poker bracelets, two in 1982 and one in 1983. He also won the Poker By The Book invitational event on the 2004 World Poker Tour, outlasting a table which included Phil Hellmuth, Mike Caro, T. J. Cloutier, and Mike Sexton, and then finally overcoming Doyle Brunson.
As of 2015, his live tournament winnings exceeded $1,350,000. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

World Series of Poker bracelets

Publications

Sklansky has authored or co-authored 14 books on gambling theory and poker. Most of his books are published by Two Plus Two Publishing. His book cover art often features hand guns. His 1976 book Hold'em Poker was the first book widely available on the subject of hold'em poker. It's through these books that he popularized the concept of Sklansky Bucks, which are used by professional poker players to this day.

The Theory of Poker