One of poker’s most impactful authors, David Sklansky, has died at the age of 78 due to heart failure.
The three-time WSOP bracelet winner wrote some of the most popular poker books of all time and also co-founded the 2+2 forum, the largest and most influential poker discussion community on the internet.
Sklansky completely changed the way people think about poker, introducing terms like Expected Value (EV) and the idea that poker is about making the best long-term decisions. In fact, his book, The Theory of Poker, written in 1978, is considered one of poker’s bibles.
However, his impact on the game was completely overshadowed in recent years by his alleged deeply inappropriate relationships with vulnerable and underage women. It was widely believed that Sklansky preyed on Brandi Hawbaker and many other younger women, including those who were disabled.
The up-and-coming poker star, who was controversial in her own right, claimed Sklansky was a predator on his own 2+2 forum, attaching private emails to support her claims. This led to harassment from both Sklansky and the poker community as a whole. She committed suicide shortly thereafter at the age of 26.
The best documentation of this relationship was laid out in this famous episode of the OnlyFriends Podcast, which can be seen below.
Sklansky was also arrested for domestic battery at the beginning of 2026. However, the district attorney declined to file formal charges.
David Sklansky’s poker books
David Sklansky authored or co-authored the following publications. Many of them are considered monumental to the advancement of poker.
- Hold’em Poker (1976)
- The Theory of Poker
- Tournament Poker for Advanced Players
- Hold’em Poker for Advanced Players (with Mason Malmuth)
- Seven-Card Stud for Advanced Players (with Mason Malmuth & Ray Zee)
- Small Stakes Hold’em: Winning Big with Expert Play (with Ed Miller & Mason Malmuth)
- No Limit Hold’em: Theory and Practice (with Ed Miller)
- Small Stakes No-Limit Hold’em (with Mason Malmuth)
- Sklansky on Poker
- Getting the Best of It
- Poker, Gaming, and Life
- DUCY? Exploits, Advice, and Ideas of the Renowned Strategist
- The Theory of Poker Applied to No-Limit
- Poker and More: Unique Ideas and Concepts
- How to Make $100,000 a Year Gambling for a Living (with Mason Malmuth)
- Sklansky Talks Blackjack
- Probability and Statistics for 12-Year-Olds (and Maybe You)
- Small Stakes No-Limit Hold’em: Help Them Give You Their Money: Exploiting Weaknesses in Small Stakes No-Limit Hold’em Games
Poker Hall of Fame worthy?
The Poker Hall of Fame is really tough to get into, as only one person gets elected per year. In addition, new legends like Shaun Deeb are becoming eligible every year, which will make it even more difficult.
While David Sklansky has been nominated on a few occasions, he was not elected while still alive.
“I know bad things about many people in the world. I’ve heard stories about a lot of the people that are in there, too,” Sklansky told PokerNews.
“I was offered the Hall of Fame twice. People came and said, ‘If you put your name up this year, you’re going to get it.’ It has people in there that are bad people, and it also has people there who are absolutely not.
“I like to think that in more recent years it’s become a little more legitimate than back in the day when they were just putting up anyone, but there are still a lot of issues.
“There are people who deserve to be in it that aren’t in it. Right now, some of the best players in the world are not even known.”
David Sklansky’s poker career
David Sklansky was a three-time WSOP champion and, in the 1980s, one of the winningest poker players in the world. He won a pair of WSOP bracelets in 1982, followed by another WSOP title in 1983, the only year they awarded watches instead of bracelets.
Sklansky also finished second in three other bracelet events, as well as 11 other final table finishes.
Sklansky finished his career with $1,410,664 in live tournament earnings. His largest cash for $419,040 came in the 2006 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship, when he finished third behind Mark Newhouse and Chris McCormack.
Sklansky didn’t play much over the last decade, cashing a pair of very small buy-in tournaments in 2024 after being absent from the tables since 2017. His last career WSOP cash came that year, when he finished 13th in the 595-entry $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo event for $7,287.
David Sklansky’s WSOP titles
| Year | Tournament | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | $1,000 Draw High | $15,500 |
| 1982 | $800 Mixed Doubles (with Dani Kelly) | $8,800 |
| 1983 | $1,000 Limit Omaha | $25,500 |
