David Sklansky, Poker Author and Player, Dies at 78

David Sklansky, a professional poker player and author, died on March 23, 2026, in a Las Vegas hospital. He was 78. The cause of death was congestive heart failure, according to his son, Mathew Sklansky.

Sklansky's book 'The Theory of Poker,' first published in 1978 as 'Sklansky on Poker Theory,' has been described by PokerNews as a key text on poker strategy. 5 million copies for his works. It introduced mathematical analysis to poker, which previously depended more on instinct.

In the 1970s, when Sklansky began playing in Las Vegas, poker decisions often relied on informal methods rather than game theory. Mason Malmuth, who collaborated with Sklansky for 40 years as a co-author and publisher at Two Plus Two Publishing, stated that the game involved identifying less skilled players.

Sklansky authored or co-authored 19 books on poker and gambling, with 17 published by Two Plus Two, which also operated internet forums for players.

Early Life and Career Shift Sklansky was born on December 22, 1947, in Teaneck, New Jersey.

His father, Irving Sklansky, was a math professor at Columbia University, and his mother was Mae (Miller) Sklansky. As a preteen, Sklansky solved math problems and logic puzzles provided by his father. Sklansky attended the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School as an undergraduate but left after one year in 1967 due to disinterest in academia and insomnia.

He worked briefly as an actuary before focusing on poker and gambling. ' Chad Holloway, who interviewed Sklansky for PokerNews, described him as the first person with a strong academic background to enter professional poker.

Key Contributions to Poker Theory In 'The Theory of Poker,' Sklansky outlined the Fundamental Theorem of Poker: Every time you play a hand differently from the way you would have played it if you could see all your opponents’ cards, they gain; and every time you play your hand the same way you would have played it if you could see all their cards, they lose.

“Suppose your hand is not as good as your opponent’s when you bet. Your opponent calls your bet, and you lose. But in fact, you have not lost, you have gained! Because obviously your opponent’s correct play, if he knew what you had, would be to raise.”

" — David Sklansky (The Boston Globe) The book explained concepts such as expected value, the average amount a play is expected to win or lose; implied odds, the potential to win more in future rounds; and reverse implied odds, the potential to lose more in future rounds.

Sklansky emphasized combining math with psychological elements, including reading opponents and using deception techniques like slow-playing a strong hand to build the pot. He noted that saving bets can be as important as winning them, with the goal of maximizing wins in large pots and minimizing losses.

Sklansky's work shifted poker strategy toward a more analytical approach, influencing modern play.