In this blog post we will explore the importance of math in poker and why it is worth investing time to become good at it if you are a serious player, or just enjoy knowing a bit more than your friends about the game. Players today are competitive, experienced and better than ever. Gaining a competitive advantage isn’t as easy as it once was, however it is still possible. Knowing the math is a key element. This begs the question: How much of a competitive advantage can math bring you today? I will make an educated guess that poker math is (at least) 40% of the game. It might be more. Someone, or a computer program will probably come out with a better number based on analysis at some point. But for this discussion let’s assume it is 40%. Thus, if the perfect player is 100% Game Theory Optimal (which doesn’t exist, but is fun to think about), and the math is 40% of that, doesn’t it make sense to invest the time to become exceptional at poker math? Especially, when much of the math is straight-forward! If the premise of 40% is correct, then learning 25 - 30% of that math knowledge will give you a significant advantage over others who don’t know or use much math. The reason I say learn 25 - 30% is because there is at least 10 - 15% of the math that is extremely complex. Assuming the average poker player’s math ability is in the 10 - 15% range (the author’s observation), then you will have a significant advantage by knowing 25 - 30% of the math. Many players who consistently make poor Expected Value (EV) plays have inferior math abilities. They don’t size their bets properly by betting too much, or too little. This is done a high percentage of the time. And, they will call over inflated bets when they don’t have enough hand equity to warrant the call. These players can be exploited with excellent math knowledge. To add to this, the variabilities in Texas No-Limit Hold’em are small. In other words, there are thin margins. Consequently: In a game with thin margins and many poor math skilled players, knowing the math provides a significant advantage. Conclusion Texas Hold’em is incredibly popular in the United States and around the world. According to the WPT (World Poker Tour) there are 60 million poker players in the US and 100 million poker players around the world. More people play poker than either golf, tennis or billiards. The Skill Gap in Texas No-Limit Hold’em has dropped dramatically and continues to go down. The competition today is tough. It is very tough! The poker learning curve has been slashed by the amazing number of books, internet, software, videos, blogs, resources and access to live and internet games. Many people invest a lot of their time and money learning and playing the game. However, most still do not know the math at a visceral level. Many players don’t see the value in learning the math. They think it is a game of luck, not skill. Some players detest the math and want to play strictly by their gut. Others are just lazy. Whatever the reason, this opens a huge opportunity door for you. By learning the math at a gut level, you will become part of the New Breed of Poker Player. Math is only one aspect of the game. To become excellent at the game requires many skills. And these skills need to be combined with your math abilities. Shown below is a high-level graphic of some of the key skills to become a feared shark at Texas No-Limit Hold’em. Throughout the book we will discuss how to integrate these skills with the math that is being explained. Skills to Become a Feared Shark at Poker This final blog has completed our series on how to become a New Breed of Poker Player. Stay tuned for more blogs on Mastering Poker Math! Chuck Clayton
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In this blog we will cover how the poker landscape changed forever with the internet and smart phones. The Internet Free online poker started in the late 1990s. Planet Poker was the first online card room with real money games. Over time, access and ease of use websites increased. People came in droves to learn about this fascinating game and what the excitement was all about. Free access to virtual games and free trials brought in even more players. Today, a huge number of players invest hundreds (sometimes thousands) of hours playing per year. Many play multiple tables at once. Beyond gaming websites there are an amazing number of useful resources on the web such as:
Smart Phones In recent years smart phones are another major portal to poker websites, podcasts, blogs, magazines, training sites and social media. And, there are some incredible apps such as the WSOP App, the Poker Heat App and the PokerCruncher App. The Poker Landscape
The internet has changed the poker landscape forever. All these portals mean that people can get huge amounts of poker experience and knowledge in a much shorter time than in the past. Even though it isn’t face to face, the learning curve has been slashed dramatically. In the next Blog we will cover the fascinating story of the Chris Moneymaker effect and how massive number of players emerged because of this Rocky type story. Stay tuned! Chuck The purpose of this blog is to discuss the importance of Poker Math in helping you gain a competitive edge in Texas No-Limit Hold'em.
It is designed to be EDUCATIONAL, ENTERTAINING and FUN! There will be powerful tips and tricks from my book Mastering Poker Math. You will also learn such fascinating topics as the history of poker, key math concepts and general thoughts to educate and entertain. Your comments are "important to me" so that I can provide even more useful information to help you gain that all important competitive edge in poker. Thanks for stopping by...and please come back often! “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” ~ Steve Martin Texas No-Limit Hold’em has some fascinating characteristics that can make it useful for business owners and anyone else in business. This article explores how knowledge at the poker tables can be directly applied to business. But first, a little about Texas No-Limit Hold’em. Background Mystery shrouds when Texas No-Limit Hold’em was invented, however it is thought of have started in the early 1900’s in Robstown Texas. It is one of the most complex games that has ever been created. Today there are artificial intelligence programs that are striving to understand the optimal ways of playing the game. Texas Hold’em is incredibly popular in the United States and around the world. According to the WPT (World Poker Tour) there are 60 million poker players in the US and 100 million poker players around the world. More people play poker than either golf, tennis or billiards. The gambling gene is deeply rooted in the American psyche. We are a nation of immigrants and risk takers. We like to take calculated risks at the poker tables and in the business world. It is part of who we are. Is Texas No-Limit Hold’em Gambling? Even though the variability in poker is huge there are still players who continually rise to the top. They can be seen on TV, movies, YouTube and more. Many of these players are larger than life. They are true mavericks with colorful personalities just some of the highest-ranking business owners. Poker players just like sharp business owners take their profession seriously and do the things necessary to win more consistently than the other players. Consequently, poker is really a game of skill, not luck, in the long run. “Poker is a skill game pretending to be a chance game.” ~ James Altucher How is Poker Like Business? To become an excellent poker player, one must have many of the same skills that make people successful in business. Some of the key ones are:
Conclusion As with poker it is equally important in business to continually learn and grow to gain a competitive edge. There are countless books, online and live classes, videos, training sites and more to improve one’s business skills. Since all serious business owners’ study much of the same material, the competitive advantage gained by absorbing similar material is somewhat diluted. Having said that, there is another way to becoming a savvier business owner. A great number of directly applicable business skills can be strengthened at the poker tables playing Texas No-Limit Hold’em. If you haven’t played poker, open a discussion with other business owners who have played (or currently play). Ask them whether their business skills have increased because of the abilities they developed as a playing poker. |
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This blog has been created to help you gain a competitive edge using poker math and how to integrate it with the rest of your game. Enjoy! ~ Chuck Clayton
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