Check out our brand new Local Poker Communities! Get updates and interact with poker players in your area.
Visit the United States Poker Community | Visit the California Poker Community | Read more about the Launch of P5s Local

The mathematics of poker - has anyone read it properly?

Reply to Thread
  1. CJDeman CJDeman is offline

    Sydney
    Australia

    Posts: 820
    Joined: Jul 07

    Feb 12th, 2011 (2/12/2011 9:34am)

    I was OK at maths, probability etc and I have found myself skimming vast sections of the section on Optimal Play. Has anyone atually read this, or do you just skip to the key concepts like I do?

    If anyone has read it thoroughly, which bets did you find most helpful to your game?
     
  2. Jungcabar Jungcabar is offline

    Las Vegas, NV
    United States

    Posts: 330
    Joined: Jun 08

    Feb 12th, 2011 (2/12/2011 10:58am) in reply to CJDeman

     
    Originally Posted by CJDeman View Post

    I was OK at maths, probability etc and I have found myself skimming vast sections of the section on Optimal Play. Has anyone atually read this, or do you just skip to the key concepts like I do?

    If anyone has read it thoroughly, which bets did you find most helpful to your game?


    if you were just OK at math don't bother getting too deep into it. It goes over some pretty messy statistical data and if you dont have a solid background in various areas of mathematics and statistics you will more than likely get lost. Im not trying to say you aren't smart enough. I am a chemistry major with a ton of stats/physics/math classes under my belt and i found it pretty deep and difficult to swallow at times. But give it a try, what do you have to lose..
  3. thearthurdog thearthurdog is offline

    Posts: 1,839
    Joined: Jan 08

    Feb 12th, 2011 (2/12/2011 12:42pm) in reply to CJDeman

    I read sections of it in depth but found the maths in a lot of it overwhelming (I'm not a maths guru at all, but have done some tertiary study in data, statistics and probability). From memory my favourite bits were the Kelly Criterion / risk of ruin / bankroll management sections.
  4. rhinodash rhinodash is offline

    Las Vegas, NV
    United States

    Posts: 382
    Joined: Nov 05

    Feb 12th, 2011 (2/12/2011 5:21pm) in reply to thearthurdog

    Is this a sklansky malmuth book? I think I own it and have read some parts just making sure we are talking about the same book...
  5. An Actuary An Actuary is offline

    Dallas, TX
    United States

    Posts: 392
    Joined: Jun 06

    Feb 12th, 2011 (2/12/2011 5:46pm) in reply to rhinodash

    Bill Chen is the author I believe. I have a degree in math and had trouble with it.
  6. drunk_bunny drunk_bunny is offline

    Posts: 206
    Joined: Jun 10

    Feb 12th, 2011 (2/12/2011 6:12pm) in reply to An Actuary

    Barry Greenstein summed up all you need to know about math in poker in a hand against durrrr:

    [SIZE="6"]Math is idiotic[/SIZE]

    Link here
  7. Petoria Petoria is offline

    South Bend, IN
    United States

    Posts: 343
    Joined: May 05

    Feb 12th, 2011 (2/12/2011 6:57pm) in reply to loose_cannon_jj

    Well, this sounds very interesting.

    I'm currently finishing up my undergraduate degree in mathematics and plan on going on to grad school. I love a good challenge, so I think I might use some FPP's on this if it's in the stars store.
  8. vitobiggs vitobiggs is offline

    Leawood, KS
    United States

    Posts: 341
    Joined: Nov 07

    Feb 12th, 2011 (2/12/2011 7:34pm) in reply to Petoria

    I finished this book not too long ago, read the whole thing through. You don't really need to be able to solve the equations like they do, its more about understanding the concept, and applying the games they solve to poker.
     1
  9. dgillis dgillis is offline Moderator

    CA
    United States

    Posts: 1,903
    Joined: Mar 08

    Feb 12th, 2011 (2/12/2011 7:41pm) in reply to vitobiggs

    I struggled through it, and I agree the concepts get fairly hairy. I would say that the bankroll managment section is the most important as it is the one thing in poker that never changes.
     
  10. BIGTRIX6 BIGTRIX6 is offline

    London
    United Kingdom

    Posts: 68
    Joined: Jan 09

    Feb 12th, 2011 (2/12/2011 9:43pm) in reply to dgillis

    Tried very hard to read the 1st chapter, for several hours while on holiday last yeat.
    Really tried, but the book is fucking hard work In the end i gave up.
    It's still on my shelf so may give it another try one day, from what i did read and from flicking through the rest of the chapters there's some good quality in depth stuff in there.
  11. dgillis dgillis is offline Moderator

    CA
    United States

    Posts: 1,903
    Joined: Mar 08

    Feb 14th, 2011 (2/14/2011 11:54pm) in reply to BIGTRIX6

    Don't feel bad man, I took almost a month on one chapter. lots of reviewing old math concepts takes time.
     
  12. CodySpalding CodySpalding is offline

    Louisville, KY
    United States

    Posts: 41
    Joined: Jan 11

    Feb 15th, 2011 (2/15/2011 7:03pm) in reply to dgillis

    I bought this book over two years ago and still do not completely understand it. I am a mathematics major at UK and have taken four calculus classes, probability, stats, matrix algebra, and applied math. Not sure if I don't study it right or what but it is extremely difficult for me to fathom some of the concepts in the book. I have probably read parts 1 and 2 at least six times. That being said, I think whenever I am able to comprehend some of the other concepts they will be a really valuable tool to have
  13. freeworld777 freeworld777 is offline

    Ireland

    Posts: 3,910
    Joined: Dec 07

    Feb 15th, 2011 (2/15/2011 7:35pm) in reply to

    I read the first chapter then put it down forever with the startling realization that I'm borderline retard.
Reply to Thread

Similar Threads