Have you ever wondered why no limit hold’em players often bet half a pot instead of another amount of chips? this book will explain it to you.
The book contains 382 pages of solid mathematics, written by two mathematicians:
- bill chen received a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of California. he won two wsop bracelets in 2006. bill also participated in poker after dark and was a pokerstars ambassador for nine years.
- jerrod ankenman received a master’s degree in applied mathematics. he won a wsop bracelet in 2009.
The authors have generally sought to make seemingly complicated topics accessible to players without a strong mathematical background.
You are reading: Best poker math books
“The main goal of our work here is not to solve game theory problems for the sheer joy of it; it’s to improve our ability to win money at poker.”
Poker math includes five main sections:
- basic concepts
- exploitation game
- optimal game
- risk
- other topics.
the main sections are divided into chapters:
part i: basic concepts
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chapter 1 decisions under risk: probability and expectation……………………… 15 chapter 2 predicting the future: variance and sample results……………….. 24 chapter 3 using all the information: estimating parameters and bayes theorem… 34
part ii: exploitation game
chapter 4 playing with odds: pot odds and implied odds……………………………… 47 chapter 5 scientific tarot: hand reading and strategies……………………………… 59 Chapter 6 The Signals are in the Data: Online Poker Topics…………………….. 70 Chapter 7 Playing Accurately, Part I: Exposed Card Situations……………………. 74 chapter 8 play with precision, part ii: hand vs. distribution………………………….. 85 chapter 9 adaptive play: distribution vs. distribution……………………………… 94
part iii: optimal game
chapter 10 facing the nemesis: game theory…………………………………………. 100 chapter 11 one side of the street: middle street games……………………………….. 110 chapter 12 heads-up with high blinds: the game of jam-or-fold…………… ……… … 121 chapter 13 poker made simple: the akq game…………………………………….. 138 chapter 14 no guessing: no limit bet size……………… ………. 146 chapter 15 player x strikes back: full-street games…………………………………… 155 chapter 15 appendix the no limit akq game……………………………… 167 chapter 16 small bets, big pots: games without folding [0,1]……………………………… 174 appendix to chapter 16 solving difference equations……………………. 191 chapter 17 mixing bluffs: finite pot [0,1] games…………………………………… 194 chapter 18 lessons and values: the [0,1] redux game………………… … ……………. 212 chapter 19 the road to poker: static multistreet games………………………………. 228 chapter 20 drawing: non-static multilane games……………………………….. 243 chapter 21 a case study: using game theory………………………………… …… ….. 259
part iv: risk
chapter 22 staying in action: risk of ruin……………………………………………… 274 chapter 23 adding uncertainty: risk of ruin with uncertain rates of return…………. 288 chapter 24 growing bankroll: the kelly criterion and rational game selection….. 297 chapter 25 poker finances: portfolio theory and backing agreements………………. 303
part v: other topics
chapter 26 doubling down: tournaments, part i………………………………………… 312 chapter 27 chips are not cash: tournaments, part ii…………… …… ………….. 324 chapter 28 poker is still poker: tournaments, part iii…………………………………… 338 chapter 29 three is a crowd: multiplayer games……………… ……………… ………… 349 chapter 30 putting it all together: using math to improve the game……………………. 359
recommendation
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chen and ankenman are trying to make the math of poker seem easy and accessible to all players. however, if you don’t like numbers or are a beginner poker player, I recommend you start with another book from our list. for example, the essential mathematics of poker, which is the best book on this list.
Also, some readers agree that this book is more complex than it needs to be on the table.
However, if you’re a math wizard or advanced poker player, this book is for you. poker math will provide you with the mathematical logic and tools to analyze vast amounts of data and create an unbeatable strategy. as david sklansky said about the book:
“For those of you who think poker math is all about odds, pot odds, and simple memory games, think again. Chen and Ankenman do an excellent job of explaining how math can, among other things, show you exactly how to mix up your game in such a way that even champion players can’t get the best of you. especially those who don’t read this book.”
if you decide to read it, you will probably find yourself lost somewhere in the book. again, if this happens, re-read the text or take a break and come back to it.
Also, the math in the book is solid, but the writing style is hard to understand.
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