The Mathematics of Poker
by Bill Chen, Jerrod Ankenman
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Book Reviews of The Mathematics of Poker
Book Review: A Christmas present for your girl friend to learn to play Poker
Summary: 3 Stars
The concepts presented by Mr. Chen should be intuitively obvious to the most casual observer. There is of course, an intimate relationship of the concepts presented in this book to the geometric progression of the aging of our planet. The general recursion that describes the relationship between successive values of ozone percentage in the ionosphere is a function of the standard deviation of annual mean temperature at sea level at the Arctic Circle.
This book contains overwhelming mathematical evidence that the laws of nature are being geometrically accelerated by pollution on the earth, most importantly, the greenhouse effect.
As for poker, many experts consider poker to be a people game played with cards.
I wish that an expert mathematician, such as Mr. Chen would write a book that applies the principles of mathematics to cooking. Possible topics could include optimization techniques, which modify inexpensive meats, poultry, and fish to taste as good as expensive cuisine.
If this book was the poker bible, I would find poker as much fun as enlisting in the Army.
Some advanced players may like this book. I recommend first browsing the book before buying, to determine if it is of interest to you.
Book Review: Instant Classic. A "must".
Summary: 5 Stars
In the beginning, God created Supersystem.
The final "Revelation" in poker books is 'The Mathematics Of Poker".
With the release of this book now underway, the collective body of poker authorship is now complete. There needn't be any more.
With the boom in pokers popularity, a lot of books have recently come out that do nothing more than repeat what other authors have already said. At best, many of these books are simply pages upon pages that reflect the individual game-play philosophy of that particular author. Are such books useful? Sure. The more perspectives you understand as a player, the better. You really can't blame someone like Annie Duke for getting her piece of the poker boom pie by writing a book, but it isn't like it's going to make any difference in your game if you bother to read it or not...
Such is *not* the case with this book.
In my opinion, "The Mathematics Of Poker" is the first poker book in a long time that conveys information about the game which is truly essential. Kinda shocking that such a book hasn't been written before, but it was worth the wait.
This is not the first poker book you should read, but in my opinion, it is definitely the second or third.
Five Stars.
Book Review: Beyond the Arithmetic
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this book based primarily on Chen's reputation. My first thought on opening it was that "this is math, not poker."
I had expected something on the order of King Yao's "Weighing the Odds in Hold'em Poker" on steroids. Instead I got a rigorous exploration of the mathematics of this fascinating game.
The authors point out quite rightly that one may get more insight into poker through exploration of what they call "toy games" than by tackling the monster head-on. This is much like the dilemma posed in performing quantum mechanical calculations - either solve an exact equation approximately or solve an approximate equation (toy game) exactly.
Some reviewers express disappointment in that they apparently wanted a book that would show them directly how to win at the poker table. Instead they got a book that will give them insight that will increase their probability of winning, provided they are willing to work through the math.
If you want the "smart pill" that produces instant understanding this book probably isn't for you. However, if you want to rigorously explore the mathematical underpinnings of the game I strongly recommend it.
Book Review: Outstanding
Summary: 5 Stars
When I got this book I was very excited to read it only to put it away because I was puzzled by all the math. A year later I figured why not give this book a try again. I've read it 3 times since, not because it was hard and I had to go back but because I was really fascinated.
First 40 pages or so are pretty easy to understand but it gets tricky. This book is actually not THAT heavy, at all. People get scared because they do provide alot of analysis but you dont need to know alot of math to understand it. The math is done for you, dont get lost in all the charts and graphs and formulas. When you read this book, just relax and dont clutter your mind with proofs, read the conclusions from examples.
This book has a little bit of everything in it. Game theory, hand reading (ranges), exploitative vs optimal play, bankroll management, etc. This is a blueprint for poker, like a source code, it will show you the game in the new light and why you do certain plays.
This book is absolutely a must have for a serious poker player.
After reading fair amount of poker books I would only pick these: Harrington on Holdem vol.1-3 and Mathematics of Poker.
Book Review: A refreshing perspective on poker
Summary: 5 Stars
Two brilliant minds who also happen to be brilliant poker players have written a challenging but accessible explanation of what truly lies beneath the surface of the game of poker - the numbers. They begin with the basics of probability, then move to exploitative play (taking advantage of your opponents' errors), then to optimal play (playing so that no one can take advantage of you). The book also includes an important discussion of bankroll size, bet size, and risk of ruin, concepts rarely seen in the poker literature. Finally, they wrap up with an "Other Topics" section that provides critical insight into proper poker tournament play.
If you want to get beyond what you can accomplish by rote memorization of starting hand charts, give this book a try. It should not be the first poker book you read, but it may be one of the most important.
P.S. Unlike many poker books, this one is beautifully put together, without the typos and bad sentences that make me cringe as I read.
P.P.S I received my copy today. Why does Amazon still say "it's not available yet and we'll e-mail you when it does become available"???