Poker Math That Matters: Simplifying the Secrets of No-Limit Hold'em

by Owen Gaines

Learning the math behind good poker has never been easier. Owen's methods and shortcuts will have you applying math at the poker table overnight. This book goes over the math involved in mastering decisions in no-limit hold'em cash games. There are over 100 quiz questions and answers to help you gauge your understand and practice sharpening your skills. Excerpt from Poker Math That Matters: "Understanding the mathematics of poker has made a dramatic difference in my poker game. This book is an attempt to help those who do not have a strong inclination to math or game theory but would really like to improve their poker skills. I designed this material in an attempt to not leave any reader behind. I started with the most basic concepts and worked up from there. When finished with this book, you will be able to think clearly about no-limit hold'em and analyze even some of the most complex decisions in the game. This will make you a force at the tables, and your wallet will thank you. Besides, as a friend of mine likes to say, winning is just way more fun!"

220 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

I was always fascinated with poker. I read a small book or two about poker long before I got a chance to play the game. Then, in 2004, a friend told me I could play poker online. I decided to investigate.

I knew little about poker at that point. I bought a stack of books on Limit Hold'em, joined a poker forum, and began to learn the game. I worked hard. I deposited $300, which I lost rather quickly in $.50/$1 Limit Hold’em games. I decided to try one more $300 poker experiment. That one bore fruit. The hard work began to pay off, and I built a nice bankroll for the Limit Hold'em games. Since my hourly rate playing poker was double that of my entry-level, nine-to-five job, playing poker professionally seemed the best option for me. I became a professional poker player in the summer of 2005. From there, I played nearly a million hands of Limit Hold’em and experienced good results.

In early 2007, after a short break from the tables, I set aside $300 to explore No-Limit Hold’em. Never interested in no-limit, I heard good things about that form of poker. Fortunately, my limit experience helped me transition easily to no-limit. I started grinding no-limit games and worked my way up the stakes. I found I really enjoyed no-limit. In five months, I turned the $300 into $30,000. Since then, I have been playing No-Limit Hold’em as my main game.

As I write, I have played approximately eight million hands of poker. Playing professionally for over seven years, I provide the sole income for a family of five.

In early 2009, I started offering personal poker coaching and producing poker-training videos for dragthebar.com. I enjoy helping others develop poker skills. I write books in the sincere hope players improve their game. I bet they will.

Reviews

[Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid book on the mathematics of poker that doesn't lead you down a rabbit hole of incomprehension like many texts in this area; the author should also be lauded for clearly laying down what is their opinion and what is hard fact. It has some problems in tone and style, it's pretty choppy, and I think some of the points are doubtworthy (but then I'm not a pure math player). This could have really used another pass from an editor, both to smooth out the tone/style and to catch some typos. Nonetheless I think anyone who plays can gain something here. Really not a book for the non-player at all. There's problem sets and questions throughout to test your knowledge which I found helpful, and plenty of information that I will be coming back to read again in the future. Good book, certainly better than many of the other recommended starter books like Caro.

[Alexandra Chauran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much more than outs, odds, implied odds and EV. There were so many valuable conceptual concepts as well as sample problems and quizzes. The book is written in simple English and easy to read. I can tell some of the concepts will be more advanced than my level right now, and the author plainly explains what calculations are unnecessary until you move out of the microstakes. I will be gladly working through this book again and again as I advance in my studies. Poker math is fun!

[Miklós Kovács]

Van fontos matek és nem fontos matek. Ez fontos matek.

[Mahdi Tehrani · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are not a math nerd, this book is for you. Explaining concept with plenty of easy examples. Definitely recommending to Poker peeps.