College Courses for Poker Players

Hey everyone,
My nephew and I share the same feelings about poker, and he is going to be in college very soon. He was wondering what types of courses he should take to become a better poker player?
I am always hearing about these psychologists and mathematical geniuses who decide to take up poker and become very successful, so I suggested psychology and math classes that has some specialty in probability or something but I am not sure.
Any suggestions on to what types of courses that might make him a better poker player?
Thanks.
wkonevich

depends? is he a better player on the math side? better at reading people? better at the odds (somewhat goes with math but we'll just give it its own thing)?

well I have never played with him because he lives over in the suburbs around boston so I am not sure, but we do chat through email and he asked me the other day what classes would be the best for him...he has told me that he knows the basic math but still needs to learn a whole bunch about it, and he also told me that he is O.K. at reading his opponents...
he plays online at poker stars but I cannot play poker stars being a mac user myself, so i have no idea...

my suggestion would be to get an education in something he can earn the big money in and then take a poker training course. I love poker but I think it's alot more fun if you already have a good job and some good money. then you can afford to play for the big bucks and quit your job later if you are serious about poker and successful. jmo ,

If your serious about poker then I suggest you become a world history major with geology as a minor.

On a "really" serious note, tell the kid to get an education in whatever interests him OUTSIDE of poker.

other wise i suggest one of the below methods

A. Hang around back alleys, taverns, pool halls, and houses of ill repute to learn the ins and outs of poker.

B. Hang out at Cardschat and read some books on poker.

While A might be more fun B will likely be more profitable.

Looking back and given what I know now. I would choose A... again. :banghead:

Maybe it's just me... but wouldn't using college specifically to learn about poker-related topics be a really expensive and time-consuming way of becoming a better poker player?

I think you'll find most of the players who are college-educated math wizards and whatever actually did things the other way around: they got degrees in math because they like math - then along the way they discovered poker was an entertaining way to put their knowledge into practice.

As for psychology, I've known a lot of psychology students and you'd likely find that very little of any psych course will be able to be applied directly to poker - developmental psychology, neuropsychology... all fascinating stuff, but fairly useless at the poker table.

On the other hand, there's loads of books out there that talk specifically about the math and psychology of poker - if it were me, I'd pick a college course that I enjoyed, regardless of its relation to poker, and buy some books to help me become a better player. And then get a whole lot of practice in.

Symbolic Logic, taught in the Philosophy Department.

statisticians earn a lot of dough, and they should know poker odds

therefore, i would say most practical major for improving your poker game would be statistics... but i more than agree with what's been said about just learning whatever else interests you--and then take that degree in engineering and get a nice job to fund your poker bankroll

Game theory?

vanquish said:

Game theory?

Click to expand...

Usually not available to undergrads (at least not freshmen).

Game theory is current used by the military, as well as gamesters.

I was one of only 2 students in my class to pass an inductive logic final. Problem is that it was so long ago, I can't even deduce what it was I thought I learned.

Game theory might solve this conundrum;

If you have a truckload of watermelons, but wanted a truckload of apples, would you give odds to the guy who had a truckload of apples but wanted watermelons? Keep in mind that each truckload has value, the produce can be sold. Values of each come into play, along with suitability of task, and each dudes position and desires.

Clearly if you have a catapult (military App) and are in battle, the watermelons seem the more desirable item. Unless you take into account the fact that all your men have scurvy. Thus the conundrum........