Is math really important ?

PokStorm

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Hello everyone.
I'm not really good at math, and it's not at my age that I want to get back into it.
So, without math can we hope to achieve some good results in poker ?
 
elizeuof

elizeuof

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We can play without math, there are some strategies that can help us, but you need to thing about others players, and sometimes the math will be used to calc their possibilities and if you don't take this on count you will lose for their in a long time.

I advice you to learn all you can about poker and try do understand the basics of math, like odds and potodds. ICM will be great for final table, but for us that have no good knowledge in poker math will be more util to aperfect the others qualities first.

Be exploited by another's players will be the worst thing that can happen with us, but using all the knowledge in others things related to poker will be effective to avoid some erros on play against theses players.

We usually will not use the math conscious all the time, with the time we will have good instinct to play certain hands.
 
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cheeeer

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Of course not. For example for pot odds you always have 50%. To get 33% you need one more caller and he should fold till show down guaranteed. It is impossible to calculate. People always will find explanations for a bad call.

But maybe to count how many outs you have is useful. So can't say maths sucks at all.
 
PokStorm

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If I understand correctly, mathematics is not essential but without it, we are more likely to be beaten... mmm, so I must be interested in it a little. :icon_scra
 
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Delfino

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Math is not important in poker. I wouldn't call counting simple odds "math". :)
 
ajtrevor

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You have to understand odds and that is a part of math. The more you know doesn’t hurt��
 
Jr28edhill

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Math is good to use to count your odds. Possible outs if in fact you put someone on a certain hand. If your looking for a flush and you put someone on a two pair.then your odds of catching the next suited card without filling his "boat" .

However it is more than just calculating odds or probabilities of certain hands. If you are invested in a hand and the pot is 100 dollar. If you calculated your chance to win is fifty fifty. If you are heads up and your opponent bets 25 than you would be putting 25 into an eventual total pot of 150 . That's one sixth 16.5 percent. You winning is greater at 50 percent. Since your chances of winning is greater than the total you have to invest than it is a good call. But if your are looking for an inside straight straight. Than your odds are more like 9 percent .it would not be wise to call since the money you must invest to call 16% is more than your odds of winning. Now that's straight math but tournament may be you can play more liberally with a big stack and looking to crush opponent kn case you do catch. My gut plays a bg role in some decisions as well. Math is definitely very helpful in the long run .
 
Poker Orifice

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Hello everyone.
I'm not really good at math, and it's not at my age that I want to get back into it.
So, without math can we hope to achieve some good results in poker ?



Basic poker math is simple! And essential!!
If you want to become a decent Tournament player for example, how can we hope to be doing our best when we will be put in spots where we won't even know if the situation has a positive expectation for us to be making a call?

imo, you need to learn basic poker math... AND then you need to practise it. One way is by marking 'trouble' hands you had & then running calcs in something like Pokerstove until it becomes automatic in your head.
Then.... you'll want to add ICM into your calculations.
ie. in a tournament you open raise 2.3bb's in EP off a 28bb stack with AJs... MP (a tight player on 16bb's shoves allin). It's folded back to you... Do you call? or fold?? (just from a + or -cEV perspective... not including ICM considersations)
What range do we put Villain on?
What hand do we need to make the call?

Now think of the gazillion different scenarios that you could (can) run (not just +cEV spots where we're calling off vs. allins). And the work begins (IF we want to get GOOD).

I'm sure there's some articles on CC regarding basic poker math. Try them out.
 
Poker Orifice

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I could respond with a question...
How good do you want to get at poker? Do you want to just be able to play or do you hope to be a consistent winning player?
fwiw, I couldn't imagine playing without knowing the math. And, tbh, I'm not very good at the game.
 
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1nsomn1a

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There are no unimportant things in poker. Any information gives us a small advantage, only of course if it is relevant. Basic math like calculating pot odds and the relative size of the stack is very necessary for playing plus poker.:)
 
Iryna Stryzheuskaya

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You yourself will answer this question when you play for a while.
 
Zorba

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Hello everyone.
I'm not really good at math, and it's not at my age that I want to get back into it.
So, without math can we hope to achieve some good results in poker ?
Math is just a tad important.

Good luck with your poker.

:top:
 
linf

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I think math is overrated in poker. people just like to think that poker is math. counting outs and chances does not require a lot of intelligence. But in poker, a lot depends on luck, on bluffing, on psychology ... For this we love poker))
 
gon4iypes

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maths not math....there should be an 's' ....just as there no such thing as mathematic...it is written in plural form only...mathematics
 
ramdon p358

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It is important. Math helps you calculate the odds that the card you need may come out (outs) as well as the percentage of winning a hand (odds)
 
PokStorm

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Now it's clear, without a little math I'm going to get plucked.
Thank you all for all these good advices. :icon_thum
 
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Math is good to use to count your odds. Possible outs if in fact you put someone on a certain hand. If your looking for a flush and you put someone on a two pair.then your odds of catching the next suited card without filling his "boat" .

However it is more than just calculating odds or probabilities of certain hands. If you are invested in a hand and the pot is 100 dollar. If you calculated your chance to win is fifty fifty. If you are heads up and your opponent bets 25 than you would be putting 25 into an eventual total pot of 150 . That's one sixth 16.5 percent. You winning is greater at 50 percent. Since your chances of winning is greater than the total you have to invest than it is a good call. But if your are looking for an inside straight straight. Than your odds are more like 9 percent .it would not be wise to call since the money you must invest to call 16% is more than your odds of winning. Now that's straight math but tournament may be you can play more liberally with a big stack and looking to crush opponent kn case you do catch. My gut plays a bg role in some decisions as well. Math is definitely very helpful in the long run .
How? In Heads Up you always invest 50% in pot.
 
Jr28edhill

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Ok so yes you will be investing fifty percent of the pot but once that money is in the pot it is no longer yours. However what I may have stated unclearly was that if you believe you are 50 % odds to win the pot based on the possible outcomes of the following cards. So if you are going to win 50 percent of the times than calling a bet that is only a sixth of the total final pot. 16.6% is worth it.

Again if total pot is 100 then 16.6 percent is 16.60. If I will win 50 percent of the time and let's just say we will make 4 calls. Out of the four calls you will win 2 pots. You will invest 16.60 × the 4 calls. Which is 66.40. But you win to total pots of 100 each. Therefore you would win 200 total and invest only 66.40 since all the money in the pot is already not yours anymore. You have a total that is now positive 133.60. Essential twice the amount you wagered on the final call.
 
Pufik

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not most important things but without good math your poker game will be looks like bike without pedals, you can ride on them but not effective so much like with pedals.
Math is one of many others thing you should know when you want be good at poker.
With math you can compute how much percantage on win you must have if you want make good call, if pot odds is good for you or bad. or how much you should bet if you want take your enemy go all in on next street and many many others.
 
Evan Jarvis

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Hello everyone.
I'm not really good at math, and it's not at my age that I want to get back into it.
So, without math can we hope to achieve some good results in poker ?


Math is what makes you money in poker.

Good news is, you don't need extremely complex math to be a winner on the poker tables.

But, it does go a long way to have an understanding of the basics and it's worth learning :)

 
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Maths in poker

Hello, it is important if you want to be a winning player, because many times you will be paying more or folding more in the long term, that is why it matters. you know what percentage you have to win and if the movement is profitable. It is not so complicated either, I would say that you put batteries to the mathematics of poker. regards
 
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You only have to know how to calculate pot odds and your number of outs, which are not exactly rocket science
 
perrypip

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The math in poker isn't very complicated but it's an essential part of winning. Most people shouldn't have trouble learning the math if they take the time to do it. Being a good poker player is more a matter of discipline, i.e. sticking to to math when money and variance bring emotions into play.
 
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