Are you all naturally good mathematicians?

[WShanor]

PokerPete and JKawai keep posting, that stuff was getting interesting! I had never thought to bet my hands based on my win odds and actually size my bets to match it. Would be neat, but it would also tell your opponent what your win odd percent is exactly lol. Seems like it could be very exploited.

 

[aslanvanacha]

math

to speak truly i dont like math but a i know that math plays a very important part in poker!!! i play poker on emotions i dont calculate odds or smth else)))

 

[SBEP]

Well, what can i say, third year in high school i almost flanked my year, if i didnt pass the test at the end of the school year, which consists of mathematical problems that we learned about through the entire year, so in one month i had to learn everything we were thought in a year, so i said to myself, at least take a look at your math book and just try to memorize the different problem solving techniques, and go with that, after looking at my math book for 45 min, thats how much time i spend on preparing for this test i went next day and took the test, and kick the living shyte out of it, from three math problems i was given i solved two which were the hardest, i only missed one, but that was enough for me to pass the test so what can i say, i had F the entire year, and in 45 min i learned everything i needed to know for that test, well not everything since i missed one problem but there u have it, later i found out that, our math teacher was in cahoots with our native language teacher, thats english teacher for u english speaking folks to make her class out score our class in those two subjects English and Math, so we were 37 students in my class with 37 F`s in math and english tadaaaaa end of story

 

[Lexie 2608]

In my profession I'm a controller/accountant, so math is a second nature to me. But I have to admit I also make mistakes or bad decisions.

It's all about focus!

 

[Broon1234]

yes I am but you don't have to be to win. I don't use it as much as I used to. Need to study more

 

[Syltan]

Personally, I consider myself not a bad mathematician but the luck factor has not been canceled)))

 

[tcdukesdood]

...not at all I just "get" how it works...

from you other posts, I see you "get" what a 5:1 or 4:1 drawing hand is...
...and I'd assume you "get" what you are holding...
so how exactly do you know to call or fold?
It's actually simpler than it looks...

ok, your draw is 5:1 to hit...what size bet do you call and to what size bet do you fold to a $100 pot?

well there's a hint in the 5:1

...if you have all the time in the world, a pencil and paper and a calculator handy:
you start by finding the "break even point" - higher than this value fold, lower call
the total pot size (or the base pot plus the bet and call) per every 6 calls times "how much" per call
or
pot/(total calls * cost per call)...
so for $100 pot...
it becomes: ($100 + 2X)/(6 * X) where "X" is how much per call

Yuck! the math sux even with all the time in the world AND a calculator...
but let's continue...

so to "break even" the net ratio will be one..win as much as you lose
so...
($100 + 2X)/(6X) = 1
pull out the (yuck) algebra and solve for X:

multiply both sides by 6X we get
6X = 100 +2X

add -2X to both sides....

6X-2X = 100
or

4X = 100

divide both sides by 4
X=25

Does that work? Let's see...
in 6 similar hands,
Pot $100, villain bets $25, you're sitting on a 5:1 draw call $25

so you put in $25 six times or $150
out of those 6 times you win once: the $100 the villain's bet of $25
and your call of $25 for a total of $150
...you risked $150 and won $150 so you broke even

Good grief...high school algebra does have a real purpose in life! :shot:

...but good grief...we don't have all the time required to do that...or do we??
look back and you'll see that with a 5:1 it simplified to
6X-2X = 100
...and that 6X is ALWAYS the both sides or the 5:1 ADDED together
...and that 2X is ALWAYS twice the bet...
and since it's ALWAYS written as 5:1 or 4:1 or even (yuck) 2.33:1
...so really we're ALWAYS adding 1 to the left side BEFORE subtracting 2
...which will ALWAYS be the left side minus 1

...and then we ALWAYS divide the pot by this number!


...so all of a sudden, if you know you're 5:1 and the pot is $100
then 5-1 is 4...
100/4 (easy maths, no?) is 25 so $25 is "break even"...$26 fold, $24 call..piece of cake, no?

poker life would be a piece o cake if the pot was always $100, no?

5:1 becomes 4 .... pot of $100 divided by 4 the break even point is $25
4:1 becomes 3 ... pot of $100 divided by 3 the break even point is about $33
2.33 becomes 1.33...pot of $100...ummm..yuck..well wait...
1.33 is "one and a third" or 4/3 pot of $100 divided by 4/3 is...
*gasp* that algebra stuff is handy again...
it's the same as 3/4 * 100 (remember that whole invert and multiply crud?)
or the break even point is $75!

So pot of $100, bet of $35...
5:1 draw? fold
4:1 draw? fold
2.33:1 draw? CALL!

rut rho...what about a pot of $300,$500 or $1200? :banghead:

..actually still easy...the pots are just 3,5,and 12 times as big..
..so the break even point is just 3, 5 and 12 times the break even point for $100

so $300 pot: 5:1 draw becomes $75, a 4:1 is ~$99 and a 2.33:1 is $225
and so on and so on

damn you think a lot! hope it helps at the tables

 

[tcdukesdood]

Being good at math helps, but it isn't what makes the best players. I think the thing all the top pros have is a great memory. They can play back in their mind how the villains played eight hour ago and compare to how they are playing now.

Yeah I don't even remember the hand I got after I fold them

 

[Mauno]

Knowing math is good but if ti would be most important factor then any programmed bot would win all.
Knowing Your opponents and knowing when to play and when to fold makes You winner. ..
I'm new in online poker and I spend more time studying other players than on math. Maybe I would be more succesful calculating.. who knows.

 

[GuiWah]

I use the math to play with more security. But I"m not a good mathematician, sometimes i'm simple with her.

 

[Mr.$t0k]

Mathematics without controversially very important in poker, chances are you are calculated, you shield what does your money up to the amount in the pot on each round and so on but it is also not the main quality kakimto should own

 

[Whiterosemov]

I saw a lot of huge posts with a lot of complex math problems, but I really would like to know: is there any book that synthesis the most importante math concepts that may be applied to poker?

thanks!

 

[Samuel Lee]

I've never been good at math either.
But because we evolved so much there are plenty of programs to help you with your poker calculations and also tables that can help you with these calculations.
For example I had a table with odds that I used to keep in my window bar every time I played poker but after a while you become to memorize them so you don't need the label anymore.

 

[GWU73]

I am pretty good at math, but it is not needed. Frankly, you do not want to have to focus on doing complex calculations while you are playing. You can memorize odds & outs for common situations in advance. Then all you need to do is a pot odds or SPR calculation. You can even estimate those.

 

[CallmeFloppy]

Math skills certainly help and gets easier over time. You still need to be able to identify situations and when people are playing outside their normal game plan.