So you've decided to devote yourself to one of the most popular gambling games in the world - poker... Congratulations, but we want to warn you right away: you will have to learn a lot, and the theory of poker is not only about the rules of the game and the gradation of basic combinations. This is a whole system of knowledge that you will have to master in order to implement successful strategies and tactics. Where to begin?
Poker theory - first steps
Initially, you need to master the card and basic... The theory of the game of Hold'em poker is what a beginner will need initially. It is the most popular form of poker and is available in all poker rooms and tournaments.
After the theory of poker in will already be known, you can start studying, and other types of card games. Keep in mind that each of them has its own characteristics, becoming a professional right away will not work everywhere - you will have to learn how to rebuild from Razz to Omaha, from Hold'em and so on. In any case, the theory of the game of poker is a wonderful and fascinating world.
Strategies and tactics
Once you have mastered the basic rules of the game, start practicing... After the first few months, you will find out who the limpers are, or. At this point, it is important to learn how to properly manage your bankroll at every stage of the distribution. Otherwise, you will always leave the table with no money.
Poker theory is mastered in two ways - continuous practice or prior training.... In the first case, you still spend money, but already losing at the table. Some never master the basic strategies of the game.
Choosing training from professionals, you are betting on successful poker... famous players and the right ones can only be learned from a specialist.
The last step in mastering poker theory is using and special for pumping your analytical skills. You will learn to calculate the profitability of your game tactics and will always maintain a positive EV.
Perfectly master the theory of tight play, which is full of aggressive actions - raises, check-folds, three-bets. This is the handwriting of a real pro. Playing with a limper all the time, you will not achieve poker heights and will remain somewhere in the middle of the list all the time. In addition, active and aggressive poker is always much cooler and more interesting.
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David Sklansky nicknamed Einstein is the author of 13 works on poker and general game theory... He was born back in 1949. poker world I first got there while studying at the university, which, by the way, dropped out without receiving a diploma. David got a job at an insurance company, where he calculated the mathematical probabilities for estimated tariffs, but did not work there for a long time, realizing that it was not his. Quitting his job, he left for Vegas with only one goal - to become professional poker player... Pego's first significant win was first place in the Razz tournament, with an entry fee of $ 1,000. 
In just two years from 82 to 83, he managed to become the champion three times World Series and get a gold bracelet... Until 1991, he participated in various tournaments, took first places there and received good prize money. But after the 91st, David's interest in tournaments disappeared and he more and more switches to cash tables, practically abandoning events.
In addition to the lava of a successful player, he is also known as a poker player-writer. His first book on poker was called “ Win poker"And was co-written with Dean back in 1983.
In 2004, he received an invitation to poker tournament, in which only poker writers participated and took first place there, defeating the notorious Doyle Brunson in the final. After this event, his interest in tournaments, and more and more often it was possible at various events and events. It is worth noting that in total he managed to earn $ 1.4 million in tournaments.
Poker theory
The work “ David Sklansky poker theory ", a book that is still considered one of the best works about poker. " Poker theory"This is not a hint how to start playing, this is a tool that will help you learn to think how professional player, here you can find quite a few subtle nuances, theories, ideas that need to be carefully "chewed", analyzed and tested in practice. Even reading it several times, you can constantly find something new.
« Poker theory»Sklansky presents the reader with a general poker theory and the basic concepts that are used in it and can be applied in almost all poker disciplines, from Lowball with Draw to the world famous Texas Hold'em. Here you can find a detailed analysis of all the factors and stages of the hand, from the ante pattern to the strategies. river games when the last card is revealed on the table. The author seeks, first of all, to explain how poker works, and in this way help each player independently understand what he needs to change in order to make his game even more professional and his strategy effective.
Probably this is the main feature of this work, here, in contrast to most of modern poker literature the focus is not on Omaha, Hold'em, Stud or Draw, it describes and discloses those concepts that can be applied equally well to each type.
Sklansky went to great lengths to explain The concept of Fundamental Theory of Poker and how this theory will affect the game. Here, many other important topics, both for a beginner and for professionals, are considered, such as Bluff, tactics rate hikes how important is cheating in poker, psychology, reading the opponent's hands, playing face to face, the probability of winning, the importance of a seat at the table, semi-bluff and many other important topics. The book also makes it clear that in poker, calculation and skills are primarily important, and not risk and luck, therefore professional players they can fold even strong cards if they understand that they cannot be won with them, unlike beginners. Many experienced poker players reading the book, more than once come to the conclusion "Lord, of course, how could I not notice this?" or "This is quite logical"!
If you ask any professional poker player what book a player should keep on the table, he will undoubtedly say “ Poker theory», The strategies outlined and explained in it will help you climb the career ladder in the poker world.
Important if you are just starting to discover the basics and poker rules it is better not to tackle right away " Poker theory", In order to thoroughly understand what is written in it, you need to use the information in real game and not all beginners can do it. In addition, the text in it is written in a rather complex and not always understandable language, in order to thoroughly master all the points, you will have to read more than once, and perhaps not two, while applying everything in practice.
But those who have spent enough time and effort and were able to master " Poker theory»Will receive a disproportionate advantage over people who have not read it. Well if you are a natural born poker genius like, for example, Patrick Antonius then of course you do not need books, but this is more an exception that proves the rule than an example. Sklansky says that you can play well with any hand, and you don't have to cheat or hope for luck, just a knowledge of mathematics is enough.
In other matters, even beginner poker player can use this book as The source of information about the basics of the game, and based on the knowledge gained, hone your skills in the future much faster and in the right direction.
Moreover " Poker theory"Can be used as a kind of encyclopedia, you can always have it at hand when reading others poker books, because with the help of it you can determine the meaning of many concepts and delve into the work of the mechanisms of the game itself. Of course, there will be no step-by-step analysis and specific situations here, but you will get much more valuable skills - you will learn to think for yourself, choose a strategy independently depending on the situation and use it correctly. 
It has already been mentioned how many things are understood in the book, many of them were not known to the poker world at all before the release of "Theory of Poker". Here you can, for example, find a detailed bank odds analysis(which, by the way, is only in two works, including Theory), effective chances, potential chances and vice versa potential chances... These are rather complex and relatively new concepts.
Moreover, how to bluff, the author also teaches that how to defend against bluffs... Here, not only technology is revealed, but also psychological aspects, for example, how to do it right read opponent's hands... The author tried to take into account as many aspects of the game as possible, without losing sight of anything.
Well, it is worth emphasizing again, there is little work David Sklansky poker theory download and read, it must be constantly combined with practice, constantly put the rules into play written on paper. Thus, it will be easier to understand and understand all of the above. True, professionals warn that at first the work will require a lot of time and effort, because in the book huge amounts of information that need to be carefully disassembled. For beginners, the writing language may seem complicated, but in the world of professional poker this book is criticized precisely because it is written too “simply”, without many of the professionalism and jargon from the world of poker.
Do not be annoyed by some repetitive information, because in this way the author is trying to help the reader to better remember what is written. If you strive to become a real professional and turn poker into work, you cannot do without " Theories n okera ". Nowadays, the book is world famous and has been translated into the languages of many countries of the world, including Russian. It will not be difficult with the help of the network find electronic version or to order a paper book, there is something more convenient and easier for someone.
Poker has evolved significantly in recent years. It has changed so much that many books, videos, and other related content are out of date.
Old-school players made millions from exploits, and modern pros make their fortunes based mainly on theory, while exploits have faded into the background.
In this article, we'll cover:
- The Basics of a Theoretically Competent Poker Game
- Why Use Theory-Driven Strategy (COT)
- Examples from Doug Polk's game that demonstrate the importance of theory
- Four obvious benefits of a theory-based game
So go ahead!
The Basics of a Theoretically Competent Poker Game
John Nash developed his game theory while at Princeton University around 1950. As poker has gained incredible popularity over the past 15 years, the level of players has grown to such an extent that it is now impossible to win on a consistent basis without fundamental knowledge of game theory.
Mathematically, every decision you make at the table affects your winrate, from the hand you decide to play in one position or another, to the small check on the river when playing a modest pot. All this can be measured using the mathematical expectation (MO). If your decision is potentially profitable, then MO is positive (MO +), if not, it can be considered negative (MO-).
A very simple example of applying a theoretically consistent strategy is using an open-raising range. Below is an example of a typical open-raising range for a UTG player (who decides first preflop).
It is obviously a wise decision to raise with strong hands in this position, but choosing extremely strong hands to raise will make your play predictable. If we add hands like 9s8s or 6h6c to the opening range - we are balancing him, and it will definitely strengthen our game. With this strategy, from time to time we will be able to hit even a weak flop like in the picture below.
Why it is necessary to build a game based on theory
You may be wondering: why pay so much attention to theory when we will receive most of the profits by exploiting weak or inattentive players.
There are two main reasons:
- With this strategy, you will win in the long run no matter how well your opponents play.
- Making adjustments to your own game is easier if you already have a basic strategy to build on (more on that below).
From a COT perspective, reviewing and analyzing your own hands should take into account how the hands actually played in order to determine how balanced your strategy is. Moreover, from the point of view of IOS, you must know how to act in any game situation and not reduce everything to the two cards dealt to you. When analyzing the game, you should think about how it would actually be worth playing a particular hand.
If you are betting for value in certain situations, you should also include bluff-oriented hands in your range so that your opponent does not adapt to your play. If you only value bet on a specific river, your opponent can quickly identify danger and fold. On the other hand, if in certain situations you bluff too often, your opponent will sooner or later understand everything and can easily enrich himself at your expense.
If you are still not convinced that a theory-based strategy is the right way to make money, then these hypothetical examples from Doug Polk should help you figure it out:
Examples of using theory
On the river, you bet $ 100 into a $ 100 pot, so your opponent must call to win $ 200. So your opponent's pot odds are 2 to 1, and he must win at least 33% of the time to break even.
This quick calculation shows the optimal bluff ratio in your river betting range: 33% (one bluff for every two bets for value). This frequency is optimal because it allows you to steal the pot most often without running into resistance.
Let's test 4 different bluff-value betting scenarios so you can understand why a 33% bluffing and 66% value betting range is the best COT, and why your opponent won't be able to counter it.
(For simplicity's sake, let's assume that we always win when our opponent calls our value bet, and always lose when he calls our bluff.)
Scenario # 1 - bluff 0%, value bet 100%:
Your opponent can fold 100% of the time. With your betting range, you win $ 100.
Scenario # 2 - bluff 100%, value bet 0%
Your opponent can call 100% of the time. You will now lose $ 100.
Scenario # 3 - bluff 50%, value bet 50%:
If your call 100% of the time, you win $ 200 for value bets and lose $ 100 for bluffs. With your betting range, you only win $ 50 if your opponent calls every time (50% * - $ 100 = - $ 50, 50% * $ 200 = $ 100, $ 100 - $ 50 = $ 50).
This scenario shows that the tactic of not bluffing altogether is more beneficial than bluffing 50% of the time.
Scenario # 4 - bluff 33%, value bet 67%:
If your opponent calls every time, you win $ 200 again when betting for value and lose $ 100 when bluffing. But this time you will only lose $ 100 33% of the time and win $ 200 67% of the time, that is, you make a profit of $ 100 (33% * $ 100 = $ 33, 67% * $ 200 = $ 133. $ 133 - $ 33 = $ 100).
The bluff-to-value bet ratio used in this scenario is optimal because:
- You win $ 100 if your opponent always calls
- You win $ 100 if your opponent always folds
You make a profit of $ 100 regardless of your opponent's decision. This win-win scenario is only possible with a perfectly balanced range.... Regardless of which option your opponent chooses, your range brings the same profit.
Adjusting this ratio to exploit weak players can bring even more profit, but this requires careful and competent adjustments based on clear patterns in the opponent's play. If you want to develop and reach new heights, then using a theory-based strategy is a must.
Four obvious benefits of a theory-based game
In conclusion, let's take a look at the four main benefits that COT offers.
It avoids looped thinking.
The old-fashioned poker doctrine of the 90s is based on the desire to understand at what "level of thinking" opponents are playing.
- At first, you only study your own hand.
- Then you try to figure out what your opponent might have
- Then try to imagine what this opponent thinks of your hand.
- Then you analyze what your opponent thinks about what you think he has….
- Etc.
In theory, at one of these stages, you should stop - that is, you must conditionally determine the level of your opponent's thinking, after which you adjust your own game to him. But the reality is that this scheme does not work well against weak players. And against more experienced players, it, in theory, can be repeated until the end of the century, while both players try to climb one level of thinking higher.
Patrik Antonius is the last person on earth to whom I should give advice on how to play poker. Still, we mere mortals can avoid falling into a similar situation if we use a theoretically grounded bluffing strategy. Then we don't have to "rethink" our opponent on a zero equity flop.
It allows you to get rid of assumptions
Another advantage of COT is that it eliminates potentially false guesses about the opponents' play. Of course, if you have been playing against this or that player for a long time, you have the right to draw certain conclusions about his game, but in other cases, unfounded general assumptions can cost you the bank.
For example, it is extremely unreasonable to say things like "there will NEVER be a bluff in this spot" or "he ALWAYS folds in this situation." Likewise, you should not assume that an unknown opponent cannot have a certain hand in a range, or that he is playing extremely tight or loose in certain spots.
A well-designed, theory-based strategy ignores these guesses and helps you build a strong game.
Objective analysis
Many players misjudge how they play a particular hand based solely on the outcome of the hand. But the more a person plays poker, the more he realizes that this approach is fundamentally wrong.
Objective analysis is not easy, especially when the rally ended in colossal success or in complete disaster. If you made a full house on the river and destroyed your opponent, this does not mean that this will happen from time to time.
Once you have developed the correct COT for a specific spot, you should apply it for the next session to see how well it performs over the long term across your chosen range, rather than for two specific cards.
Every successful poker player knows that admitting his own mistakes is a prerequisite for a successful game. Game theory makes these mistakes easier to recognize.
It makes it easier to adjust your own game.
Why is theory so important for adjusting your own game strategy? To understand this, let's play a little game.
Let's say that you have hammered everything you know about poker, except for some of the outdated knowledge of the game, and you are about to play your first hand.
Live $ 1 / $ 2.Effective stacks $200.
The player sits in the big blind with A ♦ 9 ♦
btn drops. BTN raises to $ 7. sb drops. The player calls.
Flop($ 14) A ♠ T ♦ 3
The player checks. BTN bet $ 9. The player calls.
The turn($ 32) J ♣
The player checks. BTN bet $ 21. The player calls.
River ($74) 9♣
The player checks. BTN bets $ 50. The player calls.
BTN shows A2 ♣. The player wins $ 174 with two pair.
How do you assess the aggression of a player on the button with his weak top pair? How can you exploit it in the future? It won't be easy without a competent theoretical analysis of his particular hand.
On the other hand, if you know how to theoretically play A2o in a given situation in place of BU, you will know exactly how strong he deviated from her. This knowledge will allow you to quickly determine how to exploit this enemy.
Here are some adjustments we can make to crush his aggressive strategy:
- Small exploit: lightly call his barrels (but not too much).
- Big exploit: Attack aggressively his check-back range (which seems to be very weak) with big thin value bets combined with an appropriate number of bluffs.
Oftentimes, knowing theoretically sound hand strategies makes it easier to exploit your opponents, because in such a situation you know exactly how far their play deviates from the optimal one. When you don't know what is right, it is almost impossible to understand what is wrong.
Conclusion
The desire to develop a theoretically perfect strategy for the game seems like a perfectly reasonable impulse, but, in truth, such a game does not exist yet. A human or a robot has yet to finally "calculate" poker, so we still strongly recommend using game theory to maximize your playing strategy. This means that you have a responsibility to work on your game both at and outside the table.
Original name: Theory of Poker
Year: 2005
Language: Russian
Chapter: Poker Mathematics Books
Disciplines: no limit hold'em
Despite the title "Theory of Poker", this book is written not for specific beginners, but for those players who already know how to play and want to improve their skills. Sklansky wrote about the psychology of poker from a professional point of view.
He set himself the goal of acquainting readers with the theory of poker so that each of them could overcome the dependence on luck and become a real master, relying only on experience.
The book contains a huge knowledge base, a lot of useful information and illustrative examples that help to assimilate information in the most accessible way.
Read the poker book "Theory of Poker" by Sklansky by downloading the book in PDF or Fb2 format, or listen to fragments of the book online on our YouTube channel.
David Sklansky is a talented player and mathematician. He made a huge contribution to. On account of Sklansky 14 books, the author and co-author of which he acts. Many now successful pros have learned from his books.
