Theories of Poker
Poker theory is a topic that takes much more than a chapter in a book to cover completely.
At least two books devoted almost entirely to poker theory have been written, and neither attempts to cover the topic fully.
The point of this chapter isn’t to give a complete review of poker theory, but to provide a summary of how poker theory provides direction to strategic and tactical thinking in poker.
One problem in poker theory is that many poker analysts who write books or magazine articles about poker don’t seem to really understand how theory influences thinking about the strategy and tactics of the game.
Most analysts have a favorite theory about the game, and whenever they are confronted with a situation for analysis, they immediately view the situation through their favorite perspective.
There are many alternative theories of poker, and a complete analysis of the game requires a frequent shifting of the theoretical perspective.
In most fields it’s not unusual for researchers or analysts to blur the distinction between the theory of some phenomena and a model based on the theory.
That’s particularly true in the poker literature.
A theory of poker and a model of poker, however, are really distinct things, and I think it’s important to understand that distinction when you’re thinking and learning about poker.
Pick the Right Table / Picking a Seat / Theories of Poker / Betting Theory: The Odds
A Theory of Starting Hand Value
A Theory of Flop Play: Counting Outs and Evaluating Draws
The Dynamics of Game Conditions / Table Image / Player Stereotypes
Women and Poker / Spread-Limit Games / Double Bet on the End Games / Kill Games
Short-handed Games / Tournaments / No-limit and Pot-Limit Poker
