Book review: The Mathematics of Poker, by William Chen

Author: Simon Dexter

It’s interesting that our lead story in this week’s SFTW focuses on someone who should know more than they obviously do about poker’s maths, for this book would probably make the perfect gift for him.

We’ve all come across the scam merchants, bluffers and those, like our man in the City, who talk a good game, but ultimately, if you want to be a successful poker player, you simply must understand the game’s maths. This is the definitive work on the subject.

That’s not to say it’s easy bedtime reading, although some will find the way in which Chen relates his mathematical theories to the game both practical and enjoyable. However, for the most part, your maths will need to be at a level beyond GCSE for much of the content to make sense.

Sticking with this book could, however, yield enormous dividends as it’s extremely likely your win rate will improve markedly should you apply Chen’s theories to your game. It’s only fair to point out that this is not a book for beginners; you will require a clear understanding of poker (in its many guises) to get the most out of it.

Essentially, Chen endeavours to teach his readers about how they should think about poker and once you’ve grasped the maths, his concepts are well presented and make enormous sense.

He is particularly good when it comes to subjects such as manipulating the pot size, adjusting correctly to stack sizes and winning the battle of mistakes. What makes these concepts so appealing is that Chen backs his arguments with clear mathematical examples to prove his various points.

Could the reader actually jettison the maths and concentrate instead on Chen’s theories for reading hands or manipulating opponents into playing badly? The answer is ‘probably’, but to do so, you would miss out on a wealth of expertise and obvious poker wisdom.

Granted, if the prospect of making rapid EV calculations turns you cold, you could conceivably skip them, but the fact is that appreciating how to create EV equations will allow to you evaluate your play when not playing, something which, ironically, will improve your game when returning to the table.

In short, you should stick with Chen’s maths because once you’ve absorbed his concepts, this is a book to which you will return time and again.