Quote:
Originally Posted by Cannon Shell
I don't agree at all. Using math to understand theories of figure making and properly constucting tickets is far more complicated than sitting there waiting for the jack of hearts which is how the vast majority of people play. High stakes Poker between the very best players is a different story but that is .0000001% of the players.
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They are both difficult, but for different reasons. You have a lot more time (days) to lay out the math required to handicap and even construct tickets, so long as you revise for scratches. This math is tough, but you can use computers if necessary to help you out.
The math in Poker is tough because you have no computational equipment and very little time. So if the goal is to bet for positive expectation at the poker table, you first need to estimate the number of outs that will give you the BEST hand, approximate that to 2% times those outs, figure the odds as (100 - 2*OUTS)/(2*OUTS) and compare to what the pot odds are. This is all done in your head. Even better - and this is what the pros do - figure what your opponent(s) have, and bet accordingly to make that same equation done by them show the play to be unprofitable for them so they may fold. This is very tough in my opinion.
Ever see how some of these guys even send signals to each other through betting? Let's say Phil Ivey has a straight, and he's playing someone who he is pretty sure is looking to complete his flush. Phil says, "Raise" to $7250. Why not $7000 or $8000 even? Well, if $7250 makes the pot odds for his opponent JUST below the even expectation number, Phil has pretty much just told his opponent that he knows his cards, and is implying that he has a better hand. That's intimidating.