[jojobinks]

i ap'd out of college math. so i was very good at 18...but i've done nothing since.

it's math, but not very hard (20 pages in, anyhow).

[littlebu]

I just ordered mine. I also <3 math. I have an Associates of Electrical Engineering, and am taking courses for my BBA with a focus in finance/investing.

[plz]

I received my copy of this book about a week ago and have been reading through it daily ever since. I'm about 150 pages into it (it's 375 pages of very small print). Here are some observations so far:

1. If you want to work through all the calculations and tables yourself, be prepared to read it very slowly and take a lot of breaks. It is a very densely written book and is indeed written like a math text.

2. So far, the actual mathematical equations are pretty much just straightforward algebra - i.e., not really advanced math (although the book uses calculus in later chapters).

3. The real difficulty is fully understanding the concepts well enough to apply them and thoroughly understand the subsequent analysis. This is especially true for the sections that rely on game theory (I never studied game theory despite having a graduate degree in Mathematics).

4. There are a number of calculations that are incorrect, probably because they're either (i) typos or (ii) weren't double-checked by a proof reader. However, these errors do not affect the analysis or conclusions.

5. You can still get a lot of value by accepting the calculations without trying to derive them yourself, and just focusing on the conclusions that result from them.

6. Finally, if you're either a closet mathematician or that's your educational background, you might really like the mathematics part of the book in addition to the poker conclusions. My graduate degree is over 30 years old and I found myself reconnecting to a lot of old concepts and notation that I hadn't used in many years, and especially appreciate learning about game theory for the first time. But if you're looking for something similar to Harrington on Holdem, you'll find this book a tough read.

[jojobinks]

on the subject of errata; here's the conjelco list:

link

[bolgenmod]

Thanks for the comments plz. I am hoping that Santa got me this book (or an Amazon card), but the boyfriend did mention that no one wants to buy me poker books since they are not sure which ones I already have (hint: most of them!).

Like jojo, I did AP math in HS but really haven't touched the stuff since. (I was so ashamed when I got a pretty bad score on the math portion of the GREs, whereas I had rocked the math SAT -- I guess ten years of no math will do that to you!) But I understand that the authors explain the math pretty clearly, although some people find the formulae intimidating. I don't find them intimidating, but I do know that my math skills are so rusty as to be practically useless....

Of course, I will get the book in any case. Looking forward to having you guys explain it all to me!!

[Matthew]

I got an Amazon gift certificatre from my manager for Christmas - ordered

Phil Gordon's Boxed Set - Green Red and Blue
Harrington Vol 1
and
Mathematics of Poker

[bolgenmod]

Originally Posted by Matthew

I got an Amazon gift certificatre from my manager for Christmas - ordered

Phil Gordon's Boxed Set - Green Red and Blue
Harrington Vol 1
and
Mathematics of Poker

Good choices, although I believe the Gordon books are called Green, Blue, and Black. The Black book is the weakest of the three -- it's more for entertainment than strategy because it is a pretty basic overview of the game directed at the "I watch poker on TV" crowd. I thought it was moderately amusing (especially the end), but no doubt it will not tell you anything you don't already know.

[Captn_All_In]

This sounds like good stuff...maybe I can use some of it in my classroom??!!! Anybody think they could share a formula or two? And maybe a little bit of info to go along with it?

Thanks!


If not....I will need to get one ASAP and check it out!

[beekeeper]

PLZ

Thanks for the helpful review.

I have read other poker books that are heavy on the math, that I have found useful, though I never expect that I will do the math they discuss at the table. I use their conclusions to make me aware of what I should be thinking about, and just complicate my thinking about situations in general.

Would this book be useful to someone like me?

Thanks.