mike caro on poker math

[ForRealDD 0]

Mike Caro is on Meth ?

[PhilHellmuth 0]

people continue to spout generalized nonsense saying that "psychology is more important than math" or vice versa.just like many other things in life, this is not black and white.the worse your opponents are [mostly at the lower limits], the more math based concepts are paramount. all you really have to know is that your opponents are often putting dead money in the pot and your job is to figure out where you are mathematically.the better your opponents are [more as you move higher in limits] the more psychology is important, mainly because most of the people have a much better grasp of the math. be assured that what caro really means is that at a table where everyone already knows the math, psychology is what's most important.caro not expressing himself clearly is really nothing new.

[PA32R 0]

I ask myself the same question over and over!!...Playing in a Tournment and drawing to a flush with 4 cards to the flush and two cards to come.Some books tell Opponents to bet near to at least 2/3rds the pot so the person drawing to a flush will be making a mistake by calling..Just never made any sense to me, because if he does make the flush and win the tournment how was it a mistake to call?

Tell me you didn't!!

[Mattnxtc 0]

ill have to agree with caro to a point...what i think ull see is most of the top pros know the math but they also know a lot more...People like DN, Ivey and to a greater exstint Jennifer H. have all said that while they know the math they usually can reason about what the other play has and will use that to thier advantage...I think having both is what makes the best players who they are

[tyfgine 0]

I think what he was saying in the article was more along the lines that the mathematical analysis is something to be done away from the table and applied to your game as you go, whereas the psychological element is whats really important when actually playingmath definately has its place in poker, but I do like that someone has come out and said that it isn't what its all about

i agree completely. the math is very important to understand, the concepts will govern how you play in certain situations, what hands to play, etc.but during an actual hand, the psychology of your opponent, and the type of person, ie poker player, they are, is far more important than getting the proper pot odds to call them. you gotta love Caro.

[Drwnded 0]

I think Caro just got crossed off Sklansky's Xmas card list.It was really an unfair characterization of the 2+2 guys; if you've ever watched Sklansky play on TV, you can see he's as likely to run a bluff based on his reads as any other pro, he just happens to also be really good at math and poker analysis (which he sometimes stretches to a slightly excessive level, many people feel).Agree with last couple posts - to make a blanket statement that math doesn't matter in poker is ridiculous. The math is the foundation of good poker strategy, which is then guided by the psychology of a given situation, which is exactly why poker is such an interesting game.

[offset 0]

Some of caro's points are valid, but having a good reading ability coupled with a deep understanding of math concepts can give you a significant edge in marginal situations. A perfect example is gus hansen whose seemingly erratic play is based in a superior understanding of the math behind the game.More mathematical players will also have an advantage in a situation in which their opponent has an undefinable range of hands as they will be able to figure out their odds of winning against that range of hands and make their play accordingly to that and the pot size.

[fckthis 0]

I think all Caro is trying to say is, math isn't the ONLY component in the making of a great poker player. I've read several articles where the top tier players like Ivey and Doyle, say that the psychological aspect in "their" game is much more emphasized than the math side.But what do I know, I'm a newb.

[digitalmonkey 929]

Woooohoooooo!!!! My B. Sc. in Psychology should be paying for itself tenfold any day now!