Essential Poker Math, Expanded Edition: Fundamental No Limit Hold'em Mathematics You Need To Know

by Alton Hardin

This book is for any poker player, new or experienced, that has either struggled or neglected to implement basic poker mathematics into their No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE) game. This book will teach you the basic poker mathematics you need to know in order to improve and outplay your opponents, and focuses on foundational poker mathematics - the ones you’ll use day in and day out at the poker table; and probably the ones your opponents neglect.

Genres: Nonfiction, Games, Mathematics, Education, Sports

279 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 26, 2016

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome way to describe the math of poker. For a time, I've been looking for a review of probabilities and statistics, when in reality, you don't need to really break it down to that granular level.

In his book, Hardin does a great job laying out basics, and building upon them to show how to approach the math of poker in a sequential order.

Things I learned I didn't really grasp prior:
* 2 - 4 rule: the "4" is only an "All-in" scenario
* 3+2+1 for combinations
* Never used EquiLab before (never heard of it before)
* Unless special circumstances exist (noticeable tells, etc.) don't violate pot odds, implied odds, and all-in odds
* Concept of EV +-
* Applying "range" based upon opponents' style and positioning

If you are getting into poker, and have read many of the "classics" and looking for something more in-depth of the analytics used in today's game, this may be your new go to.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introductory book to entry-level poker mathematical concepts.

[Ryan Cornwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good

[Michael Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good intro poker book to get your fundamentals down. Simply explained and practical application of concepts.

[Jake Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic review of concepts like Pot odds, equity, implied odds. More than a review than anything. Decent practice problems that help with reinforcing the ideas. Probably a good read for a beginner.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for learning the basic of poker mathematics, with emphasis on basic. It is explained very easy but there is some repetition in the book, it probably could have been half the size with all the white pages etc. If you want an intro into this topic and don't want to search the internet for individual resources than this book is a good starter.

[Yannis Karakozis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to fundamental concepts and basic things you need to be tracking while playing. However, it does not focus much on ranges, which is a concept you need to understand to succeed in poker. Despite that, my understanding of the game has definitely improved a lot because of this book and I would highly recommend it as an introductory read about poker.

[Cody O'Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best poker books I've ever read. Covers all the most essential math in a very accessible and simple way.

I consider myself a pretty strong amateur player. I've been beating my friends for years, I've read close to 10 other poker books, and I can beat the microstakes on America's Cardroom (ACR) which is not that easy these days. And I'm also a bit of a math guy. Yet I still had knowledge gaps and lacked a firm grip of much of the poker math. This book has undoubtedly made me a much stronger player and has laid the foundation for future growth. It also pointed out lots of practical considerations beyond the math itself such as factors that affect your implied odds, which really deepened my understanding of the game.

It's a must read for any amateur player who's looking to improve their game.

As a side note, I recently started reading The Theory of Poker by Sklansky which is also fantastic and I think these two books (Essential Poker Math + The Theory of Poker) are maybe the two best places to start to really up your game if you're new to poker strategy.

[Jared McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

In terms of poker books I would say this one is pretty fundamental for any beginning poker player and even offers tremendous value to more experienced players as well. The calculations of the cuckookilations that lie within are necessary in order to make excellent decisions at the poker table. I was already familiar with many of the concepts within, but this book will help me combine them in a way that I wasn't utilizing previously and which I think should help improve my own game. This is probably a must read for any aspiring poker player.

[Ulad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to basic poker strategies. The book introduces terms like pot odds, equity. It also describes strategies for playing pre-flop (set-mining, steals, 3-bet bluffs) as well as post-flop (rule of 2 & 4, semi-bluffing, calculating EV, etc.).

The only disadvantage is that introduced math concepts are super basic, and descriptions may feel a bit wordy, especially if you have an engineering background (couple pages for explaining probabilities, odds, expected values).

[Bruno Rio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good take on Poker Mathmatics and probabilities. Some good insights and rules of thumb to asssetively decide while playing under pressure. Also a good bonus is the poker video course that is included with the book.

Just a warning thia book does not give much about playing strategy but more kn the analysis part which, of course is essential but clearly not enough to make a winning poker player💡💸

[Szymon ryczko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book about math in poker

I am really happy to read this book. I have played poker for years now and this book makes math at poker easy to understand. It takes you from basics to more advanced topics like hand combinations and explain in an easy way. Would recommend to anybody who want to improve his game

[Cole Strickland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written by an actuary turned pro poker player and explains the mathematical concepts behind poker very well. It really teaches you how to think about the game in a mathematical way that will help you win. I’m still contemplating how I’m going to run all these equity and odds calculations in my head while I’m under the gun at the poker table, but progress is good.

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A completely new subject for me and the terminology is ridiculous. There’s also a surprising amount of calculation to consider, but the author did a good job of introducing each subject. I read it to understand the decision making and for this purpose the book served me very well.

[Priyanshu Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just enough to get you started. Breadth wise, good enough.

This book covers a lot of breadth for ground work. Just enough to get you started for the next level of gameplay.
Practice hand discussions are realistic.

[Per Helge Vollmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is ny second book by Alton Hardin. I love his way og explaining poker theory. Easy to understand and lots of good examples. I also have to mention the video courses you get along with the book. Lots of god value, and it’s for free!

[Matthew Barraco · Rating 5 out of 5]

just the beginning.

Open my eyes to understand additional concepts in No limit poker. Need to practice these in depth concepts. Great start on my journey to be a better poker player.

[Manas Saloi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I should have read before I began my grind :)

[Vijay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book - This should be the first read for all those serious about Poker.
Really great examples on Pot Odds, EV, Outs, Post Flop odds etc.

[Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book for beginner players interested in developing greater technical and overall poker player abilities. Uses lots of examples to help solidify important poker concepts. Highly recommended

[Casey Ervin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It starts to really make sense why the pros are better than schmucks like you and I. The ideas make a ton of sense, and I wish I played more so I could use them.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun!

Perfect for poker newbie who wants to mathematically break down the basics of poker and maximize your profit in the long run.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great intro into Poker Math

[Kiattikun · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is needed

It's very useful i recommend you should read it.
Btw you should know the rule and basic of poker before read

[Nikolay Ivanov · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is a bit more for the newer and less experienced poker players, theres stuff you can learn from it even if you played for a long time.

[Alessandro Orlandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very hard to follow if you're a beginner

[Mike Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just what I needed!

This is poker stuff I should've known a while ago. A must have for anyone that wants to win at poker.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great and interesting introduction thats definitely a must read for beginner players. I do wish it had more detail but to be fair that isn't really the point.

[Rakesh]

Nice

[Matthew Gaines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure if my last review didn’t post. I loved this book I thought it was a great overview of starter poker math and understanding that you’re not betting you’re playing the odds.

Just because it loses you a hand in the short run you should be optimizing for the long run, and making decisions that last.

I’m trying to understand risk taking and allocating money better and playing poker more is going to be my path there.