The Fundamental Theorem Of Poker

Might theorem of poker sounds a lot more intimidating than it really is because it uses a couple words that most people don't hear everyday. The truth is, the fundamental theorem of poker is quite simple and plainly spoken - yet at the same time it's much more complex than the scientific-sounding name implies.

Might theorem of poker is another contribution to the poker world by notable poker player, theorist and author David Sklansky, who also developed the gap concept, among other things. The theorem reads as follows:

"Every time you play a hand differently from how you would have played it in the event that you could see all your opponents' cards, they gain; and every time you play your hand the same way you would have played it if you could see all their cards, they lose. Conversely, each and every time opponents play their hands differently from the way they would have if they could see all of your cards, you gain; and every time they play their hands the same way they might have played if they could see all of your cards, you lose. "

It's a whole lot of words to sum up a fairly simple idea, and that is this: if you could see your opponent's cards, then it might be possible to create decisions centered on complete mathematical certainty. Thus, assuming you knew your math and understood some basic poker concepts like pot odds, you could always make the best possible decision to bring you nearer to winning the table. By the same token, if your opponent could see all your cards, he would have the same decision-making power.

What the essential theorem of poker emphasizes is the fact that information is the most important resource that any poker 99 player has. The more information you have, the better your chances of making the correct decision.

Unfortunately, there clearly was little that players can do to genuinely increase their available information. While you might have the ability to "read" your opponents, any information that you get from this is far from complete. Plus, often there is the chance that your opponent is earnestly deceiving you, feeding you misinformation that will surely lead to you making an incorrect decision.

Everything you can take away from the fundamental theorem of poker is that there surely is always a correct decision. While you shouldn't beat yourself up for making an incorrect decision, you should use every hand as an opportunity to gain as much information as possible. Learn about your opponents to be able to better predict their actions in the future. Even if the only information that you can glean is that your opponent is playing completely randomly, that is still information that you can use.

Don't think too hard about how precisely this theorem applies to your everyday game - you'll just drive yourself crazy. Instead, contemplate it in a broad sense and try to keep your mind ready to accept every possible avenue for new information.