How to Play Poker Like a Pro

Poker is a game of high stakes, big bets and a lot of emotion. A single decision can decide a tournament. That decision is usually to call or fold, but it can be complicated. To a professional player, every detail demands attention. How much did your opponent bet? Was this a good spot to call or should you have folded? What were the betting patterns before this all in push? How many chips are in play and when will the blinds, or forced bets, increase?

As with chess, the game is hard to model computationally because players don’t know their opponents’ cards. But in 2015 computer scientists announced that an algorithm displayed essentially perfect play for a limited form of poker with two players and constrained bet sizes. This triggered a flurry of commercially available “solvers” that could tell a professional player exactly what to do in any given situation.

The game’s drama is best illustrated in scenes that show a gradual build-up of odds and tension over hours and dozens of hands. The scene should start with exposition: the opening hand, players feeling each other out, low bets and possibly a few bluffs. Then the action should rise with bets increasing and key players revealed.

In addition to strategic knowledge, successful poker players have a quality of character that allows them to apply their knowledge effectively. Players who lack discipline will have trouble winning consistently, regardless of how well they understand the game.