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

Hardin, Alton

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0998294500 ISBN 13: 9780998294506

Publisher: MicroGrinder Poker School, 2016

Synopsis

Featured in PokerScout's Top 5 Must-Read Poker Books, included in PokerListings' 30 Best Poker Books, and ranked among The Poker Mindset's Top 10 Poker Math Books.

What if mastering simple poker math could improve your game? Many poker players avoid learning poker math entirely, thinking it's too hard or only for "math geniuses." Yet poker mathematics is one of the most important aspects of Texas Hold'em — and it's surprisingly easy to understand and implement.

Many beginners and low-stakes players neglect math due to a stigma around mathematics or the belief that poker math is overly complex. These overlooked concepts can cause players to make mathematically incorrect moves — leading to suboptimal decisions over time.

You don't need a graduate degree in math or statistics — just a basic understanding of arithmetic and algebra. Once you grasp the fundamentals, you'll stop guessing at the table and start making confident, informed decisions.

Why This Is the Poker Book You Need

This book is designed for all poker players, beginner and experienced. Whether you're learning poker or looking to sharpen your skills, this expanded edition will help you unlock the power of math in poker — including the mathematical theory of poker — with a simple, step-by-step approach.

This Expanded Edition Includes:

• Over 150 pages of additional and updated content across 4 new chapters
• 75+ detailed practice hands from real Texas Hold'em scenarios, fully explained
• Includes access to my 10-hour Essential Poker Math video course (details inside the book)

Master These Core Poker Math Concepts:

• Probability & Odds: Calculate your chances instantly at the table
• Pot Odds & Implied Odds: Know exactly when to call, fold, or raise
• Pot Equity & The Rule of 2 & 4: Make mathematically correct decisions every time
• Expected Value (EV) & Combinatorics – Analyze plays and develop balanced ranges
• Pre-flop & Post-flop Mathematics: Master all-in situations, set-mining, steal attempts, 3-bet bluffing, semi-bluffing, bluffs, and hero calls

KISS Teaching Approach:
This book follows a Keep It Simple Student (KISS) methodology, teaching progressively from the basics to more complex concepts. You'll learn to implement essential poker mathematics quickly and painlessly, both on the table and off for hand analysis.

Transform Your Game with Simple Math

Perfect for poker books for beginners and experienced poker players alike, this book focuses on foundational poker mathematics you'll use daily at the table — the same concepts your opponents often neglect.

After reading this book, you'll:

• Make confident mathematical decisions in seconds
• Stop second-guessing yourself on crucial betting decisions
• Consistently identify +EV situations others miss
• Develop confidence to outthink opponents with simple math

These concepts are the foundation of modern poker strategy and essential for home games, online poker, or live tournaments.

Play Smarter Today

Remember the frustration of not knowing whether to call or fold? Those avoidable mistakes from guessing at the math? It doesn't have to be that way anymore. Poker math is surprisingly simple to master, and this guide shows you exactly how to apply it. This book shows you how to stop guessing forever.

After reading Essential Poker Math, Expanded Edition, you'll have mastered fundamental No Limit Hold'em mathematics, gained a considerable skill advantage, and be able to make +EV moves confidently. Get your copy today and start mastering essential poker math!

About this title

About the Author

Alton Hardin is a #1 Amazon best-selling author and poker coach who has helped over 100,000 poker players through his books and courses. He has published several poker books, including the Essential Poker Math series, and has been featured on the nationally-syndicated casino and poker industry talk radio show House of Cards.

Alton is the founder of MicroGrinder Poker School, an affordable online poker school dedicated to beginner and struggling micro stakes poker players. Through his school, he provides a wide array of poker resources and training, including courses, strategy articles, and training video series. He is also a best-selling poker course instructor on Udemy. Combined, his poker courses have taught over 37,000 students.

With more than two decades of poker experience, Alton began playing live low-stakes cash games in the early 2000s to help pay his way through college. Beyond poker, Alton is the founder of Alton Teaches LLC, where he provides IT and cybersecurity training. He previously worked as a cybersecurity specialist at the United States Department of Treasury and served as an adjunct college professor teaching Information Systems and IT Management.

Alton's teaching philosophy centers on mastering poker fundamentals first, believing that a solid foundation is essential before advancing to more complex concepts. His approach emphasizes practical, accessible poker education that makes poker math and strategy understandable for players of all skill levels.

From the Inside Flap

INTRODUCTION

An Instant Classic

Just over a year ago, I self-published the original edition of this book with the hopes it would be well received. Being a relatively unknown micro stakes poker coach, I was a bit skeptical of how well it would do in a market dominated by masterful poker pros and authors. To my amazement, it skyrocketed to the top of Amazon's poker book listings to become a #1 best-seller. Just over a year later, it has amassed well over 11,000 sales and is still one of Amazon's best-selling poker books.


Expanded, Updated and Greatly Improved

Even as a best-seller, the original edition of this book wasn't without its flaws. While most readers love its brevity as an easily digestible read, geared towards math laymen like myself, some yearned for a lengthier and more comprehensive book, wanting more detailed explanations than the original book offered. Reading through numerous reviews, I took my readers' suggestions to heart and embarked on the journey of creating this extended edition of the book.

I had originally planned on briefly expanding the current content of the book, providing lengthier explanations and additional examples. The goal was to have my rough draft manuscript ready for editing within one month's time, but that didn't happen. As I started reviewing and re-writing my book, I found lots of holes I wanted to plug with several additional chapters while also expanding all of the book's current chapters. In the end, what I had planned on being a short, 30-day endeavor turned into a multi-month labor of love. I took a 100-page poker book and expanded it to three times the length of the original edition. This edition isn't just an expansion of the original edition, but also an update, with numerous new topics and concepts, making it a vastly improved book!


Why You Should Read This Book

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 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.

Poker mathematics—which is easy to understand and implement—is often overlooked by many players in No Limit Hold'em, causing them to make mathematically incorrect moves. While this may seem somewhat insignificant, over the long run, these incorrect moves can cause both good and bad poker players to win significantly less, and lose significantly more money than they would if they both understood and applied basic poker mathematics.

Trust me, you do not need a graduate degree in mathematics or statistics to understand and implement essential math into your poker game. A basic understanding of arithmetic and algebra is all you will need. I'm excited to have you here and look forward to taking you on a journey. By the end of this book, you will have a vastly deeper understanding of poker mathematics and will be a much better poker player as a result.


What This Book Isn't

This book isn't an advanced book on theoretical poker mathematics and game theory. It doesn't cover advanced topics such as the Nash Equilibrium and Game Theory Optimum poker play. If you are looking for an in-depth book on poker math and theory, I would recommend Modern Poker Theory by Michael Acevedo or Applications of No-Limit Hold'em by Matthew Janda.

Additionally, this book isn't an all-encompassing NLHE poker strategy book. While I'll do my best to discuss pre-flop and post-flop strategies as they apply to poker mathematics throughout the book, I won't be covering all aspects of the game. If you're new to the game, I highly recommend reading this book alongside a general No-Limit Hold'em strategy book such as The Grinder's Manual by Peter Clarke, Dynamic Full Ring Poker by James Sweeney, or my newest book, Master Micro Stakes Poker.


Which Edition?

While both the original and expanded edition of Essential Poker Math are designed to teach fundamental poker mathematics, they're both intended for different audiences.

If you're looking for a short, quick and easy read that covers the 'bare-bones' basics without too many details, the original edition is for you. However, if you're looking for a more in-depth, comprehensive and detailed book on fundamental poker mathematics, I definitely recommend this extended and updated edition of the book.

Edition details

• Publisher: MicroGrinder Poker School
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0998294500
• ISBN 13: 9780998294506
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 277