The purpose of this course is to teach students poker fundamentals, both to help them improve at the game and learn wider applications of the game theory found in poker. While we believe students of all skill levels will benefit from the course, it is primarily targeted at beginners and those with an advanced understanding of the game may already be familiar with most material.

The course will focus on 6-max No Limit Texas Hold'em, the most popular variant of Poker played today. We will begin by covering the rules of the game, basic strategic principles, before diving into the mathematics and heuristics used by strong players. While not the focus of the course, we will additionally briefly touch on the psychological aspects of poker, including some common tells and reads found in live play. Specific topics will include (but are not limited to): Position, Preflop Ranges, Pot Odds, Equity, Bankroll Management, Blocker Effects, Polarization, Exploitative Adjustments, Tells. Learning poker theory is beneficial for reasons outside of improving at the game. Thinking about decisions in terms of their expected value while minimizing variance is a valuable skill with many applications in statistics, mathematics, game theory, economics, investing and finance.

Attendance is required (sections meet once a week for two hours). There's a couple of paper homeworks but the majority of the grade comes from attendance.

Students ONLY ATTEND ONE SECTION PER WEEK.

The first lecture - identical in content across the four sections - is open to the public. It will be held on Jan 23 (AAPB 155), Jan 24 (SOCS 126), Jan 25 (SOCS 166), and Jan 26 (SOCS 166), all during 6:30 - 8:30 PM. The decal application is due on Jan 27 and applicants will be evaluated solely on their responses to the application, not on any past poker knowledge or experience.