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Hypothesis Testing in Poker

A hypothesis is a statement that you are trying to prove. It is a scientific term, usually dealing with numbers or correlations. Every player sitting around the poker table has different beliefs about the cards they are holding as well as the people they are playing against. One of the greatest ways to test poker hypotheses is to put them into action at the table while you are playing. Any time you are testing a hypothesis, you must be thorough. This means one study is most likely not enough to give you enough evidence to prove anything.

One hypothesis to test would be that aggressive players win half of the hands they play. You have various options on how to test this hypothesis. You can be the aggressor at the table and see how it plays out for you. You can also observe another aggressor at your table. Keep in mind, being an aggressive player does not mean that the player always plays loosely. When you are aggressive, it means that you have gained the reputation of being aggressive. Once the reputation has been established, players can tighten up their play and still be considered a loose player so long as they sporadically slip in some loose play.

Another hypothesis test that can be conducted is the difference in player strength between limit and no-limit games. It is said that there is more skill needed to play no-limit games than limit games because it is difficult to run anyone out of a limit pot. It is definitely difficult to weed out hands prior to the flop in a limit game. Testing this hypothesis will encourage the evaluator to play both types on games for a period and see which game shows more skill than luck.

There is also a belief that money moves around the table in a clockwise motion with the dealer button. This goes along with the belief that position plays an imperative part of how the table works. People that have the dealer button are said to be the ones in power of the hand because they have last option to act.

There are many more hypotheses you will hear as you travel through the poker circuit. Many of these hypotheses can be tested when you are playing poker or simply observing. If you are interested in playing poker though, while you are testing your hypotheses, you can gain experience while having fun simultaneously.

• Date posted Aug 4, 2008
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Author

Clark Jensen

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