What to read to understand poker, the finest game ever

What to read to understand poker, the finest game ever
A poker tournament under way at SkyCity casino in Auckland. (Image: NZME)
The Economist
By the Economist's US business and society correspondentPoker sits between two poles of perfect chance (as with roulette, say) and perfect strategy (as in chess). In most variations, players can see some of their opponents’ cards – whether shared ones, as in hold 'em, or those dealt face up, as in stud – while some are known only to each player. Even in draw, in which each player is dealt their own hand unseen to the rest of the table, and can exchange cards to improve, play communicates information: exchange...

More Books

‘Unabridged': In defense of the dictionary
The Life Review

‘Unabridged': In defense of the dictionary

Complaints abound in the Internet age.

‘Hostage’: From a place of darkness
The Life Review

‘Hostage’: From a place of darkness

Hamas kidnapped Eli Sharabi on Oct 7, 2023. His memoir recounts a hellish ordeal.

‘When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows…’
The Life Review

‘When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows…’

The oddities of social life may turn on our assumptions about the knowledge we share.

‘Rocket Dreams’: highs and lows of billionaire space race
The Life Review

‘Rocket Dreams’: highs and lows of billionaire space race

The book recounts the growing friction between Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.