• Poker Theorems Meaning
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• The Fundamental Theorem of Poker applies to all heads-up decisions, but it does not apply to all multi-way decisions. This is because each opponent of a player can make an incorrect decision, but the 'collective decision' of all the opponents works against the player.
• The dictionary defines a theorem as “A general proposition not self-evident, but proved by a chain of reasoning.A truth established by means of accepted truths.” Over the years several poker theorems have been proposed by strong players and students of the game.

Poker theorems are basically useful/interesting statements based around poker strategy to help you play better in certain situations. To put it another way, poker theorems will usually tell you that “If you are in X situation, then do X”.

Jeffrey Poker Articles, Poker Mathematics, Poker Strategy

The following massive piece of work on poker theorems was submitted by Conrad. Poker theorems are pieces of fundamental poker strategy and advice, usually expressed in poker literature and forums. An ‘objective’ poker strategy is hard come to come by – the generation of hyper aggressive internet hotshots have caused us to revamp our ideas as to what constitutes an ‘optimum’ strategy. Internet star Dusty ‘Leatherass’ Schmidt, who posted the world’s highest win rate for $5/$10 NL in 2007 and 2008, even released a book entitled ‘Don’t listen to Phil Hellmuth: correcting the 50 worst pieces of poker advice you’ve ever heard’. Due to the evolution of the game, advice from the ‘old guard’ of is often considered dated, and players such as Hellmuth have been heavily scrutinised for their cash game performances. That said, books such as Doyle Brunson’s Super System and the Harrington on Hold’em Series are still well respected. Although their doctrines are contested, poker theorems are good as general rules of thumb. They may not be a substitute for things like poker training, but are useful nonetheless. They are not concepts that a player should stick to religiously, but ideas that a player should
always have in mind.

The fundamental theory of poker by David Sklansky

The Fundamental Theorem of Poker is described by esteemed poker player, theorist and author, David Sklansky. Sklansky is considered to be a leading voice on gambling and poker theory in general. The theorem states:

‘Every time you play a hand differently from the way you would have played it if you
could see all your opponents’ cards, they gain; and every time you play your hand
the same way you would have played it if you could see all their cards, they lose.
Conversely, every time opponents play their hands differently from the way they
would have if they could see all your cards, you gain; and every time they play their
hands the same way they would have played if they could see all your cards, you
lose.’

Poker Theorems Meaning

This is a very basic theorem, stating that every decision we make should be in accordance with maximizing EV (expected value). In the long term, this is what counts. So even though chasing a flush on the river may be tempting, we should only call if our opponent is giving us the correct pot odds.

Morton’s addition to Sklansky’s theorem

Sklansky’s theorem is only applicable in heads up situations. Morton’s theorem, articulated in a poker newsgroup by Andy Morton, explains why Sklansky’s theorem is not applicable in a multi-way pot. It often occurs when one player has the best hand, and two players are on draws. The player with the best hand might make more money in the long run when an opponent folds to a bet, even if that opponent is making a correct fold and would be making a personal mistake to call the bet. For instance, Player A holds Ac-Qc, player B Ah-9h, and player C Js 3s on a Ad-Jh- 4h board. Player A has a made hand – top pair, and when he bets the pot Player B with the flush draw is going to call. In the long run, Player A would make profit in a heads up situation with Player B. His odds are dashed and Player B’s enhanced, however, if player C, with his mid pair, makes the call. This is because he has 6 outs to improve his hand. This concept is sometimes referred to as implicit collusion.

The Beluga Whale Theorem

Other popular theorems are documented in community site twoplustwo. The Beluga Whale Theorem states that when you are a pre-flop raiser, and your top-pair hand is raised/check-raised on the turn, it is time to re-evaluate your hand. This is because your opponent is often trying to build a pot to get paid off with his monster. If you have AK on a K-10-5-9 board, and you face a raise on the turn, it is quite conceivable your opponent has two pair or better. This theorem is reliable against weaker opposition, however shrewder players can exploit this by floating.

Zeebo’s poker theorem

Zeebo’s Poker Theorem states that nobody ever folds a full house. So, if you have any inclination that your opponent has a weaker full house, bet out. People tend to overestimate boats because in a large number of situations they tend to be good. If you have KK on a board which includes AAA, bet out even if you put your opponent on something as low as 22.

Clarkmeister’s Theorem

Clarkmeister’s Theorem argues that when you are out of position heads-up on the river, and a 4 to a flush card comes, always bet (unless you have something with realistic showdown value). This is a perfect bluff spot, and an opponent will fold something like a weak/middle flush a large percentage of the time.

To find out about more obscure poker theorems, or the mathematical explanation behind some of the ones stated in this article, be sure to browse twoplustwo along with other poker forums.

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What about the yeti theorem, a 3bet bluff on the flop is a bluff? It’s not true, but hell these aren’t either.

Hey Mark,

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As you seem to be math prone, in order to prove a theorem false, you need to provide a counterexample.

When is the Zeebo Theorem not true? Or the fundamantal therorem no true?

Oh yes, I know, one time there was a drunk player who had a full house but as his eyes could not see his cards well, he thought he had two pairs, so he folded a boat. Ok, fine, Zeebo is not true.

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Online Poker » Poker Strategy » Theories » Fundamental Theorem

The Fundamental Theorem of Poker is a general poker theory first introduced by David Sklansky in his book, The Theory of Poker. This theory states:

'Every time you play a hand differently from the way you would have played it if you could see all your opponents' cards, they gain; and every time you play your hand the same way you would have played it if you could see all their cards, they lose.

Conversely, every time opponents play their hands differently from the way they would have if they could see all your cards, you gain; and every time they play their hands the same way they would have played if they could see all your cards, you lose.”

So what all of this means is that the action you take should be no different then the one you'd take if you were able to see your opponent's hole cards.

• If you had a worse hand in comparison to your opponent's hand, you'd fold.

• If your hand were better than your opponent's hand, you would raise.

• If both you and your opponent had marginal hands, but your opponent's marginal hand was better, you would bluff.

Now, obviously you cannot see your opponent's hole cards. But you can hand read and analyze board textures. The better you become at both of these skills, the more you can play as if you can see your opponent's card thus playing as 'perfect poker' as possible.

To further put this theory into perspective, let's look at a couple examples. Please be aware that variables such as player tendencies, hand ranges and special plays are excluded for the sake of argument.

Example Number 1

In this example, say you have 99 under the gun in a 6 handed ring game. You make a standard 4x raise and are flatted by the player on the button who has AK off suit. The blinds fold and you see a flop of 2-6-9 rainbow giving you top set. You are first to act, what do you do here?

The best option would be to check.

The reason why a check is the best option is because the flop is dry and your opponent only has ace high. Leading out and betting would likely cause most opponents to fold allowing them to play 'perfect poker' (as if they can see your cards). You don't want to fold out worse hands than yours, but want to keep worse hands in attempt to earn value for your hand. Checking here could possibly induce a bluff on the flop or on the turn. Better yet, if an ace or king peels on the turn, you'll likely be able to bet and get value for your hand since a player holding AK on a 2-6-9-A/K board is likely to feel as if they're ahead.

Example Number 2

In this hand, say you have AA and your opponent has KJ suited. You raise preflop, your opponent calls and you see a flop of K-9-8 of two suits, one of which gives your opponent a flush draw. What's your move here?

The best play is to bet.

You would want to bet here for several reasons.

• You want to get value for your pocket aces from worse hands. Hands that will call a bet here include the pair of kings that your opponent has. If you couldn't see your opponent's cards, other hands to consider would be TJ, QT, QJ or even T7.

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• You want to charge for the flush draw, aka protect your aces. Your opponent has a flush draw to go along with top pair so he's likely to come along. With that in mind, you want to make sure you bet enough to give incorrect odds to chase that flush.

Example Number 3

In this last example, you have 22, raise preflop and get one caller with TT in the cutoff. You see a flop of A-Q-7 rainbow. You are first to act, what is your move here?

You would want to bet (continuation bet).

Betting is definitely the best option. While your 22 definitely has showdown value, you can see that if you go to showdown you won't win the hand since your opponent has TT. So, this is a spot where you turn your hand into a bluff and bet. Taking into consideration that there are two over cards on the board and you raised preflop, it's a high possibility that your opponent will lay down his hand.

On a drier board like A-9-3, you would still bet. Your opponent would likely come along with his TT since he won't be sure you have the ace. In this situation, if another over card fell on the turn (another scare card for TT), you would actually double barrel here giving your opponent more reason to fold his under pair.

Using the Fundamental Theorem of Poker

The whole idea behind the Fundamental Theorem of Poker is to play as if you can see your opponent's hole cards or in other words, play perfect poker. While you'll never be able to play perfect poker, you can get close if you use the info available to you to put your opponents on a hand range and make the most profitable play based on how the board has improved that range. Then, and only then, will you be playing the most optimal form of poker.