Looking for Good Statistics Text

[UncleTup]

Hello all,

I'm a relatively new poker player. I've read and am re-reading several books by authors from 2+2 (theory of poker, holdem for advanced) and am going to buy GTAOT next chance I get. From reading posts, it looks like there are some advanced statisticians around.

I am interested in getting a good statistics text to supplement the poker texts and refresh my own knowledge. Any suggestions?

Background: I am currently a Computer Science grad student and did well in a calc based stat class as undergrad, but its been several years.

[JRegs]

This doesn't help at all, but can you tell me what GTAOT is? Just wondering.

[UncleTup]

Gambling Theory and Other Topics

[gaming_mouse]

Uncle,

Can you be more specific about the kinds of things you'd like to learn? Statistics books will be of limited help to your poker game. Probability books are probably more relevant -- quite honestly, you don't need much more than basic combinatoric theory to calculate any poker odds you'd be interested in.

But let me know exactly what you're looking for, and maybe I can help.

gm

[UncleTup]

I understand the combinatoric methods used to get the hand odds, odds of winning, etc, no problem.

I want to get into variance, SD, SE, etc. I realize that these things will be of limited help to me at the tables (I hope they will be meaningful in a couple years as my game progresses!), but I'm just naturally curious and like getting into things like that. I'm assuming most calculations use normal distribution, but like I said, its been several years since I've looking at any heavy statistics and I'd like to brush up on the theory behind the equations. I'm looking for a solid text that's not to dry and maybe has a slant to towards gaming.

[gaming_mouse]

hmmmm....

if you just want to calculate variance, sd, se, etc, i would just to a google search or search this site for the formulas, which are pretty simple.

if you want to know the theory behind using normal approximations, you're going to have to get a book on large sample theory, and it will be unavoidably dry because the theory relies on graduate level math.

as far as just an intro text to stats, i could recommend the ones i used as a graduate student, but they weren't especially good so i won't. in fact, i had the same desire back then -- to find a book that explained the theory AND wasn't dry -- and i searched in vain.

so, unfortunately, my advice won't be of too much help. your best bet is probably an amazon search, then read the user reviews.

sorry i can't be of more help,
gm

[kalooki45]

math dud here--is there somewhere i can learn this? I'd like to be able to calculate poker odds--but have no interest in higher math..

[Warren Whitmore]

The Bell curve by
Herrnstein & Murray

[gaming_mouse]

[ QUOTE ]
The Bell curve by
Herrnstein & Murray

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a political book, not a text on the theory of statistics.

gm

[damn_river]

hey Gaming Mouse,
do you know of any good books on probablility, relating to NL texas holdem?

damn river

[timmer]

heres a interesting lecture on probability theory

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/probability-interpret/

note article 3.3 it is particularly relavent to this discussion.


Heres a basic probability link

http://www.probability.net/


play well be well

timmer

[gaming_mouse]

[ QUOTE ]
hey Gaming Mouse,
do you know of any good books on probablility, relating to NL texas holdem?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not specifically. Ciaffone and Reuben's book has some math in it, but it's a holdem book, not a probability book. I think that will be the case with pretty much everything, but I could be wrong.

Also, keep in mind that NL is not nearly as amenable to strict probability analysis as limit poker is. You implied odds are so dependent on what your opponent does that hand reading becomes a much more important skill than odds calculations.

gm