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"However, mathematics is only a small part of poker logic, and while it is important, it is far less important than understanding and using the underlying concepts of poker."

This quote really threw me for a loop. In light of MLG's evolution post, does this just mean that Sklansky is so deep into level 4-5 that he forgets those of us at levels 2 and 3 who are just starting down the math path in poker? It seems that a more accurate description of math's importance in poker is "math is the absolute fundamental be-all and end-all of poker until you get it, and then it becomes nothing more than the undercurrent to all your more interesting decisions." Or am I just confuzzled again?

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I think we need to define 'the underlying concepts of poker' before we can answer those questions. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Math is very important in poker. If you knew everybody's hole cards AND everybody's thought processes/psychology, the hole game would be a bunch of calculations. But since the game of poker is a game of incomplete information and many variables, we can't possibly calculate everything that we need to know.
The only thing we can do is learn about the necessary calculations and the important variables, and then gain experience until we have developed a 'feel' for the game, where we 'just know' what is right and what is not. In a way you're doing most of the calculations subconciously I think. (Or you are doing everything from memory.)