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Arthur S. ReberI’ve spent over fifty years living two parallel lives. In one I am a semi-degenerate gambler, a poker junkie, horse player, and blackjack maven; in the other, a scientist specializing in cognitive psychology and related topics in the neurosciences, the origins of consciousness and the philosophy of mind. For the most part, I’ve kept these tracks separate mainly because my colleagues in each have little appreciation for the wonder, the complexities and the just full-bore fun in the other.

But over time these two avenues of my life have meshed. There’s a lot that we know about human psychology that can give us insight into gambling, especially poker and, of course, there’s a lot that poker can teach us about human psychology. It is quite astonishing how richly these topics interlock. I’ll also introduce you to some engaging characters I’ve known – bookies, con artists, hustlers, professional poker players and perhaps an occasional famous scientist.

This site will wander about in both worlds with new columns and articles along with links to scores of previously published ones. Now that I’ve retired I’ve become something of a political junkies and will go on rants on politics and economics,  When the mood strikes I’ll share views on food, restaurants and cooking. Any and all feedback is welcome.

Monday
Sep012008

There Is (Probably) No “Best” Way to Play Poker

The title is either transparently true or patently false —- depending on your point of view, and the game you’re playing. I think it’s more true than false, once we specify the circumstances. In a live, cash game or a multi-table tournament played No Limit or Pot Limit, I think it’s deeply and importantly true, if not (yet) demonstrably so from a game theoretic perspective.

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Friday
Aug012008

‘Bot’ This Too

Last column we discussed issues raised by the recent successes of a poker ‘bot’ named Polaris. This device is a sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) program, and the brainchild of the Computer Poker Research Group at the University of Alberta in Calgary. It plays limit Hold ‘Em (LH) about as well as any sentient human and has earned its stripes by beating several experienced professionals in heads-up play. We’ve already examined a number of features of the bot itself. Here I’d like to explore some of the psychological factors of man vs. machine play.

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Wednesday
Jul022008

Irony in Action

You’re in a tough $5/10 NLH game. You know the guy in the checkered shirt in seat 8. Solid, unimaginative, with little trick in his game. He’s just pushed a stack of greenies at you on the river. You missed your draw; you’ve got middle pair and, basically, can only beat a bluff.

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Tuesday
Jul012008

‘Bot’ This

Most serious poker plays, especially those who play on-line are aware of the existence of “bots.” “Bot” is short for “robot” and the species of interest are those designed to play poker. A bot is, properly, an artificial intelligence (AI), a sophisticated piece of software that not only is programmed to make optimal decisions, but learns from its experiences.

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Thursday
May012008

Why Do We Play Poker?

A poker article I ran across recently in a respected magazine began with this ‘buzz line:’ “The object of poker is to win the most money. That’s it - that is your goal. That’s why you’re playing poker.” Now, of course, this sentiment wasn’t just discovered by this particular writer. If you flip through poker books, poker columns, videos, instructional tapes, blogs, you name it, you will see it repeated over and over again. It has become a mantra, almost like a religious chant, assumed to be true and never challenged. Well, heretic that I am, I’d like to challenge it here because, frankly, it just isn’t true. The vast majority do not play poker to win the most money. In fact, the vast majority do not play poker to win money at all, let alone “the most.” Oh, don’t get me wrong, we all like to win, hope we will win and surely anticipate doing such each time we buy chips but, you know, I don’t really think that winning money is why so many millions play.

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