In this article, we will examine the skills required to succeed in online poker, while in the next article we will focus on the specific skills of live poker. From observations in this field, it is possible to identify two distinct but interconnected cognitive paths in online poker: the ability, quality, and speed with which a player selects relevant data, calculates the equity of their perceived range compared to the opponent’s range in relation to the board, and the expected value (EV) concerning the pot; and the ability, quality, and speed of critical analysis, measured by the quality and degree of relationships that the subject can develop in the process of attributing meaning to the data acquired in the previous path, in order to identify, develop, and exploit small advantages in favor of their objectives.
The challenges of multitabling in online poker
According to the academic doctrine of social psychology, this type of cognitive activity is defined as “empowerment” [Bruscaglioni, 1994]: a process of expanding the possibilities that an individual can practice and make operational through the best use of their current or potential resources. To make probabilistic calculation effective, an online poker player must be able to simultaneously manage a minimum of ten to over twenty tables, corresponding to different tournaments. The statistical value is based on the law of large numbers, and it is not possible to make a profit in online poker by participating in only one event in the daily schedule. It is necessary to play the largest possible number of hands (“massing”) so that the expectations derived from theoretical calculations are reflected in the long-term reality.
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