[TStoneMBD]

i think in general, succeeding in highly competitive poker games is largely based on specific mathematical components. you first have to be exceptional at weighing an opponents hand range and then also be exceptional at estimating your equity against that range, or estimating what the value of a bluff would be against a certain range and the probability that your opponent won't calldown with certain hands from that range. of course, having a knowledge of simple preflop and other various fundamentals is imperative, and without them youre in deep trouble.

david sklansky's books are excellent in that its readers will have a revelation that these components are the secrets to winning at poker, whether they conscientiously realize it or not. most players determine how to bluff from a very intuitive perspective, such as "i dont think he can call, i raise." david's books will expose these players to an entire new way of analyzing such problems, from a mathematical perspective. his books are also excellent at laying the groundwork required to progressively improve on the ability to estimate these components with increasing accuracy. it is then the reader's responsibility to do the tedious work of improving on their own abilities at this newly learned method.

many players that have succeeded in the poker world have done so simply because they are so skilled at intuitively estimating these mathematical principles without being exposed to the math whatsoever. this is largely due to their experience at the poker tables, but im sure its also based on natural talent. being able to solve problems based on math is certainly more accurate than solving problems based on intuition however, which is why so many of these players with a lifetime of poker experience risk being outclassed by a more mathematical group of developing players. of course, many players may have encountered the necessity of math in the midst of their longevity, so when they read Theory of Poker after several years of playing, they have already been self-exposed to the topics discussed in the book and don't greatly benefit from its teachings. it is also extremely difficult to encapsulate a lifetime of learning in a 100 page manuscript.