Thursday, December 13, 2007

Television Poker Stat

Most Texas Holdem TV programs show the odds of each player winning the game. This is likely based on a computer simulation of all the possible card combinations that could come in the flop, turn and river, and then, given the remaining players' hands, determining how often each player wins.

What is missing from television poker is the win percentage from the perspective of each player. This stat would be calculated the same way, except the computer would also run through the possibilities in the other player's hands. This would be especially useful when a player with a great hand thinks he or she has a large chance of winning, even though the actual odds are much lower because another player has an statistically unlikely even better hand.

This would be slightly mathematically more complicated than the current win probability calculations, but would not be too difficult, and would enhance the viewer's experience.

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