Analytical Reasoning Through Poker

Poker is a deeply mathematical game, and it provides a rich setting in which to study the science of decision-making. The purpose of this course is not to teach students how to play poker (though they learn the rules and some strategy along the way). Rather, this course is designed to teach a range of analytical reasoning techniques—including probability and statistics, decision theory, behavioral economics, and game theory—using examples from poker. By the end of the course, students are better equipped to make and justify high-quality decisions in a wide range of uncertain, adversarial, and data-limited situations.