The typical level of human play is so low, however, that a contender can be highly successful despite serious misconceptions, he argues. Players often fail to exploit their opponents' weaknesses, or they make more serious errors themselves. In recent years, books by experts such as David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth have pioneered a more systematic, mathematical approach to the game. Their analyses serve as a useful foundation for computer poker. In practice, there is much more to the game than the math can convey.
Poker is a 'black art' because it is played against humans who are far from perfect.
Schaeffer and his coworkers have concentrated on a popular poker variant called Texas Hold'em, which is commonly played in casinos and is the version featured at the annual world series of poker. To the Alberta group, the key elements of the game are card probabilities, betting strategy, bluffing approach, and opponent modeling. If you're playing against a cautious player who bets heavily on a certain hand, for example, you should fold, because he or she probably holds very good cards. Such a response isn't necessarily a good strategy against an opponent who consistently bets aggressively. That player could be bluffing a lot of the time.