Poker -- Has your knowledge of poker improved your trading profits?

[bone]

I think the salient point is that if you have some sort of advanced gaming skill set by all means bring it up in your resume and during the interview process.

It can work against you, too. Someone perceived as having “a gambling problem” would be a huge red flag. Participating in organized Tournaments would be looked upon much more favorably than a person who spent an inordinate amount of time at casinos.

 

[Scataphagos]

the understanding of poker will accelerate their efforts to reach profitable, consistent trading.

ABSOLUTELY NOT. TOTALLY FALSE!

 

[lovethetrade]

FWIW the best trader I’ve ever personally seen was a champion chess player.

Many traders I have met over the years were also excellent poker players.

Quite a few proprietary trading firms ask candidates about their skills at games. I doubt that Poker is the only game skill that might have some correlation to trading.

There are also many good traders who haven’t played a hand of poker in their lives.

The only correlation there is that they like to play games or gamble. Trading logic has nothing to do with out-smarting your opposition like poker or chess. The reason traders are profitable is because they apply sound logic to their decision-making.

 

[MACD]

Just give it up dude, you obviously know little about poker.

@rickynoes -- there is really "no hope" for some. Some can play poker "3-4 times a week for about 15 years" and learn nothing and eventually quit playing which is, of course intelligent, if they consistently end up losing and turn to "making a living as a trader" or investor -- may have been a good idea? Thanks @rickynoes for your excellent contribution to this thread.

 

[Scataphagos]

@rickynoes -- there is really "no hope" for some. Some can play poker "3-4 times a week for about 15 years" and learn nothing and eventually quit playing which is, of course intelligent, if they consistently end up losing and turn to "making a living as a trader" or investor -- may have been a good idea? Thanks @rickynoes for your excellent contribution to this thread.

Whoa, man you're treading on thing ice.

I gave up the "scuffler/hustler life" because I wanted something much bigger and better... not because I "lost my ass". I had an uncle... Les Schissler... a Hall of Fame bowler (look it up if you don't believe)... who was a big success in the bowling world, but otherwise was "just getting by" financially in his life. One day I decide that I wanted "better than that in my financial life" (I too am an Hall of Fame Bowler), so I gave up bowling to pursue something financially better.

I have no ego I care to stroke. Not asking anything from anybody. If I say something on ET, you'd be wise to give it consideration.

 

[bone]

The reason traders are profitable is because they apply sound logic to their decision-making not because they out-smart other players in a game.

Position Risk Management and the dynamic application of risk vs reward odds are common skills to be successful in certain games and in trading financial markets. While it is certainly true that many proprietary trading firms DO ASK candidates about their game skills - it would be disingenuous to state that particular game skills (like Poker) are a deciding factor and the be-all-to-end-all denominator.

Look, these firms are certainly going to TEST YOU FOR COGNITIVE ABILITY. Maybe you’re a great poker player - but if you stink up the Wonderlic; it’s not going to matter.

 

[lovethetrade]

Position Risk Management and the dynamic application of risk vs reward odds are common skills to be successful in certain games and in trading financial markets. While it is certainly true that many proprietary trading firms DO ASK candidates about their game skills - it would be disingenuous to state that particular game skills (like Poker) are a deciding factor and the be-all-to-end all denominator.

Look, these firms are certainly going to TEST YOU FOR COGNITIVE ABILITY.

From that perspective, I agree.

 

[maximumpossiblesuffering]

Good GOD man, you've outed yourself as an IDIOT! None of those have any correlation to markets trading.

Poker and trading have several common denominators that have already been mentioned: Gaming theory and adjusting probabilities and decision making according to context (Not “Static”) just like trading. Poker is more about implied odds on what people are likely to do than it is about card odds. If you are a Poker player who only waits for proper starting hands for a given position, you will be exploited by better players in all but the lowest limits. At the lowest limits, the house edge can be hard to overcome, however. As a poker player, you are reading players while attempting to confuse players who are trying to read you. Again, players that have a static and defined style have exploitable weaknesses. In addition, overcoming competition is a another attribute that applies to success at both poker and trading.

 

[Scataphagos]

Poker and trading have several common denominators that have already been mentioned: Gaming theory and adjusting probabilities and decision making according to context (Not “Static”) just like trading. Poker is more about implied odds on what people are likely to do than it is about card odds. If you are a Poker player who only waits for proper starting hands for a given position, you will be exploited by better players in all but the lowest limits. At the lowest limits, the house edge can be hard to overcome, however. As a poker player, you are reading players while attempting to confuse players who are trying to read you. Again, players that have a static and defined style have exploitable weaknesses. In addition, overcoming competition is a another attribute that applies to success at both poker and trading.

None of which have ANYTHING to do with trading... which was my original point.

Anybody looking for "insight into trading via poker knowledge" is fishing in a dry hole. There is ZERO correlation!

 

[MACD]

It is important to realize, at least in my opinion, that when ones creates a Thread here, there is a serious obligation to be well intended and that it is posted for the benefit or all who share the same concerns of Real Value in their contributions. (How the posts Help others...) With that in mind here is a Free book (PDF format) that I paid $29.95 for many years ago at the suggestion of one of the most respected poker players in the U.S. -- I met him at a Karate class and he asked me "what do you do for a living". I told him I trade commodities. He asked if I would show him. We made a "date" to meet at a Starbucks and I brought a notebook computer to show him how I made money trading commodities. After about 2 hours -- he took me to a bookstore where he showed me a book on Poker. He suggested that buying the book would "make me a more successful commodity trader". He was right. I taught him trading and now he makes a substantial extra income -- and still plays high stakes poker everyday at the Bellagio Poker room making at least $3500 daily. Not bad huh? Turns out that he never graduated even high school. Now lives in what some might call a mansion in a gated community.

Here is the FREE book. Hope it benefits you as much as it has me.

http://www.datascienceassn.org/sites/default/files/The Theory of Poker Book - David Sklansky.pdf