Poker is complex enough so stay away from those who try to make it sound impossible.
One of the real gifts poker has given me is that it has been a great jumping off point to learn things from other disciplines like economics, AI, psychology and Game Theory. So here is a series of articles where I bring some of the most interesting things I have learned from other subjects outside of poker which are applicable in this game we know and love.
Dawkins’s Law of Conservation of Obscurity states that “obscurantism in an academic subject expands to fill the vacuum of its intrinsic simplicity”. This insightful observation, coined by renowned evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, highlights a tendency in academia to overcomplicate simple concepts.
The law suggests that when a subject lacks inherent complexity, some academics may resort to using unnecessarily complex language or convoluted explanations. This obscurantism serves to create an illusion of depth or sophistication where it may not actually exist.
Dawkins emphasizes the importance of clear communication in science and academia. He argues that a skilled writer should be able to “cut through the difficulty without losing content and without dumbing down”. This approach aligns with Einstein’s famous quote: “Everything should be as simple as possible, but no simpler”.
The Law of Conservation of Obscurity serves as a critique of academic practices that prioritize jargon and complexity over clarity and accessibility. It encourages scholars and writers to strive for simplicity and precision in their explanations, making knowledge more accessible to a broader audience while maintaining the integrity of the subject matter.
Avoid needless complexity in poker
This law resonates with me because I feel that a lot of people are put off studying modern poker theory and in particular solvers because they sound more complex than they need to be.
I don’t think many teachers in poker purposely obscure their language to make it seem even more complex than it is. Rather I feel that the best teachers are those who can simplify things the most.
Phil Galfond is one of those teachers, every time he talks he makes the listener feel smart. I believe my long-time writing partner Dara O’Kearney is also talented in this regard and I am perhaps the proof. I don’t consider myself particularly smart as a poker player, but I can understand and explain advanced concepts precisely because I have been taught in a simplified manner.
The best solver tools reflect this too. I am a huge fan of GTO Wizard because you can go super complex with it, but you can also massively simplify the outputs. You can have six bet sizing or just one, for example.
To once again cite Einstein, with a quote that reflects the best teachers make things simple, “you do not really understand something until you can explain it to your grandmother”.
What theories from outside of poker have helped your game? Let us know in the comments.