How to Win at Texas Hold'em Poker
Taught through MIT's Independent Activities Period by faculty advisor Paul Mende, this short course breaks down the math and strategy behind playing Texas Hold'em at a competitive level. Lessons cover pot odds, hand ranges, position play, and other decision-making frameworks professional players use at the table. Materials come from MIT OpenCourseWare and include lecture notes from the IAP session, a four-week term MIT runs each January for students, staff, and alumni to pursue topics outside the standard curriculum. The course treats poker as an applied probability and game-theory problem rather than a gambling primer, focusing on the quantitative reasoning behind betting decisions. Free to access through MIT OCW with no certificate offered.