Learning to Learn: Chunking
Barry Carter continues his series on meta learning poker with a method for simplifying complex decisions.
Last week I looked at why testing memory is a better way to learn than revising old material.
The catalyst for wanting to learn about learning was a specific leak I had, which was about my working memory.
I was finding it hard to mentally juggle so many possible hands when thinking of my opponent's range. I found myself putting players on very narrow ranges because I was struggling to consider that, for example, on a A72r flop, my opponent might have AA, 77, 22, AKs, AKo, AQs, AQo,AJs,AJo, ATs, ATo, A9s-A2s, KK-99...you get the idea.
I felt that from sheer hard work reviewing hands, I would improve my working memory when playing hands. When going down the learning rabbit hole, I was reminded of a concept we looked at in The Mental Game of Poker 2 - chunking.
Break things down into meaningful chunks
Chunking is a cognitive process that involves breaking down information into smaller, manageable units or "chunks." By grouping related items together, chunking allows the brain to process and retain information in a more structured manner.
Consider the following string of random numbers: 582917463. Trying to remember this sequence as a whole can be challenging. However, by chunking the numbers into smaller groups, such as 58, 29, 17, and 46, the information becomes more digestible and easier to remember. Instead of remembering nine individual digits, you only need to recall four chunks, making it more manageable for your working memory.
In everyday life, chunking is commonly used when remembering phone numbers, addresses, or credit card numbers. By breaking down longer sequences into meaningful chunks, individuals can enhance their memory and recall abilities, ultimately improving their cognitive efficiency.
A simplified way to think of poker hands
I once again have Gareth James to thank for how I was able to integrate chunking into my study and play, though he was citing Michael Acevedo:
@GTOpoker, in his great book 'Modern Poker Theory', uses the idea of Ace, High, Medium and Low cards.
- A = Ace
- H is any card K,Q,J,T
- M is any card 9,8,7,6
- L is any card 5,4,3,2I use this in my aggregate reports, as well as a slightly different approach 👇 pic.twitter.com/Ptq6ZsdPur
— Gareth James (@gazelligpoker) December 10, 2023
This simplified method for breaking down hands eased a huge cognitive burden for me. Whenever I study or play now, instead of trying to think of every possible hand combo, I instead think things like "I am the UTG opener and will have range advantage on A & H flops, the BB defender will probably have the advantage on M & L flops.
Then, when we get to the turn or river, when things get a bit more complex, only then do I start thinking about individual hands that might be in each range.
I thought that improving my working memory would be about being able to hold lots more information in my head at once, when in fact it was about holding less information in my head (until it becomes necessary to go into more depth).
Do you do this when you study poker? Let us know in the comments:
