文本选自：The Economist（经济学人）
作者：Unknown
原文标题：What to read to understand poker, the finest game ever invented
原文发布时间：29 Apr. 2023
What to read to understand poker, the finest game ever invented
Poker sits between two poles of perfect chance (as with roulette, say) and perfect strategy (as in chess). In most variations, players can see some of their opponents' cards—whether shared ones, as in hold'em, or those dealt face up, as in stud—while some are known only to each player. Even in draw, in which each player is dealt her own hand unseen to the rest of the table, and can exchange cards to improve, play communicates information: exchange no cards, and you're telling your opponents you have an exceptionally strong hand; take three or four, and you communicate weakness.
In poker, as in life, the decision-making calculus changes with each new bit of information. The goal—building the best possible five-card hand—is simple; the path to get there is tortuous, variable and shifting. Therein lies the game's glory, its appeal for authors and peril for readers. Surveying the poker bookshelf reveals an endless array of books that promise to turn the reader into a "feared shark", or develop an "unbeatable strategy". In fact the only thing that will make any player good is playing and losing a lot. But that does not mean the entire poker canon is meritless. Here are six of the best—meaning the most instructive and enjoyable books on the best game ever invented.
The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You to Think Like One. By David Sklansky. Two Plus Two Publishing; 316 pages; $29.95 and £29.95. Given that poker games are won in practice rather than theory, and that these days players can choose from an array of apps, books and articles laying out the "GTO strategy" (game-theory optimal, resulting in the fewest possible exploitable mistakes) for every hand and situation, of what value, really, is a 36-year-old book on poker theory?
读什么书才能理解扑克，这项有史以来最好的游戏呢？
精听党背景导读
扑克牌是一种表面上看起来简单、容易上手，但背后蕴含复杂、微妙博弈关系的游戏。
很多父母不喜欢让孩子们过早的接触扑克牌，因为玩扑克不只是“浪费时间”，还会让人联想到熬夜、抽烟、赌博等“坏习气”。
文本选自：The Economist（经济学人）作者：Unknown原文标题：What to read to understand poker, the finest game ever invented原文发布时间：29 Apr. 2023关键词：扑克 运气 策略
精听党带着问题听
1. 如何理解第一段中的“hold’em”？2.“曲折的道路”用英语可以怎么表达？3. 怎么去提升自己的扑克游戏水平？
精听党选段赏析
标题解读
What to read to understand poker, the finest game ever invented
读什么书才能理解扑克，这项有史以来最好的游戏呢？
poker
n. 拨火棍；纸牌戏；扑克；
段一
Poker sits between two poles of perfect chance (as with roulette, say) and perfect strategy (as in chess). In most variations, players can see some of their opponents’ cards—whether shared ones, as in hold’em, or those dealt face up, as in stud—while some are known only to each player. Even in draw, in which each player is dealt her own hand unseen to the rest of the table, and can exchange cards to improve, play communicates information: exchange no cards, and you’re telling your opponents you have an exceptionally strong hand; take three or four, and you communicate weakness.
pole n. 杆，柱；地极；截然相反的两极之一；1. North Pole 北极；2. South Pole 南极；
roulette n. 轮盘赌；
variation n. 变化，变动；1. This delicious variation on an omelette is quick and easy to prepare. 这种略有变化的美味煎蛋饼做起来又快又容易。
opponent n. 对手，竞争者；
hold’em 纸牌押注；德州扑克；
stud n. 明扑克；梭哈；
draw n. 抽牌；听牌；
exceptionally adv. 极其，非常；只有在特殊情况下，例外地；
参考译文
扑克处于完美机会（如轮盘赌）和完美策略（如国际象棋）的两极之间。在大多数变化中，玩家可以看到对手的一些牌——无论是在德州扑克中共享的牌，还是在梭哈中正面朝上的牌——而有些玩法只有每个玩家知道。即使在听牌时，每个玩家都拿到了自己的牌，而牌桌上的其他玩家看不到，并且可以交换牌来提高牌力，玩牌也会传达信息：如果不交换牌，你告诉对手你有一手非常强的牌，如果拿到三张或四张，你就会传达牌力很弱的信息。
段二
In poker, as in life, the decision-making calculus changes with each new bit of information. The goal—building the best possible five-card hand—is simple; the path to get there is tortuous, variable and shifting. Therein lies the game’s glory, its appeal for authors and peril for readers. Surveying the poker bookshelf reveals an endless array of books that promise to turn the reader into a “feared shark”, or develop an “unbeatable strategy”. In fact the only thing that will make any player good is playing and losing a lot. But that does not mean the entire poker canon is meritless. Here are six of the best—meaning the most instructive and enjoyable books on the best game ever invented.
calculus n.（数，逻）演算（法），计算（法）；
tortuous adj. 拐弯抹角的；冗长费解的；弯弯曲曲的，曲折的；1. tortuous road 曲折的道路；
variable adj. 易变的，多变的；时好时坏的；可变的，可调节的；
shifting adj. 不断移动的，不断变化的；
therein adv. 在其中；在那里；
glory n. 光荣，荣誉；（对上帝的）赞颂；壮丽，辉煌；1. Walsham had his moment of glory when he won a 20km race. 沃尔沙姆有过赢得20公里赛跑的光荣时刻。
peril n. 巨大的危险，危难；（某活动或行为的）危险，问题；1. In spite of great peril, I have survived. 尽管危险巨大，我还是活了下来。
array n. 一系列，大量；数组，阵列；
canon n. <正式>准则，标准；教规，宗教法规；
meritless adj. 不道德的；
instructive adj. 有教益的，有启发性的；1. an entertaining and instructive documentary 一部既有趣又能增长知识的纪录片；
参考译文
在扑克游戏中，就像在生活中一样，决策演算随着每一条新信息而变化。目标——打造最好的五张牌——很简单，但实现目标的道路是曲折、多变和不断变化的。这就是游戏的荣耀，它对作者很有吸引力，对读者却很危险。纵览扑克书架，你会发现有无数的书籍承诺将读者变成“可怕的鲨鱼”，或者开发出一种“不可战胜的策略”。事实上，唯一能让任何玩家变好的办法就是比赛和输掉很多比赛。但这并不意味着整个扑克经典毫无价值。这里有六本最好的书——也就是关于这项有史以来最好的游戏的最有教育意义和最有趣的书。
段三
The Theory of Poker: A Professional Poker Player Teaches You to Think Like One. By David Sklansky. Two Plus Two Publishing; 316 pages; $29.95 and £29.95. Given that poker games are won in practice rather than theory, and that these days players can choose from an array of apps, books and articles laying out the “GTO strategy” (game-theory optimal, resulting in the fewest possible exploitable mistakes) for every hand and situation, of what value, really, is a 36-year-old book on poker theory?
given prep. 考虑到；如果，倘若；1. Usually, I am sensible with money, as I have to be, given that I don't earn that much. 我花钱通常是很明智的。考虑到自己挣得不多，必须这样做。
lay out 展示；安排；1. My job is to lay out the text and graphics on the page. 我的工作是设计页面上的正文和图表。
optimal adj. 最佳的，最适的；
exploitable adj. 可开发的；可利用的；1. Your hope was I'd make some exploitable mistake. 你的希望在于我会犯些可利用的错误。
参考译文
扑克理论：职业扑克玩家教你像扑克玩家一样思考。大卫·斯科兰斯基著。两加两出版316页29.95美元和29.95英镑。考虑到扑克游戏是在实践中而不是在理论中获胜的，而且如今玩家可以从一系列应用程序、书籍和文章中选择每一手牌和每一种情况的“GTO策略”（博弈论最优，导致最少可能的可利用错误），那么一本有36年历史的扑克理论书籍到底有什么价值？
精听党每日单词
poker
/ˈpoʊkər/ n. 拨火棍；纸牌戏；扑克；
pole
/poʊl/ n. 杆，柱；地极；截然相反的两极之一；
roulette
/ruːˈlet/ n. 轮盘赌；
variation
/ˌveriˈeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 变化，变动；
opponent
/əˈpoʊnənt/ n. 对手，竞争者；
hold’em
纸牌押注；德州扑克；
stud
/stʌd/ n. 明扑克；梭哈；
draw
/drɔː/ n. 抽牌；听牌；
exceptionally
/ɪkˈsepʃənəli/ adv. 极其，非常；只有在特殊情况下，例外地；
calculus
/ˈkælkjələs/ n.（数，逻）演算（法），计算（法）；
tortuous
/ˈtɔːrtʃuəs/ adj. 拐弯抹角的；冗长费解的；弯弯曲曲的，曲折的；
variable
/ˈveriəb(ə)l/ adj. 易变的，多变的；时好时坏的；可变的，可调节的；
shifting
/ˈʃɪftɪŋ/ adj. 不断移动的，不断变化的；
therein
/ˌðerˈɪn/ adv. 在其中；在那里；
glory
/ˈɡlɔːri/ n. 光荣，荣誉；（对上帝的）赞颂；壮丽，辉煌；
peril
/ˈperəl/ n. 巨大的危险，危难；（某活动或行为的）危险，问题；
array
/əˈreɪ/ n. 一系列，大量；数组，阵列；
canon
/ˈkænən/ n. <正式>准则，标准；教规，宗教法规；
meritless
/ˈmerɪtles/ adj. 不道德的；
instructive
/ɪnˈstrʌktɪv/ adj. 有教益的，有启发性的；
given
/ˈɡɪv(ə)n/ prep. 考虑到；如果，倘若；
lay out
展示；安排；
optimal
/ˈɑːptɪməl/ adj. 最佳的，最适的；
exploitable
/ɪkˈsplɔɪtəbəl/ adj. 可开发的；可利用的；
精听党文化拓展
德州扑克，20世纪初开始于德克萨斯洛布斯镇，据传是当地人为了消磨时光，就发明了一种可以有很多人同时参加的扑克游戏，于是德州扑克就诞生了。1925年，德州扑克第一次传入德克萨斯州的达拉斯市，后来又传至拉斯维加斯，自此德州扑克就被发扬光大。
以无上限投注德州扑克为主要赛事的“世界德州扑克大赛”（WSOP）自上世纪70年代登陆美国以来，一年一度的赛事，使得越来越多的人对德州扑克有了一定的了解，这也是德州扑克开始大面积流行起来的标志。随着电视、媒体对各种国际比赛的直播，特别是互联网的传播与宣传，在美国，如果有人说他在玩扑克游戏，那多半就是在玩德州扑克。德州扑克以其易学难精的特点，受到各国棋牌爱好者的青睐，成为了当今风靡欧美的经典扑克游戏。而德州扑克也被人称之为德克萨斯扑克。
这是一个“学一时，精一世”的扑克游戏。世界德州扑克系列大赛在赌城拉斯维加斯的各大赌场举行，其中以冠军大赛的奖金额最高，参赛人数最多，比赛最为隆重，北美各地的体育电视频道都有实况转播。这一赛事完全反映了德州扑克在北美的流行程度与发展趋势。
精听党每日美句
Well begun is half done.
良好的开端是成功的一半。