The Freakonomics of Poker

I’m starting a research project on poker, with the goal of understanding what makes a person a good or bad poker player.

I couldn’t find the kind of data I needed, so I am assembling my own data set. What I’m looking for are online poker players who have been tracking their hands using Poker Tracker software.

I’ve set up a website for people who are interested in contributing their own poker hands to the database. It is http://www.pokernomics.com/. It gives you all the details.

You are probably thinking to yourself, “what is in it for me?” First, you will be advancing science (or whatever it is you call my research). Second, we will analyze your data and hopefully give you some ideas about how to be a better poker player. Third, while supplies last, we are giving out Freakonomics t-shirts and signed copies of the book to people who provide us with big hand histories.

Rest assured, we will handle the data with great care. We will not give or sell your data to anyone else. Nearly forty players have already contributed more than two million hands to me.

So please, poker players of the world unite, http://www.pokernomics.com/needs you.