What is a Game Tree in Poker?
In poker, a game tree is a structured representation of all possible actions and outcomes in a poker hand, shown as a branching diagram (directed graph). It models the game step-by-step, where:
- Nodes represent decision points (a specific game state, or spot, like facing a bet on the flop)
- Branches represent the available actions (check, bet, call, raise, fold)
- Paths represent sequences of actions that lead to different outcomes
More on Game Trees
In sequential games, where players act one at at a time, a game tree is a g can be represented in what is called extensive-form, also known as a game tree. A game tree is a graph with nodes that represent positions in a game and lines that represent potential actions. For example, here’s a piece of the game tree for tic-tac-toe:
Poker is a sequential game (like chess or tic-tac-toe) as opposed to a simultaneous game (like rock-paper-scissors). This means that only one player acts at a time.
An inherent attribute of sequential games is that players have some knowledge about earlier actions, with the exception of the first move of the game. This is the root of positional advantage in all sequential games — if you act last, you have an advantage in the form of extra information