Understand that math is important in poker because poker is a game of probabilities

• 1). Because poker is played with a deck of 52 cards, the possibilities are finite. A royal flush is the best hand because it is the most improbable hand---there are four ways to make a royal flush out of nearly 2.6 million possible five-card combinations. In contrast, the rag hand--a five-card hand with no pairs, straights, or flushes--is the worst because it is the most common, occurring in roughly half of all possible five-card hands.
  
  
• 2). Learn the common situations where an understanding of poker math will help you make better decisions.
  
  The first decision in Texas Hold'em and all forms of poker occurs when you must choose whether to play your hand. Here, you need to understand the concept of pot odds, comparing the ratio of the size of the pot to the amount you must put into it with the odds that your hand will be good enough to win the pot.
  
  Another common scenario in TH is where you have a strong hand, and want to optimize your betting strategy. Here, you need to understand the concept of equity, which is simply the amount of the pot that you "own", based on the odds you will win the hand at that moment.
  
  Yet another common scenario in TH is where either an opponent has bet all their chips (gone all-in), and you are considering a call, or, you are considering going all-in yourself. Here, you need to understand the probabilities involved in how often one given hand will beat another, if there are no other players and all five board cards are revealed.
  
  
• 3). Learn the full range of resources available to you for learning poker math.
  
  The first is the bookstore, which will have many books that explain the math skills most commonly needed for poker. Poker writers who explore math include David Sklansky, William Chen, Andy Bloch and Matt Matros.
  
  Secondly, the Internet is a rich source of information on poker math. Type "pot odds", "equity in poker" or "preflop all-in" into a search engine, and you will be presented with a slew of informational online articles.
  
  Also, some poker sites offer free online training materials for members. For example, if you sign up at Full Tilt Poker, you can take online tutorials including primers on poker math.
  
  
• 4). Practice what you have learned. There is no better way to internalize this information than by playing poker regularly. Be aware that understanding poker math does not guarantee victory at any given time because in the short term, the improbable can happen. Using math to your advantage in poker is a long-term proposition, and the expectation should be that you will be successful over time if you apply the concepts consistently.