What Is the Significance of IQ in Poker?

Players perspectives on this topic differ significantly: some believe that poker players narrow specialization and particular talents are based on a high IQ, while others believe that incredibly ignorant or mentally limited persons can make real money playing poker.

Scientists don’t pursue research on the subject because of the limited “population” of poker players and the imprecision of IQ tests, thus they can’t definitively back either viewpoint.

So, let’s do research jointly to see whether IQ equals intelligence and success for poker players.

What Is IQ, and Why Is It Unreliable?

The intelligence quotient (IQ) is a shortened term used to indicate an individual’s level of mental development based on age. The German psychologist William Stern first proposed the idea of IQ in 1912. The first intelligence scale was created in 1916 by Stanford – Binet using the German’s study as a basis. Even now, it’s widely utilized, primarily in Western nations, to assess children’s and students’ aptitudes and tendencies. The current (fifth) edition of the Stanford-Binet exam evaluates four aspects of the human mind’s ability:

• verbal thinking
• math
• abstract-visual reasoning
• short-term memory

Additionally, through observation, the tester (experimenter) assesses the test-taker’s character traits, such as tenacity, diligence, self-assurance, and attention span.

The test is only given to children since it is necessary to evaluate their level of preparedness for transitioning to new educational formats, such as going from preschool to school, from school to a college or university, and so forth. In addition, the experimenter’s credentials have an impact on the test’s ultimate IQ score. If it’s not enough, the results’ interpretation won’t be trustworthy.

The Eysenck exam is the most popular among adults in 2023, despite the fact that experts have far more concerns about it than with the Stanford-Binet.

The psychologist Hans Jürgen Eysenck was well-known not only for his interest in astrology, horoscopes, and other metaphysical methods of cognition, but also for his belief in psychological differences between people of different races. Despite short-term recognition in the scientific world, by 2023, Eysenck’s work and methods will be judged psychologically dangerous for usage because they are based on poorly researched and biased research. One of the most high-profile scandals involving Eysenck’s unscientific behavior was the revelation that he tampered with the data in his studies to achieve “phenomenal” results.

Examining the sources from which Eysenck developed his IQ test also turned up false and inconsistent information. Furthermore, the tests themselves frequently contain erroneous results, such as when an answer that defies logic is accepted as accurate. 

Additionally, the test’s phrasing is inaccurate, making it more difficult to understand the questions and giving test takers false rationale.

Finally, the Eysenck test, the Stanford-Binet exam, and other popular IQ tests (Mens, Wechsler, Raven, Kettler, and others) do not assess creativity, sense of humor, empathy (the ability to comprehend and empathize with others), or other complex non-logical components of intelligence.

In conclusion, we can state categorically that, as of 2023, there isn’t a valid IQ test that can be recognized by science worldwide, yield findings that are comparable and verifiable, and account for every aspect of the human mind.

Poker Players Views on the Relationship Between Intelligence and Poker

In 2021, user PokerOnGG started at Reddit conversation concerning the value of IQ for poker players. The most fascinating remarks from there:

• I don’t know a single good player who also happens to be dumb. However, I know a lot of extremely intelligent people who play quite poorly, UnkleRinkus says.
• planetmarsupial: I understand that school achievement has a low link with IQ, yet I still want to follow that route. I don’t have a college degree, but I’m an excellent poker player (for my tastes, of course). I utilize solvers without issue, study for several hours per day, and so forth.
• ch3fB1II: Well-known poker pros are typically more intelligent than the average person; it’s no coincidence that many of them have previously achieved success in strategy games such as chess. IQ does not indicate a person’s education or general intellect; rather, it measures the capacity to think and make logical judgments based on available information.
• oscarinio1: I’m convinced IQ is crucial in any hierarchical structure, including sports, business, and so forth. No one disputes that a person with an average or below-average IQ may be good at anything, but they must work more than someone with a higher IQ. I believe that discipline and conscientiousness assist people of all IQ levels achieve tremendous success, but with a high level, you can have talent, thus your chances of making the top 1% in any competitive game are a priori better.
• soffo_moric: I believe that emotional intelligence, or the capacity to regulate one’s own emotions as well as comprehend those of others nonverbally, is far more important for success in poker than intellectual intelligence.
• TehMephs: Despite having a low IQ, I managed to make a five-figure profit last year.
• alagrancosa: Ego is more essential than IQ. People who are aware of their high IQ lose an advantage at poker because they begin to overestimate themselves.
• tookurjobs: I believe there is a very modest association between IQ and poker success. However, I acknowledge that the most successful poker players have slightly above-average intelligence. I doubt people with a high IQ will stay in the game for long—they’re smart enough to question the logic and utility of devoting a lot of time and intellectual resources to subpar performance.

How Much of an Impact Does IQ Have On Poker Success?

The quick response is not known. Currently, no one is testing poker players blindly and twice using double-checking science to objectively measure their IQ and other personality traits and compare them to their success — or lack thereof — in the poker game.

While nobody boasts about having a low IQ, let’s examine three prominent cases that represent the other extreme.

1. For example, as a child, Fedor Holz‘s intellect level was locked at around 155, although most people are in the range of 85 and 115. Nonetheless, Fedor was not very successful in the first year of his micro-stakes career, and he only rose to prominence after extensive training.
2. Liv Boeree, one of the most successful poker players in history, has an IQ of 159. In 2019, she left the poker to pursue science, particularly research into artificial intelligence. In mid-2023, Liv stated publicly that AI should be diverted from intelligence to wisdom, because IQ does not reflect a person’s common sense, grasp of how the world works, and so on.
3. Just to put things in perspective, Daniel Negreanu possesses an even higher IQ of 162 than Albert Einstein had. He concluded two consecutive WSOPs with a severe minus in particular; variance is independent of an individual’s IQ.

You can use any Eysenck test to determine your IQ, but keep in mind that the results only provide particular and approximate information rather than an accurate reflection of reality. You can use the Intelligence Level Grading Table as a general reference to gain a general understanding of what your results mean:

Score	Explanation
Below 20	Incapacity to learn and look after oneself
20-50	Not self-care skills, but learning capabilities
51-70	The chance to study in specialized schools before being integrated back into society as an adult
71-80	A sort of mental impairment that is borderline and allows for study in a regular education setting
81-90	Low intellectual capacity and a preference for manual labor over mental labor
91-110	Approximately 50% of persons on the planet are classified as “ordinary”
111-120	About 12% of people, with a greater desire to learn and a stronger sense of commitment
121-130	The ability to complete multiple difficult higher education programs, a high level of career success, and about 6% of the population
131-140	About 2.5 percent of people have the capacity to succeed significantly in their chosen fields
141	Most “geniuses” who contribute significantly to the advancement of humanity make up about 0.2% of the population

Even though there isn’t a clear correlation between IQ and poker skill, players nonetheless hunt for it. Additionally, a few of them even design their own poker IQ exams to evaluate a player’s intelligence concerning grasping GTO.

One such test, the Hybrid Poker IQ, for instance, gained popularity in January 2023 after Bill Perkins took it and tweeted the findings. Mikhail Shalamov, incidentally, had one of the greatest percentages based on the test results: 79% out of 100%, which is 6% higher than Perkins.