[ Update: two of the original authors of this post have moved on to greener pastures, and have asked us to mothball this content in preparation for an upcoming book. Thanks for all the feedback and stay tuned for more technical poker content in the future.]

Introduction

I'm a big fan of pet projects. You know the ones I mean: the projects we love to start and hate to finish. The two-week remodeling gig that takes two years. The '69 Mustang sitting on cinderblocks in the back yard while seasons rotate. The unfinished novel lurking on the nether regions of your hard drive. And for programmers and poker players around the world, a million unfinished tools and libraries ranging from the ingenious to the depressingly obscure.

Today, I'd like to talk to you about a pet project which is actually worth your time.