Poker: Luck or Skill? Despite Poker have a wide acceptance today, still have those who insist that poker is a game of chance. Many classify Poker in the same mode that blackjack or baccarat.
Poker players decide when to discard, withdraw, or pass cards so while control of the cards remains with the player so does the luck versus skill relativity. Check out professional poker players’ statistics in the World Series of Poker – the most important tournament in the world of professional poker.
Dec 10, 2014 The skill level of a poker player has little to do with whether poker is a game of skill or one of luck. It simply helps to explain and determine results both short and long-term. Since luck does play a factor in poker, even the most-skilled player will lose.

The majority of the general population would probably tell you that poker is more about luck than skill. And we can’t really blame them, considering that poker tables are found alongside other games of chance like craps, blackjack, and slot machines.However, poker professionals disagree with this claim. Regulation debate. Those in favor of regulating argue that poker is primarily a game of luck, such as roulette or baccarat, and that it should be regulated in a manner similar to those games. Those in favor of lifting regulations argue that it is primarily a game of skill—a sport such as tennis or golf—and it should not be regulated at all.

It’s BAFFLING to us that in today’s age of information we still have to help settle the argument on whether or not poker is a game of chance or a game of skill. Why are we baffled? Well, we figured that with such easy access to information, statistics, theory and results, people would be able to come to an informed and correct decisions on this matter.

Sadly, this is not the case. Before we go any further, here’s the spoiler. Poker is a game of skill with a luck element. The skill element outweighs the luck factor. This means that unlike games of chance, poker can be beaten over the long run. You can play poker for a living. You cannot play roulette for a living. This is because poker is a game of skill and roulette is an example of a game of chance.

To take this a step further, we want to point out that this is not an opinion piece. This piece is laying out the facts of the situation. This is not “what we think” or “what we want to be true.” This is what IS true and is backed up by theory, statistics and our good ole’ pal sound logic.

We hear people time and time again arguing that poker is all luck and no skill. They’ll argue this until their blue in the face and usually without a lot of sound reasoning as to why they feel that way. We guess that they feel this way for a few reasons. First, it could stem from a lack of understanding. If you don’t understand every aspect of the game of poker, it’s probably easy to lump it into a category with other games of chance. We get it. Casinos house games of chance…poker is often played in a casino. You’re not dumb for incorrectly drawing this conclusion.

The second reason people might stick to the wrong side of this debate is that they are jealous or have some sort of ego issue. They feel that if they aren’t capable of doing something for a living or beating something in the long run, then no one is probably capable of it. This is a close-minded and arrogant attitude that needs to be checked if they have any hope of seeing things as they are.

If this debate strikes a chord with you, then you’re in the right place. We’re going to address the debate, share information and hopefully put a close to this chapter of the book. You may be reading this for one of a few reasons. You may be here because you sternly believe that poker is a game of chance. You may be here because you are new and unsure of what to believe. You may be here because you are trying to figure out how to explain to friends and family that poker is a game of skill. You may even be here because someone sent you this link to read!

Whoever you are and wherever you are from, welcome. We’re not here to judge anyone or make anyone feel stupid for questioning things. Three card poker pair plus. The only way you learn is to let your ego down, ask the tough questions and get to the bottom of things. If you’re still stubborn after presented with all of the information, then that is, unfortunately, going to be something you have to deal with on your own.

Now that we’ve laid the groundwork for this article, let’s start digging into this debate. Buckle up because it’s going to be a fun and bumpy ride!

Defining Luck and Skill

An important first step in settling this debate is defining some of the more important terms that we will be discussing.

Luck – success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions.
Skill – the ability to do something well; expertise.
Game of Chance – an activity, especially one in which you gamble money, that depends on luck instead of skill.
Game of Skill – A game of skill is a game where the outcome is determined mainly by mental or physical skill, rather than by chance.

The argument that most people make is that poker is a game that only utilizes luck. They claim that there is no skill involved. These two claims make up our third definition. They are claiming that you are playing a game where the outcome depends on luck and not on skill.

So, what do we need to prove to show that poker is a game that can be beaten long-term and can effectively be played for a living? We need to prove that poker uses skill. A step further, though, is that we need to prove that the skill element of poker outshines and supersedes any luck or chance component that game might have. We need to prove that poker is a game of skill and not a game of chance. Let’s get to work!

Luck and Skill Can Coexist

The biggest issue that a lot of people have when approaching this debate is that they want everything to be black and white. They believe that poker is either a game that uses skill OR it’s a game that uses luck. They fail to acknowledge that a game can have both a luck and a skill component. This is important to our argument.

Luck and skill can coexist within games of chance and within games of skill. For example, the game of craps is one that most people would agree is a game of chance. Most people would agree that no matter what you do, the casino is always going to have a statistical edge in the game. The few that disagree do not understand. Again, this is not a matter of opinion. It is a mathematical fact that the casino will ALWAYS have an edge when it comes to playing craps.

But is there skill involved as well? Yes, actually. There are things that you can do to limit the house edge and give yourself a better opportunity to win in the short run. In the long run, you’re still going to lose to the casino, but you can certainly utilize some strategies to better your chances and lower that house edge. The problem here, though, is that the skill is not significant enough to overcome the luck factor. There are no strategies that can defy math.

On the flip side, there are games of skill that have a luck element involved. Let’s look at a non-poker example first. Are you familiar with investing? We’re referring to people who buy stocks and bonds to help grow their money. Most people would agree that this involves a lot of skill. There is a reason that the big brokers on Wall Street get paid the big bucks. They have a lot of skill and training that allows them to stay a step ahead of the markets and turn a profit for you and for themselves.

Let’s say a Wall Street broker purchases stock in a big oil company. They use their skill and expertise to identify that the company is in an emerging market and stands to have a huge year. All skill so far, right? Well, let’s also say that two weeks into Q1 there is a massive hurricane that destroys a huge percentage of that company’s oil wells. The company takes a massive hit, and the broker loses big on the trade. All skill or lack of skill still? Nope. This is luck. The broker got unlucky that the hurricane step

Poker Is Luck Or Skill