Poker - game of Luck or Skill

[Ahura Mazda]

Hello All,

This is a discussion regarding Poker whether to determine, in so far as the forum's opinion, on whether Poker is predominantly a game of chance or skill.

Please explain why you think it is one or the other.

 

[Erzengel]

Didn't you watch Rounders? It's a skill game.

 

[ReTrO JuNkIe 42]

a little of both i think

 

[moraldeficiency]

If it was luck you wouldn't have the same people in the finals every year.

 

[Majic Walrus]

It is as much a game of skill as of luck however either one will screw you up. No skill the other players will win because of skill, all the skill in the world won't fix a 2 7 split though.

 

[Ahura Mazda]

If it was luck you wouldn't have the same people in the finals every year.

In reality, you do not have the same players in the finals every year....

 

[Eggyman]

I think it's a mix of both. The luck comes first, and the you use your skill to take advantage of the your luck or your opponent's lack of luck.

 

[Ahura Mazda]

Essentially, this is a game where on any given one hand, luck plays a primary role given as mentionned earlier you can lose with Aces against Jacks if the flop truns up a Jack.

However, over time the more skilled player will always fare better. If they have the cards, then they will tend to win more and when they do not they tend to lose less then other players.

 

[moraldeficiency]

In reality, you do not have the same players in the finals every year....

That's true, but none of the people in it are novices or people just on a lucky streak either. You either get pros, dealers, mathematicians or such. Luck might be dependent on the individual hand but how you deal with that is completely dependent on skill. Put someone that doesn't really have much skill against me and I'll clean them out every game (maybe not every hand though) every time.

 

[Ahura Mazda]

That's true, but none of the people in it are novices or people just on a lucky streak either. You either get pros, dealers, mathematicians or such. Luck might be dependent on the individual hand but how you deal with that is completely dependent on skill. Put someone that doesn't really have much skill against me and I'll clean them out every game (maybe not every hand though) every time.

I agree with you per my post above.

Plus any tournament and I have played a few takes hours if not days and you just do not stay lucky that long.

 

[Drakon]

All I can really say, is whoever decided to market this whole "Texas Hold'em" name, yeah...no. I wanna beat him until he look like Hulk from Warren Ellis' RUINS.

 

[Ahura Mazda]

Well it is a variant of poker given there are many other games. Hold'em is just what they play in tuornaments.

What do you have against the name?

 

[Drakon]

I think it's just that it sounds snooty. Like "Oh, I don't play video games. I participate in interactive entertainment", or "I'm not a comic nerd, I'm a graphic novel enthuasist".

You read comics, you play games, get the **** over yourself.

Y'know?s

 

[Ahura Mazda]

I see but I still think it would be wrong to call it just poker given at home I play many variants and the tournaments and what you see on TV is strictly Hold'Em.

 

[moraldeficiency]

I guess, though the origin of that name was just because it was a varient people played in texas during the fun times in US history. Nothing really snooty about it.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

I think it's a mix of both. The luck comes first, and the you use your skill to take advantage of the your luck or your opponent's lack of luck.

That's exactly how I see it.

 

[Warhammer]

How can one not agree that it isn't about luck? All the cards are shuffled and randomly passed out. Then you need skill, because even if you have a piece of s*** hand, you can still win by bluffing. Good judgment also comes into play with skill (ex. knowing how long to stay in, knowing how much to bet, reading people, etc).

 

[Spider-Fan]

The game is about reading people and playing the odds. Thus, it is a game of skill. Anyone can win with a good hand, sure. But skilled players can take the worst hand and force you to fold your awesome one.

Luck has little to do with being good at poker.

 

[moraldeficiency]

I think it's clear we need a SHH poker tournament.

 

[Prison Mike]

it's definitely both. I don't play poker since I don't really know how to, but from what I've seen in Vegas and on tv, you need both skill and luck.

 

[Manic]

It's both. You're looking at a randomly dealt hand. Luck's going to be a factor when it comes to your hand. What you do with that hand is all about skill.


You know, I actually have a terrible poker face. I can't hide my disappointment or excitement to save my life. That's why I've come up with a series of "false tells." That tugging on my ear? The shifting of my glasses? That deep breath I take with every other new hand I'm dealt? LIES!

 

[Spider-Fan]

I think it's clear we need a SHH poker tournament.

We need to get people to go cross country for this

I'd participate

 

[moraldeficiency]

I'm there

 

[R0rschach]

this does not apply to everything hold'em, there is more skill when it comes to playing live, more so then online anyways.
It's hard to read or see any tells online, the only thing you can go on is your hand and your opponent history of hands you've seen him play.
if you can read people and pick up tells you'll do well.
There is a reason Phil Hellmuth has 11 bracelets, Doyle has 10 and so does Jhonny chan.

 

[Warhammer]

It's both. You're looking at a randomly dealt hand. Luck's going to be a factor when it comes to your hand. What you do with that hand is all about skill.


You know, I actually have a terrible poker face. I can't hide my disappointment or excitement to save my life. That's why I've come up with a series of "false tells." That tugging on my ear? The shifting of my glasses? That deep breath I take with every other new hand I'm dealt? LIES!

My way of doing it (I bet a million people do it also, but it works for me) is just being random. Sometimes, I am look confident and actually have a good hand. Sometimes, I act mad and have a bad hand. Sometimes, I look confident and have a crappy hand. Sometimes, I laugh alot but end up having a beast hand. Just play the fool.