Poker Is Skill
January 29, 2009 by Kris Jones
Filed under Sports
In my previous poker blog entry, I discussed why poker is luck. Today, I will outline the skill aspect of poker and arrive at my conclusion on whether poker is luck or skill.
Poker is Skill
For as much as luck is touted in poker, the skill aspect is undeniable. If the game were simply a matter of luck, how would top pros continually find themselves winning money and tournaments? Phil Hellmuth has 9 WSOP bracelets. How can luck explain that away? Greg Raymor finished in the top 25 in back to back WSOP Main Events. Dan Harrington finished in the top 4 in back to back tournaments in 2003 and 2004. Both competed in massive fields. Luck alone doesn’t solve that equation. Not even close.
In card play, mathematically skill wins out. The player with the best hand at any given point during the contest has a higher percentage of winning. More skilled players leverage this absolute by feigning strength or weakness. Obviously, the mental aspect is huge in this regard. No question, poker games are almost always won outside of the cards and inside the minds (hence skill). Any given hand may be lucky, but to win over the long haul skill, mental awareness, and knowledge is a mathematical necessity.
My Conclusion
Poker is most certainly a game of skill. There can be no denial that luck is involved in poker, but the same can be said of all of our most cherished sporting events. Basketball, baseball, football, soccer, tennis, cricket, you name it. Two time NBA champion and retired basketball great, David Robinson, once said to win a championship you need some luck along the way. These words ring true in almost all professional arenas.
Whereas in team sports, you might simply remain injury free, in poker your favored cards or “coin flip” hands could hold. On the other end of the spectrum, maybe in basketball you had a shot hit the side of the backboard and still glance in (depsite your intention to swish the ball). In poker, maybe you put a couple of devastating bad beats on your opponents.
Any way you think about it, there is luck within competition. The awesome thing is the best players always end up surfacing to the top.
Ace King
