Posted on October 27, 2011 - by admin

Poker: A Game of Luck or Skill?

The question of whether poker is a game of luck or skill has been debated for a long time. Let’s take a look at both sides of the debate:

A Game of Luck:

This side of the debate states that the game is decided by the player who has the best cards during a hand and the skills of poker have no significance to the outcome of the game. It is the hole cards that matter. Once players have been dealt their cards they decide whether or not to play. If a player decides to stay in a game then that player will be in the game until the end and will decide whether to call or bet until the river. Once the showdown is complete, the player with the strongest hand wins. If this really is the case for the game of poker, then it is luck that determines the winner and not skill. The only issue with this theory is that a game very rarely works like this.

A Game of Skill:

This side of the debate states that it is not what a player is dealt that’s important but what a player does with the cards dealt to them.  Those for this side of the argument state that a UK poker player with good skills will, on average, be more successful and make more money in the long run that a player who is dependent upon luck. There is substantial evidence that has been accumulated to defend this point of view. A study was completed which analysed the poker habits of more than 3000 players. The results were interesting as highlighted that more than 60% of poker hands were determined when one player folded and not at showdown, as expected. A player would usually fold is they feel they have lost or cannot afford to call. It is therefore difficult to say that this player would have actually lost as they folded. Consequently, the player that does win may not have done so because they had better cards, but maybe because their behaviour and actions persuaded their opponents to pull out prematurely. It cannot be argued that this in itself is a skill.

To summarise then, it seems apparent that skilful players are more likely to succeed at poker than those who simply rely on luck. Luck does have an impact on the cards dealt to the player, but it is how the player plays with the cards dealt, that is far more important overall.