Poll: Poker - Luck or Skill based game?

[hey_iknowyou]

I'm just curious to see what the general concensus of people is. Do you feel that the game of poker is a game of luck or a game of skill? I have purposely left out any options inbetween for reasons of my own. I am also purposely not giving my own opinion just yet so that nobody is in anyway biased by it!

Also, leave comments below giving your reasons for choosing one of the other!

EDIT: I felt out a middle option as I felt close to 100% of people would have chosen this option. I'm more so curious which people think is the more prevailant factor out of the two.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Well to ruin the validatity of the poll the answer is both. As luck is required with getting cards while skill is required with calculating chances of getting cards, calling bluffs and bluffing, etc

 

[Icecoldcynic]

There are elements of luck just like everything in life, but poker is very much a game based mainly on skill.

 

[hey_iknowyou]

Well to ruin the validatity of the poll the answer is both. As luck is required with getting cards while skill is required with calculating chances of getting cards, calling bluffs and bluffing, etc

I did not include the middle option as I feel 90-100% of voters would have chosen that one. I'm more so looking for which people think is more important within the game if that makes sense?

 

[51gunner]

Luck. Doesn't matter how good you are, if the other guy has better cards you're inevitably fucked. Say you're playing Texas Hold'em and you see a single ace in the flop. You're holding on to two aces... there's pretty much no way you're going to lose that hand. Say your opponent had a pair of kings...

According to strategy, before those first three cards even come up you'd both be right to lay large bets. You'd be stupid to fold. When those three flip, and say there's an ace, two, six (non-suited). There's pretty much no way for you to lose that. Doesn't matter if the guy holding the kings is a "world class poker player", he's fucked.

(Yes, I know they could still get a flush and beat your three of a kind.)

 

[TimeLord]

Skill and luck are equal factors in anything

 

[Danpascooch]

There is skill involved, but 90% of it is what you are dealt, which is total luck.

However, since everyone has the same odds of being dealt good cards, skill is the deciding factor and makes a huge difference IF you play a large number of hands.

However, if you're only playing 1 or 2 hands, skill matters very little, as that small factor of skill won't have time to make an influence.

Kind of like if you flip a coin 3 times, it might be 3 heads, but you can't conclude from that that all coin flips are heads, because much like Poker luck, it evens out over time.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

Both. The luck of getting the right cards, but the skills of making use of it as much as possible. With only luck, you get small victories with high chances. With only skill, you're only chance of winning is on bluffs.

 

[Icecoldcynic]

Luck. Doesn't matter how good you are, if the other guy has better cards you're inevitably fucked. Say you're playing Texas Hold'em and you see a single ace in the flop. You're holding on to two aces... there's pretty much no way you're going to lose that hand. Say your opponent had a pair of kings...

According to strategy, before those first three cards even come up you'd both be right to lay large bets. You'd be stupid to fold. When those three flip, and say there's an ace, two, six (non-suited). There's pretty much no way for you to lose that. Doesn't matter if the guy holding the kings is a "world class poker player", he's fucked.

(Yes, I know they could still get a flush and beat your three of a kind.)

He may be 'fucked' in the sense he won't win that hand, but poker is not a game that ends in one hand. A world class poker player would be able to work out the likelihood of you having the pocket aces, and tell from the way you're playing. And a world class poker player wouldn't take large bets on a hand where he has fuck all on the flop.

Luck will win you one, maybe two hands, but it won't win you the game.

 

[hey_iknowyou]

Luck. Doesn't matter how good you are, if the other guy has better cards you're inevitably fucked. Say you're playing Texas Hold'em and you see a single ace in the flop. You're holding on to two aces... there's pretty much no way you're going to lose that hand. Say your opponent had a pair of kings...

According to strategy, before those first three cards even come up you'd both be right to lay large bets. You'd be stupid to fold. When those three flip, and say there's an ace, two, six (non-suited). There's pretty much no way for you to lose that. Doesn't matter if the guy holding the kings is a "world class poker player", he's fucked.

(Yes, I know they could still get a flush and beat your three of a kind.)

I agree that luck is an decent sized element in the short term, but I feel if you play over a long period of time than skill most certainly prevails since the luck factor is constant for all players. Nobody is going to get that lucky over the course of 6 months playing the game regularly.

 

[Danpascooch]

Skill and luck are equal factors in anything

What about Roulette? How much is skill a factor there?

"Dude, I am SO skilled at putting my chips on black."

 

[DefunctTheory]

Luck. Doesn't matter how good you are, if the other guy has better cards you're inevitably fucked.

I disagree. While luck helps, being able to bullshit your way through a 3 8 off suit hand and win the pot is how you do it.

Take it from someone who's gambled with professionals - Its all about skill.

 

[Private Custard]

I've seen people with shitty cards all night end up cleaning all opponents out. You just have to know who around the table is ready to be beaten at any given time. And you have to know when to throw a hand away instead of getting in too deep.

Luck can play a huge part at times, but it's definately skill-based for the large part.

Ooooh, 666 posts!

 

[Codeman90]

If a person who is terrible at poker is dealt nothing but amazing hands he'll always beat the "champion" poker player. Its mostly luck, over 50% anyway.

 

[hey_iknowyou]

If a person who is terrible at poker is dealt nothing but amazing hands he'll always beat the "champion" poker player. Its mostly luck, over 50% anyway.

Luck is a constant factor in poker though, played over any sort of reasonable amount of time the cards balance out evenly.

 

[Icecoldcynic]

Wow i think the poll result so far says a LOT about how much the escapist community knows about poker (ie, not a lot).

 

[rddj623]

Luck has alot to do with it, but any player that lasts has got to have the skills to do so.

 

[LogieBear]

The answer is both really, luck when your a beginner of hard pressed, and skill when you begin to understand the game. but i would say over 50% of it is luck

 

[omega247]

As above, its definatley both. Although I'd say its mainly skill, as its all about playing the other people (i.e. reading their body language) and not the cards you have.

 

[banksie74]

Both luck and skill, if you get a good hand then that's lucky, if you get a bad hand but are able to bluff and make the other players fold then that's skill.