Poker: A game of Skill or a game of Chance?

Poker is believed to be one of the gambling games that is hitting the limelight at times in online casino and gambling industry these days. However, since it's introduction, many people have been debating of whether poker is a game of skill or a game of chance. Perhaps this skill or luck issue has been asked for decades. And if ever an answer was put upon, it will be a major factor in laws changing in favor of legalized online poker – but that is a different issue.


The focus of this article is to pinpoint the ideas which made people assume that poker is a game of skill and a game that is purely based on chance. If we'll observe closely, there is no game where luck doesn't comes into it. For some reasons, gambling needs a liitle touch of chance too – this are the speculations of some individuals. According to these people, 90 per cent of a player's winning chance is based on his skills and strategies in playing. While the other 10 per cent is luck.


On contrary, poker is said to be a game of skill and not by chance. Take for example the gamblers participating in the World Series of Poker. Perhaps these people who are continually cashing out their money is not lucky every season. They will never have the chance to win if they'll depend on luck alone. So what do they do? Of course, they use their knowledge and experience when it comes to playing poker. The old saying goes something like this: "It's not the cards your dealt, it's how you you play your cards".


Based on a study made by Michael DeDonno, a student from Case Western Reserve University, the game of poker becomes skill when the players make their choices of when to fold their hands. The point at which players fold their hands is the part of the game that exemplifies skill. DeDonno came up with this idea through conducting two poker related studies. The participants he used for his study had a little knowledge into the game of poker, but were guided through charts and hints. Most of the participants felt the game was 50 percent luck when they started playing.


"If it had been pure luck in winning, then the strategies would not have made a difference for the two groups," DeDonno concluded. His findings was that the players that were given hints and strategies did better than those who did not.


In poker there is no good luck or bad luck, just random luck. A person's good luck depends on the other person's bad luck. This is what make poker a true game of skill and not of chance. If you did have the best hand when the game started, then consider yourself a skillful poker player. But if you didn't have the best hand to begin with, you might be needing an extensive gaming guides on poker.