By poker_boy | 3 Comments
Last updated: Saturday, July 16, 2011 | 102 Views Tags: bluffer, elements, game, how to play poker, poker face
We’ve had a reader question come in on the subject of poker. Let’s take a look:
Question: I was at the casino today and my friend was trying to convince me that poker is purely luck and you win by being a good bluffer.
I argued that there has to be some skill involved, otherwise anyone with a good poker face could be a professional.
Assuming you know how to play poker/know the rules, is it a game of luck or skill?
P.S.- I understand there are elements of both involved, but I’m mostly talking about in order to win/make it professional.
Answer: A bit of both. Skill will take you further in the long run if you play the odds. Luck can make people like Jaime Gold look like poker gods at times though, but he will probably be out of money fast anyways. There is always something new to learn in poker. To make it as a pro you need skill and discipline in managing your bankroll. Most pros follow a strict 10% rule when it comes to their bankroll and this is a good rule because it keeps bad beats from taking all of your money. I don’t think anyone is lucky enough to make it as a professional poker player by sheer luck.
Comments
3 comments
Mike Smith
July 16, 2011
Part luck and part skill in analysing probablilities. An extremely simple probability is: If four aces has been turned then the probability is zero that someone else will have an ace. There are of course endless combinations of probabilities - number of players involved, what cards you have, what cards has been shown to you etc.
July 16, 2011
skill
the pro would make a bigger margin of profit over the long duration of time compared to the others
July 16, 2011
It is both. The skill part is keeping a straight face and perception behind you’re opponent’s poker face and finding the truth of whether they have good cards. The rest is luck of the draw.