There has long been a debate about whether poker is a game of skill or luck. Whilst some people believe that the luck of the cards dictate the outcome of the game, the facts show differently.

In August 2012, a New York federal judge ruled that it was not a game of luck and should not be included under gambling regulations. Here are some of the reasons that prove poker is not a game of luck.

How Long the Progression of a Win is Charted

Due to the complex nature of poker, and the factors involved in the game, if you counted a “win” in poker as being only one hand, it could be argued that there was not much skill in it as players lose as many hands as they win.

The skill factor actually shines through over the course of a match or a series as good players decide which hands to play, and which ones to fold on. The statistics show that more often than not, the best players actually do not win the most individual hands. They play fewer hands but win larger amounts on the hands that they do decide to play.

If you were to play poker, or Russian roulette online at Luxury Casino a lot of times you would almost certainly get better as you learn which hands are good to play and which are best left alone.

Professional Poker Would Never Exist

Any professional poker player will testify that it is certainly a game of skill and not luck. If it were not, then these players have had an incredible amount of luck over an extended period of time. If it were a game of luck, then the chance of players consistently coming out on top over the course of their career would be extremely low.

Popular author Steven Levitt conducted a study of players at the World Series, and the results were crystal clear. A group of highly skilled players were recorded as earning a return on their investment of around 30% compared with the rest of the players present, who suffered an average 15% loss.

Mathematical Decision Making

Unlike other gambling games, poker involves complex decision-making processes based on mathematical odds. A novice player who has not studied the odds of different card combinations has less chance of being able to make the right decision than an experienced player who understands the mathematical likelihood of success. This is a skill.

Psychological Masterminds

One aspect of poker, which is hard to define as “luck,” is the ability for players to read and understand the psychology of their opponents. This actually accounts for a huge amount of the game when played across the table, as does the ability of a player to hide their own reactions from others. There is no denying that there is a high level of skill involved in this part of the game, and the results would certainly show that too.

It does not take much investigation to see evidence that supports the notion that poker is definitely a game of skill, and not luck. Anyone who has played or watched it would undoubtedly agree with this sentiment, especially those who win!