How Much of Poker is Skill & How Much is Luck?

UM3SH · Aug 31, 2020

According to you, poker is all about luck or skill?

DougPkrMonsta · Aug 31, 2020

In the short run there is a lot of luck involved, but to win in the long run takes skill.

No one would be in there playing badly if they couldn't get saved by the deck, but keep playing badly and they will lose eventually.

If everyone played a few hundred thousand hands a year they'd realize having the best hand is no guarantee and that everyone wins and loses their fair share of flips and coolers.

Unfortunately the loudest voices are usually those who played a couple hundred hands, became frustrated with losing, and searched for nefarious reasons to explain the horrible injustice (rigged, bots, cheaters).

Good luck!

FoxMS · Aug 31, 2020

Undoubtedly, luck in poker is a very important factor. But in my opinion, the skills and experience of the player will always be more important.

terryk · Aug 31, 2020

gon4iypes · Aug 31, 2020

terryk said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmijlOwnXuE

OH DEAR OH DEAR....

A fox 666 · Aug 31, 2020

Luck and skill must be present at the same time!

perrywh · Aug 31, 2020

You need both to be a winner!!!

NWPatriot · Aug 31, 2020

We can't avoid luck in any card game. It is there, no matter how we play. Of course, we like to call it variance - this makes it sound more scientific.

But skill permits us to figure out the best way to deal with the luck (variance) that will inevitably happen. To win more when we win than we lose when we lose is the basic formula. Play in high percentage spots, play high percentage cards. All of this is to overcome luck.

So luck happens in 100% of the hands we play (50% good luck, 50% bad luck). Our job is to have enough skill to minimize the damage the 50% of the time that we have bad luck and to maximize the winnings the 50% of the time we have good luck. This requires skill 100% of the time.

While writing this, I ran into quads with my top 2 pair, bad luck for sure. But I only lost 1/3 of my stack - was there some skill here because I didn't lose my entire stack with a fairly decent hand?

Good luck, God bless

ventrolloquist · Aug 31, 2020

UM3SH said:
According to you, poker is all about luck or skill?

luck in the short term, skill in the long term.

The smaller a skill gap between 2 players, the more hands it takes for skill to dominate over luck. In another manner of speaking, the bigger the winrate, the less bad luck screws you over.

For example, in a heads up match with a strong player vs a weak player you can dominate them a large proportion of the time in as little as 1000 hands. vs. a nit you can be dominating them in as little as a few hundred hands. But pit 2 world class players against each other and now you need over 50,000 hands to even begin to have an idea about who is the more skilled player, and then there is still a decent chance you would be wrong.

How much luck or skill there is is entirely relative

B_D_Cout · Aug 31, 2020

I’d say 50/50. Need both to be successful in my opinion

0546474 · Aug 31, 2020

I can't define what it looks like in percentage, but it's obvious to me that the main thing in poker is skill !!!

Martin Carreira · Aug 31, 2020

I think 70 skill and 30 luck

tihomir_kula · Aug 31, 2020

I thought they are equal,but now are sure that luck is more important-75%-25%.

infonazar · Aug 31, 2020

I believe that poker is a game that requires skills, patience and discipline in the first place. But luck is also important. But in my opinion, the ratio of skill to luck is 70/30.

efranto2286 · Aug 31, 2020

I think a bit of both but I think 90% skill 10% luck but in the long term study and consistency lead to better results hopefully you can win a hand or two but nothing more ...

Oksana55 · Aug 31, 2020

Luck should always be there, but the opportunity to play even better and better and increase the experience

iwont20 · Aug 31, 2020

It depends on the player, the more inexperienced the player is the more poker is about luck. And for a good player poker is about skill with a touch of luck, but who will refuse to be luckier

T_Dawg · Aug 31, 2020

90% skill 10% luck Skill prevents you from losing all your chips. Luck is when you need a card and you get it on the river. My most successful strategy is to Never spend more than 1 big blind on a draw. I almost never raise more than that unless I have a bulletproof hand.

Newzooozooo · Sep 1, 2020

UM3SH said:
According to you, poker is all about luck or skill?

Hi.
I think luck is 20% and skill is 80%. Personally, I am always more inclined to rely on my skills than on luck. After all, my skill, unlike luck, is always with me.
Good luck.

Swat1197 · Sep 1, 2020

25-30/75-70

UM3SH · Sep 1, 2020

Thanks all to reply

MrPokerVerse · Sep 1, 2020

Have no idea how anyone could come with a percentage to quantify that statement besides pulling from the ether. There are 50/50, 75/25, 70/30 and 90/10. Anyone care to further back up those numbers with some sort of data? Really interested on how one comes up with those figures.

For 18 years people have contributed to these type of threads (me included) but how we get there is still a mystery to me.

daniel888 · Sep 1, 2020

It's very difficult to know exactly the percent of luck and skill that affect your win. Poker is still a gambling game, you need the luck to win in some cases. But if you play with a good strategy and without many mistakes, you will make the profit easily because there are still many bad players.

okeedokalee · Sep 1, 2020

If you play skillful poker then you will avoid most situations where luck enters the equation.

Ram41k · Sep 2, 2020

Poker skill

It all depends on the players at the poker table + it will be of no small importance whether it will be online or offline. for online poker, I think 50% / 50% ... and for offline poker 70% - professional skills and 30% luck.

How Much of Poker is Skill & How Much is Luck?

UM3SH

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DougPkrMonsta

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FoxMS

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terryk

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gon4iypes

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A fox 666

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perrywh

Common sense!

NWPatriot

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ventrolloquist

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B_D_Cout

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0546474

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Martin Carreira

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tihomir_kula

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infonazar

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efranto2286

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Oksana55

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iwont20

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T_Dawg

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Newzooozooo

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Swat1197

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UM3SH

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okeedokalee

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