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

  • Thread starter Thread starter UM3SH
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In the short run, luck governs over skill.

But over the long run, statistically speaking, the "luck factor" converges to zero. Over the long run, skill not only governs over luck, but luck goes to zero and is entirely removed from the equation. Leaving only the respective skill levels between players to separate them and explain each players profit or loss in their bankrolls.

All tournaments take place in the short run. All cash games occur in the short run. In fact, all poker is played in the short run where luck governs over skill.

However, we don't measure our bankrolls in the short run. The bankroll is the best measure of long term skill in each of our games. If we are skilled at playing the game of poker, our bankroll will go up and we will profit slowly but surely over time. If we are playing in difficult games where our skill level is less than our opponent's skill level, we will be a losing player over the long run. Luck plays zero role in the long run in poker!!!! This explains why "game selection" is so important, because relative skill levels between player is critically important over the long run.

Having said that... the long run is VERY long indeed, for statistical purposes the luck factor will never quite reach zero. It will only approach it closer and closer the more hands of poker you play in your long life. Life is just one long never-ending poker session.

Good luck. 😀
 
I feel that it is 60 percent luck, 40 percent skill. Cause you need luck for your hands to hold. If it was so much skill that you could win all the time. That's what I feel, but so many monster hands loose , that's where I believe you need more luck then skill.
 
UNREAL

I agree with just about everything you say here. ESPCIALLY THE GAME SELECTION THINGY......which AMERICAS CARDROOM is trying to make impossible...WHICH I THINK IS TOTAL BULLSHIT.. PLAYER 1 PLAYER 2 PLAYER 3 PLAYER4
I WANT TO SEE A NAME BEFORE I SIT AT THE TABLES
THIS IS WHY I WILL NOT PLAY ON OTHER SITES .
This is not a good thing americas cardroom is doing..Makes me sad because I used to love to play in the ring games there...Im afraid I won't be playing with Player1 Player2 Player3 LMAO and the reason they give is to help the poor player....NOBODY CAN HELP THE POOR PLAYER BUT HISSELF....unless americas cardroom wants to give him money..Do they really think they are fooling us? LOL I think its a joke.

Good luck. 😀[/QUOTE]
 
It's pure skill when i win a hand
and if i don't then it is only luck
of my opponent 😉
 
My view on the luck or skill. I play mostly NLH MTTs and believe luck is something that can't be controlled for example the cards that are dealt. And skill is how you act on the cards dealt, knowing the maths and having an ability to pick up reads.
Couldn't put a percentage on either luck or skill. I think they just go hand in hand.
 
I think it’s impossible to come up with precise calculation of skill v. luck.

I always think of it this way. Poker requires some luck, but the more skill you have, the less luck you need.

Just about about anything has luck embedded within, but the type of competition dictates the degree of luck that sways the outcome.

To use extreme examples, most people say chess is a pure game of skill. But, what if your opponent gets into a car accident on the way to the competition? What if the opponent has some sort of mental lapse during the event? True, the chances of that kind of luck are minuscule, but there’s still some element of luck, no matter matter how small.

On the other end of this annoyingly extreme comparison, take a coin flip. Most would say that’s pure luck. But coins aren’t perfect. What if soneone did a deep dive microscopic examination of the coin, applied a bunch of mind-blowing physics , and determined a given Coin had a 1 thousandth percent advantage of landing on heads? Again, practically negligible, but possibility exists to be able to apply skill, no matter how little it impacts the outcome.


Back to poker, it depends. If it’s a straight cash game, and you play just one hand, then that’s mostly luck.

If you plan on playing for, say 3 hours, more skill is required because variance minimizes luck required.

I think tournaments require more luck than cash games, because of the increasing blind structure. You need more good cards near the end when you’re at 8xbb or less.
 
There is definitely a lot of luck involved, but the skill part depends on the persons knowledge of situations and player tendencies.

With the skill you can overcome the luck. I will let you know when I do this lol.

I don't think you can really put a percentage on it
 
UM3SH said:
According to you, poker is all about luck or skill?

🙄
Both work together hand in hand - if you’re getting lucky, then there’s less skill involved but it takes a lot of skill to win when lucks not on your side 😉
 
Lets put it this way (speaking about tournaments) you can't win without skill, but you can't win without luck also. Did that answer your question? 🙂
 
In big tournaments I'd rather had good luck than great skill, but in the long run skill prevails I think.
 
Of course, mobility has a lot of power, but luck is paramount, in the last days and experienced a reality of the game, no parquet will come to you, you are the winner of the table, you must be very lucky due to the excessive variance What is there in poker ,,,, I study, a lot of patience, it is a reality that has affected me in primaia ,, in recent times ,, I have recommended it on many occasions, and it is what I have to work a lot, it kills me impatience ,, but mobility is good but luck and patience is much better, because no ,,, you are going to pay to lose ,, so all this is long term, like everything in poker ,,, let's follow our avilities and luck will come ... may luck be with you,,
 
I think the ratio of ability to luck is 7 to 3 online. With live poker, I think the percentage of ability will be a little higher.
 
Skill

My observation skill and luck is 50/50. You can be one of the best players on the planet but you also need good cards to win. Skill knowing when to hold and fold. Luck is rare you might have some good runs and then come the bad beats. Power through and have fun. Capo1014
 
Poker is all about skill and then there is the luck factor that goes your way or goes the other way just as often. Timing of when it goes one way or the other can make your break your winnings.
 
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