Luck or skill?

Luvepoker · May 1, 2026

Luck is a short term aspect of the game but luck is not the dominant factor. A skilled player can monetize the bad luck against them. Not saying they don't get beat but they play a smart game and play in a way to avoid big mistakes others make. Many time when looking at others and there beats I would see issues that they ignored to lose the hand. Thats not luck but that is the part of the skill we need to acquire.

andron205 · May 1, 2026

Luvepoker said:
Удача — краткосрочный аспект игры, но она не является доминирующим фактором. Опытный игрок может монетизировать неудачу против него. Я не говорю, что их не побеждают, но они играют в умную игру и играют так, чтобы избежать больших ошибок, которые совершают другие. Много раз, глядя на других и их биты, я видел проблемы, которые они игнорировали, чтобы потерять руку. Это не удача, но это та часть навыка, которую нам необходимо приобрести.

Self-control can sometimes be more important than luck and skill

Varela · May 1, 2026

True bro. Short term luck is huge, no doubt.

You can play AA perfect and still lose 20% vs any random hand. That's poker.

But long term, skill > luck. The math catches up. If you're making +EV decisions every hand, you win over 100k hands even with bad beats.

I tell myself: "I can't control the cards, only my decisions."

Helps with tilt when you get sucked out on.

Variance is the tax we pay for playing a profitable game. Without luck, fish wouldn't play.

GL at the tables 🍀

aajfilho · May 1, 2026

You gotta have luck sometimes, but reading your opponents is more important. You won´t always get lucky.

Skot_Gy · May 2, 2026

Luck is sometimes the most important factor as you say, in some punctual hands.
But if you calculate on the long run, on average, lick has not so much to say in the game. There are other more important factors

Natiq 90 · May 2, 2026

Luck in poker is real. Anyone who tells you otherwise has never had their Aces cracked by 9-6 offsuit on the river.
But here's my honest view: luck is just variance with a human face. We call it luck when the outcome surprises us. We call it skill when it confirms what we expected.
The truth is neither fully exists in isolation.
Short term — luck dominates. You can play perfectly and lose. You can play terribly and win. The cards don't care about your logic.
Long term — skill dominates. The same names keep appearing at final tables. The same players keep making money year after year. That's not luck. That's pattern.
What I've learned after years of playing is that chasing luck is the fastest way to go broke. But ignoring it completely is just arrogance.
The best players I've seen don't fight luck or worship it. They simply accept it as part of the game — like weather. You can't control the rain. You can choose whether to bring an umbrella.
Make good decisions. Let luck do whatever it wants.
It usually gets bored and moves on eventually. 😄

wushibala · May 2, 2026

In short, you won’t get far relying on luck alone. Learn to use bluffing — it helps on days when you’re not getting good cards. What I’m saying is that skills matter much more in the long run.

dangbaonguyen93 · May 2, 2026

Yes, i must calmdown and winner

steve01991 · May 2, 2026

i find especially in online poker, more luck than skill, but live poker is a different beast, that is where knowledge is king

AdelsonFagundes · May 28, 2026

In those days I was watching a conversation on YouTube about online poker... and a guy said a phrase that made me stop to think:

“Why study GTO, solver, crack and stuff... if at the end of the day it's the flop that decides everything? ”

And the conversation became even more controversial...

There were people saying that:

👉 poker depends much more on luck than skill;

👉 that the rake in the rooms is very heavy;

👉 that those who play 12 hours a day will always have an advantage;

👉 and even that some structures prioritize volume over game quality.

At the same time, I also see a lot of people seriously studying, evolving, and getting consistent long-term results.

So I was thinking...

What matters most to you in online poker:

Luck or skill?

Do you think that studying really makes a difference?

Is rake still fair today?

Is the winning player born with talent or discipline?

narc · May 28, 2026

Studying is liberating, it definitely improves our game! Without studying, a guy can't even make a proper bet size.

dompoker · May 28, 2026

I am convinced, that luck influences business, let's take poker as a business, so I think, that skill and luck go together, to succeed,

GarotoMaroto · May 28, 2026

I guess is about knowledge and consistency
God bless

AdelsonFagundes · May 28, 2026

narc said:
Estudar é libertador, com certeza melhora nosso jogo! Sem estudar, um cara não consegue nem mesmo definir o tamanho certo de uma aposta.

I agree so much! Sometimes people want to memorize and solve without even understanding the basic fundamentals... studying totally changes the way you see each point

AdelsonFagundes · May 28, 2026

dompoker said:
Estou convencido de que a sorte influencia os negócios. Tomemos o pôquer como exemplo, pois acredito que habilidade e sorte caminham juntas para alcançar o sucesso.

Perfect. I think luck rules in the short term... but not in the long term, skill begins to separate those who only play from those who really evolve.

AdelsonFagundes · May 28, 2026

GarotoMaroto said:
Acho que se trata de conhecimento e consistência.
Deus abençoe

You summed it up well. Knowledge without consistency does not support... and consistency without study also has limits. The hard part is balancing the two without freaking out on the grind kkk

dompoker · Jun 1, 2026

It's true that luck influences games, but you don't have to leave everything to luck, you need to be skilled, courageous and decisive.
The mistake that I have sometimes made, because I want to win more, is to let the opponent set up his game, and in the end I lose everything.

TulasMoreno · Jun 1, 2026

Important factor but not the most determinant, at the end players who make the best decisions always win.

Pabloro10321 · Jun 1, 2026

In poker, luck plays an important role, since even with the best hand you can lose. However, both probability and skill help make better decisions. In the short term, luck is decisive; in the long term, players who consistently make the right decisions tend to win.

monkeytilter · Jun 2, 2026

ferxo said:
I can say and comment that throughout this time that I have been playing poker, luck is a more than important factor regardless of probability, since sometimes having the best cards it is not always certain that you will win based on the analysis that has been deduced from it.

It's a luck based game, especially in tournaments - assuming the deal is fair! 😜

Stay lucky🍀🍀🍀

FoxMS · Jun 2, 2026

Skill and ability are the most important factors in the long run. If you plan on playing for many years, skill and ability will always outweigh luck.

aajfilho · Jun 2, 2026

YLAN said:
When exactly is this long term that hopefuls talk about? Perhaps 100 years or is it just an advise to the fish so they keep playing & loosing money? I have been playing long term & I only win tournaments when I get lucky. I can play my best damn technical game & then drown in the river against rags. Short term or long term, luck will not change through time. Perhaps just experience & perception would change. You will need luck in gambling so play your luck.

Another lucky day! Thanks Cardschat for the $25! Something from nothing is always fun!
View attachment 407943

Where is it?

monkeytilter · Jun 2, 2026

The game is RANDOM so it's pure luck, so spend more time playing and ride the luck.

Stay Lucky☘️☘️☘️

G0930 · Jun 2, 2026

Ofc you need also luck but only inexperienced or unsuccesfull people whine about variance.

There are so many online pros who are solid winning players despite that bad bad river.
In micro and lowstakes you need much more luck than at higher stakes in my opinion.
Mainly because people play without any strategy there

Houbi37 · Jun 4, 2026

This debate has existed for years in the poker community.
Luck certainly plays a role in the short term. Anyone can win or lose on a given day. However, over thousands of hands, skill becomes the deciding factor.
bankroll management, discipline, and decision-making are what separate winning players from losing ones.
What percentage of poker do you think is skill?

Luck or skill?

Luvepoker

Lost in the twilight zone

andron205

Visionary

Varela

Enthusiast

aajfilho

Rock Star

Skot_Gy

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Natiq 90

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wushibala

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dangbaonguyen93

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steve01991

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AdelsonFagundes

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narc

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dompoker

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GarotoMaroto

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AdelsonFagundes

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AdelsonFagundes

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AdelsonFagundes

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dompoker

Legend

TulasMoreno

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Pabloro10321

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monkeytilter

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FoxMS

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aajfilho

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monkeytilter

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G0930

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Houbi37

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