Is poker a sport or just a game of chance?

Kerasuss28 · Mar 16, 2026

dariana Orasma said:
I honestly think that for decades, poker has existed in a curious duality. Under most international law, it's considered a game of chance. However, those who play it professionally know that, in the long run, luck is only a secondary factor. What are your thoughts on this? 🤔

Yaa I think very full of skills game need

wushibala · Mar 16, 2026

I have a dual perspective on this. Ultimately, sports are defined by competition first and the thrill second, whereas in poker, it's quite the reverse.

dariana Orasma · Mar 19, 2026

Legally, poker strives to be recognized as a game of skill, not chance. However, in the short term, variance (luck) can crush even the best player. This leads me to wonder if, in certain formats or timeframes, the balance tips too heavily toward luck; it's something I'd really like to know.

martDdart · Mar 19, 2026

When you are allin preflop with two high cards against a pair with lower cards thats a coinflip.

andron205 · Mar 20, 2026

looks like a bunch of acrobats in a circus

bermejoga · Mar 20, 2026

I always say poker is luck pretending to be skill… until you play very expensive hands. Then it flips 😂 Bad players can win a night, but they can’t win a career.

Luka22guro · Mar 20, 2026

dariana Orasma said:
Я щиро вважаю, що протягом десятиліть покер існував у дивній подвійності. Згідно з більшістю міжнародних законів, він вважається грою на випадок. Однак ті, хто грає в нього професійно, знають, що зрештою, удача є лише другорядним фактором. Що ви думаєте з цього приводу? 🤔

Just from my relatively little experience in poker, which is 3 years of playing online, everything here is a very strategically dependent game, most of the action depends on you, since you always have 3 actions: rise, roll and fold, and whether you do it or not depends only on you. Let's even take for example the usual situation that AA plays out in any situation in +, except the pass on the flop. But what, if you put 100 BB, then everyone will drop, you will also earn, but how much or if you enter the hand with a limp or a rise is still up to you, and poker is a very, very situational game, because of this I believe that luck is important here, but if you play a good number of tournaments or losses well, then with a good game you will come out in +, but that's not for sure

Dushka · Mar 20, 2026

Poker definitely has endurance training.
💯 %

MAFNL16061986 · Mar 20, 2026

i persenally do it as a hobby and mayby hopefully in the future as a pro

M6O6U6 · Mar 20, 2026

dariana Orasma said:
I honestly think that for decades, poker has existed in a curious duality. Under most international law, it's considered a game of chance. However, those who play it professionally know that, in the long run, luck is only a secondary factor. What are your thoughts on this? 🤔

In Brazil, at least, the Law of Criminal Offenses (Decree-Law 3.688/1941, art. 50) defines gambling as that in which winning/losing depends exclusively or mainly on luck. Poker (especially Texas Hold'em) does not fall under this definition in Brazil.

bodil19982 · Mar 20, 2026

Poker is certainly a game of skill, but luck plays a key role in poker.

akgross · Mar 20, 2026

For professional players 💵 it is a sport, for those who like to play occasionally it is a game of chance. 🎭

Roller · Mar 22, 2026

Depending on how your running will depend on your answer, if your on a downswing you may think its more luck based.

odonob · Mar 22, 2026

90 percent chance. Lots of luck required. Almost like a game of slots,

thwenth1983 · Mar 22, 2026

Good morning everyone. I started playing poker at the end of 2018. I’m not an expert on the subject, but I understand that poker cannot be considered a pure game of chance. In games of chance, it doesn’t matter what the player does: the more they play, the more they tend to lose in the long run, as happens with slot machines and roulette, due to the house’s mathematical advantage.

Poker is different. It involves skill, mathematical knowledge, strategy, and emotional control. In other words, the more you study and practice, the greater your chances of achieving good results over time. That’s why many people consider poker a mind sport.

At the same time, it’s important to say that poker is not 100% skill, as there is still an element of luck, especially in the short term. Even when playing correctly, it is possible to lose hands or sessions because of the cards. In the long run, however, skill tends to prevail over luck.

thwenth1983 · Mar 22, 2026

Good morning everyone. I started playing poker at the end of 2018. I’m not an expert on the subject, but I understand that poker cannot be considered a pure game of chance. In games of chance, it doesn’t matter what the player does: the more they play, the more they tend to lose in the long run, as happens with slot machines and roulette, due to the house’s mathematical advantage.

Poker is different. It involves skill, mathematical knowledge, strategy, and emotional control. In other words, the more you study and practice, the greater your chances of achieving good results over time. That’s why many people consider poker a mind sport.

At the same time, it’s important to say that poker is not 100% skill, as there is still an element of luck, especially in the short term. Even when playing correctly, it is possible to lose hands or sessions because of the cards. In the long run, however, skill tends to prevail over luck.

Nawaf · Mar 24, 2026

Prem said:
Poker is a mix of both skill and chance, but over the long run it behaves much more like a skill game. Luck definitely plays a role in the short term because of the randomness of the cards, which is why even weaker players can sometimes win a hand or a session.
However, over many hands and tournaments, skill becomes the deciding factor. Things like probability knowledge, strategy, reading opponents, discipline, and bankroll management make a big difference.
That’s why the same players often succeed consistently in major tournaments and high-stakes games. So while chance is part of poker, in the long run it’s closer to a mind sport based on skill and decision-making

I guess its both luck and skill

Alter1ego · Mar 28, 2026

dariana Orasma said:
Legally, poker strives to be recognized as a game of skill, not chance. However, in the short term, variance (luck) can crush even the best player. This leads me to wonder if, in certain formats or timeframes, the balance tips too heavily toward luck; it's something I'd really like to know.

Distance fixes everything; it is mathematically proven that over a large number of hands (distance) luck levels out, and only those who make correct decisions based on expected value stay in profit.

comini · Mar 29, 2026

For me, poker is a sport, where skill and an in-depth study of odds are used. I consider 10% to be lucky.

YLAN · Mar 29, 2026

Your action to either call, raise, or fold is the only thing that you control in poker. Before & after that is all up to chance be it either in short term or long term. It always has been & always will be a game of chance.

phuchoidey1 · Mar 30, 2026

That must be skill game , anyone know the rule can win

theoxy · Mar 30, 2026

For me its a more hobby and game of chance . Dont understood this people who call poker a SPORT . Good luck at the poker tables .

)

christovam · Mar 30, 2026

dariana Orasma said:
Legalmente, o pôquer busca ser reconhecido como um jogo de habilidade, não de azar. No entanto, a curto prazo, a variância (sorte) pode prejudicar até mesmo o melhor jogador. Isso me leva a questionar se, em certos formatos ou períodos de tempo, o equilíbrio pende demais para o lado da sorte; é algo que eu realmente gostaria de saber.

The earlier in the tournament a player bets everything with a wide variety of hands, the greater the chances of him depending on luck.

christovam · Mar 30, 2026

YLAN said:
Sua ação de pagar, aumentar a aposta ou desistir é a única coisa que você controla no pôquer. Antes e depois disso, tudo depende do acaso, seja a curto ou longo prazo. Sempre foi e sempre será um jogo de azar.

If we consider that more than 80% of the hands don't make it to the showdown, luck doesn't matter that much. The worst part is when we are three hours away from a tournament, in the bubble, and we face a player who is counting on luck and wins our AA with KJ or 9Ts.

christovam · Mar 30, 2026

Alter1ego said:
A distância resolve tudo; está matematicamente comprovado que, ao longo de um grande número de mãos (distância), a sorte se equilibra e apenas aqueles que tomam decisões corretas com base no valor esperado permanecem no lucro.

With low buy-ins, it's hard to stick to that logic.

Is poker a sport or just a game of chance?

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