By definition, a “game of skill” is defined as a game whose result is derived mostly from a physical or mental capacity, rather than an outcome left to chance. For many years, poker has been labeled by many to be a game of chance, when in fact, it should be considered primarily a game of skill.
Recent U.S. The law, namely, The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006 is aimed at making the online poker sites unlawful. The UIGEA specially cites poker as a game of chance, thus putting it in a different classification than other games that are exempt from this law due to their skill nature (for example, Fantasy Sports Pools). Outright categorization of a random game of chance is a total misnomer Nowbet.
Chess is a game that is universally accepted to be 100% skill-based, with the possible exception of the game. Poker can certainly not be classified as 100% skill-based, since there is definitely an element of luck involved. Obviously, there is an element of randomness here, and this is one of the major reasons.
However, there are many reasons that Poker is much more than a game of luck. The sophistication of the game and its many nuances clearly describe it as a game of skill. Here are some of the more prominent aspects of the game, that help define it as a “thinking man’s game”; that is, a game of extreme skill:
Betting Strategies – Players wager in poker due to many different reasons, some of which include: 1) They feel they have a strong current hand than their opponents; 2) They believe that the odds of receiving an extra card (s) are good enough. 3) given the game’s scenario, a bluffing betting strategy may provide them an avenue for success. All of these reasons clearly point to a “mental” decision that made the player, which by definition, qualifies it as a game of skill.
Bluffing Strategies – A player may bluffing to his opponents (this is the form of living in a game, raising the game, etc.). Bluffing can be performed by these aforementioned game actions or even by providing physical signs (whether true or false), such as staring, sweating, blinking, smirking, or providing a stone face. These combinations of both mental and physical signals, qualify poker as a game of skill.
Probability of Success – Poker is a very mathematical game For example, in the game of Texas Holdem, there are statistical mathematical probabilities of your chances to win a hand, given your two initial hole cards. Knowing these probabilities, in combination with your displayed opponent cards and the flop (displayed later in the game), can be instrumental in how you approach the game betting-wise Clearly, this mental capacity
Seating Arrangements – Cognizance of your seating arrangement, relative to the dealer, plays a given hand. If you are more inclined to stay in a hand, if you are seated close to the dealer (where you bet later in a round), than if you need to seat a seat in front of you first round. Again, this cognizance and psychic capacity support the poker is a game of skill.
Blind Positions – Cognizance of whether you are part of a small or big blind, may decide whether you stay in a hand or not, and clearly should be factored in your game decision making process. Clearly, this mental capacity points
Cards in Play – one’s awareness of the cards that have already been put into play in a game, factor in the odds of you getting a certain card or your opponent having a certain hand. Your awareness of this, and your resultant mental attitude
Understanding your Competition – Certain players exhibit certain features when they play poker. Some players tend to be conservative, while others are extremely aggressive in their mode of play. Still, others tend to bluff in certain scenarios, while other tip off their type of gameplay with physical indicators (sweat, squirming in chair, smirking, etc.). These physical and mental aspects are always factored in the game, and their recognition help the game’s skill factor.
In summary, we have demonstrated that poker is not strictly a game of chance, but a combination of both chance and skill Further, the skill elements to the game are plentiful, so it can be concluded that a game of chance is more than a game of skill.