Let's talk about poker!

[tyz]

Poker is a combination of math, psychology and luck. I would weighting it as 50% math, 30% psychology and 20% luck for very good players. The first two are skills you can learn and constantly improve, so that you can limit the luck to 20% or 1/5. But only if you very good at it. As an absolute beginner the luck is probably 80% of the game and math and psychology are rather 10% each.

Is poker a game of skill, or a game of chance? Many times asked question, no one can agree on what a game of poker is. There is studies and court decisions regarding the skill / chance debate, there is couple endless threads on this forum too. But I don't wish to open that discussion again.

For beginning I wish to ask where are you playing, and can we meet on some site?
I like to play on betcoin.ag, cash game on tables 0.05/0.1 and 0.1/0.25 mbtc. Tournaments are also something I like to play, but just when I have time to sit few hours freely, what is rarely in past few weeks.

My nickname there is Underworld.

If memory serves me right poker is classified as a game of skill, luck plays a role of course, but just by looking at poker in television you will see the same faces winning tournaments and lots of money so it stands to reason that poker is a game of skill.

[susila_bai]

Is poker a game of skill, or a game of chance? Many times asked question, no one can agree on what a game of poker is. There is studies and court decisions regarding the skill / chance debate, there is couple endless threads on this forum too. But I don't wish to open that discussion again.

this is one of those questions that people are never going to come to a conclusion on. i however believe it is so simple, it is a combination of both and the result is only depending on the skills. you have to be lucky to get a good card but it is your skills in the end that is going to save you.

For beginning I wish to ask where are you playing, and can we meet on some site?
I like to play on betcoin.ag, cash game on tables 0.05/0.1 and 0.1/0.25 mbtc. Tournaments are also something I like to play, but just when I have time to sit few hours freely, what is rarely in past few weeks.

My nickname there is Underworld.

to be honest i have tried many online poker games, but i always end up disliking all of them.
i prefer the actual game of poker face to face with my friends.

Well I can relate on what you had said a bit more of it. Because in online games in poker, you cannot do bluffing with your opponents unlike in the actual game of poker face to face you can see their face reaction when you are using bluffing strategy, even you have a bad card hold it. This might most often happened in the midst of the games together with skills and brain.

I dont agree with you, if the site providing the real players playing online then surely you can do bluffing in online poker also, i use to play in fortunejack and in low range tables i use to play and so many time i use to bluff and won it also, it is only upto that you dont play with bot because if the site bot is playing then you can do nothing and you will lose. So that is why dont play with one on one just play with multi player table so bot dont work mostly on this tables.

[wxa7115]

Well it is going interesting according to where many of us told me that it requires skill
For this like tournament I do agree about it if a player must have the skill it will be different when you at gambling with a large of funds in my idea by large funds you can play as you want and of course its you whose own the table

Having more chips gives you an advantage in a tournament, but you still need to play tight poker because if you don't you risk losing your advantage very quickly, I prefer to think of having more chips as having more ammunition to try to beat your opponents but the other players can use a sniping technique to bring you down.

[bitjoin]

Poker is a combination of math, psychology and luck. I would weighting it as 50% math, 30% psychology and 20% luck for very good players. The first two are skills you can learn and constantly improve, so that you can limit the luck to 20% or 1/5. But only if you very good at it. As an absolute beginner the luck is probably 80% of the game and math and psychology are rather 10% each.
5 mbtc. Tournaments are also something I like to play, but just when I have time to sit few hours freely, what is rarely in past few weeks.

Online is probably way higher % on math and skill and psychology only comes into play 10%.  Most of the online reads are math based with a little psychology.  Live is different animal.

[cryp24x]

Is poker a game of skill, or a game of chance? Many times asked question, no one can agree on what a game of poker is. There is studies and court decisions regarding the skill / chance debate, there is couple endless threads on this forum too. But I don't wish to open that discussion again.

this is one of those questions that people are never going to come to a conclusion on. i however believe it is so simple, it is a combination of both and the result is only depending on the skills. you have to be lucky to get a good card but it is your skills in the end that is going to save you.

For beginning I wish to ask where are you playing, and can we meet on some site?
I like to play on betcoin.ag, cash game on tables 0.05/0.1 and 0.1/0.25 mbtc. Tournaments are also something I like to play, but just when I have time to sit few hours freely, what is rarely in past few weeks.

My nickname there is Underworld.

to be honest i have tried many online poker games, but i always end up disliking all of them.
i prefer the actual game of poker face to face with my friends.

Well I can relate on what you had said a bit more of it. Because in online games in poker, you cannot do bluffing with your opponents unlike in the actual game of poker face to face you can see their face reaction when you are using bluffing strategy, even you have a bad card hold it. This might most often happened in the midst of the games together with skills and brain.

Actually there are online poker where you are competing against other player.  Bluffing is not only shown on the words or makeface,  they are actually strongly shown on the chips/bet if you raise or fold or all in.  Bluff is like going all in even if you have an inferior card in hand.

[patt0]

Poker is a combination of math, psychology and luck. I would weighting it as 50% math, 30% psychology and 20% luck for very good players. The first two are skills you can learn and constantly improve, so that you can limit the luck to 20% or 1/5. But only if you very good at it. As an absolute beginner the luck is probably 80% of the game and math and psychology are rather 10% each.
5 mbtc. Tournaments are also something I like to play, but just when I have time to sit few hours freely, what is rarely in past few weeks.

Online is probably way higher % on math and skill and psychology only comes into play 10%.  Most of the online reads are math based with a little psychology.  Live is different animal.

At online poker you don't just use math. I mean, you use it, but it's not that different than the one you use on live poker. You need to place you opponent on a hand, see your hand and calculate your probability of beating him with your hand considering the cards on the table, and of course the ones you need to further improve your hand. But you do all that in live poker. Either on online or live poker, you must place your opponent on a hand, giving the stats you know about him. You must also consider what your opponent action will be in reaction to what you can do (how he reacts to a bet, or raise, etc etc). All of those things happen in live and online poker. And it gets easier on online, if you have a good tracker software.
I don't believe in those tells that you should try to get from live poker. Yes some players might have them, but they are week players, because any good player will know how to hide them. So all you have is the statistics, but on live poker you do it based on what you remember from that player, and on online poker, you can do it with software.

[bering]

Poker is a combination of math, psychology and luck. I would weighting it as 50% math, 30% psychology and 20% luck for very good players. The first two are skills you can learn and constantly improve, so that you can limit the luck to 20% or 1/5. But only if you very good at it. As an absolute beginner the luck is probably 80% of the game and math and psychology are rather 10% each.

i think you forgot mentioning the last things to playing poker and that is mentally because poker online or offline you would facing a various opponents and some of them also very brave to risky their money even have bad cards and if you have no good mentally then you will lost even your cards more good rather than your opponents

[bitjoin]

Poker is a combination of math, psychology and luck. I would weighting it as 50% math, 30% psychology and 20% luck for very good players. The first two are skills you can learn and constantly improve, so that you can limit the luck to 20% or 1/5. But only if you very good at it. As an absolute beginner the luck is probably 80% of the game and math and psychology are rather 10% each.
5 mbtc. Tournaments are also something I like to play, but just when I have time to sit few hours freely, what is rarely in past few weeks.

Online is probably way higher % on math and skill and psychology only comes into play 10%.  Most of the online reads are math based with a little psychology.  Live is different animal.

At online poker you don't just use math. I mean, you use it, but it's not that different than the one you use on live poker. You need to place you opponent on a hand, see your hand and calculate your probability of beating him with your hand considering the cards on the table, and of course the ones you need to further improve your hand. But you do all that in live poker. Either on online or live poker, you must place your opponent on a hand, giving the stats you know about him. You must also consider what your opponent action will be in reaction to what you can do (how he reacts to a bet, or raise, etc etc). All of those things happen in live and online poker. And it gets easier on online, if you have a good tracker software.
I don't believe in those tells that you should try to get from live poker. Yes some players might have them, but they are week players, because any good player will know how to hide them. So all you have is the statistics, but on live poker you do it based on what you remember from that player, and on online poker, you can do it with software.

Its possible to beat online games with purely math tbh, unless you play high stakes.  That is not really possible in live games, you have to think about body language etc.

[Junko]

In the long run (200k++ hands), your knowledge and skill or lack thereof, will be more of a factor than random episodes of luck. Knowledge and skill, combined with proper bankroll management and tilt control will allow you to ride out and overcome extended periods of bad variance. I'm happy when fish less experienced players occasionally get lucky - either against me or especially against other players at my table because that's what keeps them in the game.

[Bitinity]

Poker is a combination of math, psychology and luck. I would weighting it as 50% math, 30% psychology and 20% luck for very good players. The first two are skills you can learn and constantly improve, so that you can limit the luck to 20% or 1/5. But only if you very good at it. As an absolute beginner the luck is probably 80% of the game and math and psychology are rather 10% each.

i think you forgot mentioning the last things to playing poker and that is mentally because poker online or offline you would facing a various opponents and some of them also very brave to risky their money even have bad cards and if you have no good mentally then you will lost even your cards more good rather than your opponents

Mentality should be covered by the psychology already, indeed there are some crazy players who like to bluff you no matter how bad his cards are. Without great mentality, you will be afraid even if you have great cards but you have less bankroll. It is the art of poker games, we should be smart in making decision on every hand.

[bohr]

Poker is a game of chance if you don't know how play it, but if you know how to play it then poker is a game of skill and probably one of the most rewarding games in the casino since almost any other game does not give you the chance of winning at all.

[CyanFox]

In the long run (200k++ hands), your knowledge and skill or lack thereof, will be more of a factor than random episodes of luck. Knowledge and skill, combined with proper bankroll management and tilt control will allow you to ride out and overcome extended periods of bad variance. I'm happy when fish less experienced players occasionally get lucky - either against me or especially against other players at my table because that's what keeps them in the game.

Bankroll management is not easy, even super poker gurus like Tom Dwan and Gus Hansen were broke, Gus made 20 million but lost it all. It is a tragedy when we be rich, but can't stop.

[Blitzboy]

In the long run (200k++ hands), your knowledge and skill or lack thereof, will be more of a factor than random episodes of luck. Knowledge and skill, combined with proper bankroll management and tilt control will allow you to ride out and overcome extended periods of bad variance. I'm happy when fish less experienced players occasionally get lucky - either against me or especially against other players at my table because that's what keeps them in the game.

Bankroll management is not easy, even super poker gurus like Tom Dwan and Gus Hansen were broke, Gus made 20 million but lost it all. It is a tragedy when we be rich, but can't stop.

well, we have to understand that when we become rich in gambling, we will be seduced by it. The more you play, the more addicted your are and you will believe that gambling can bring money to you. Therefore, although they have earned lots of money, they still keep gambling and gambling to earn more and more and then, they have nothing

[Ayers]

In the long run (200k++ hands), your knowledge and skill or lack thereof, will be more of a factor than random episodes of luck. Knowledge and skill, combined with proper bankroll management and tilt control will allow you to ride out and overcome extended periods of bad variance. I'm happy when fish less experienced players occasionally get lucky - either against me or especially against other players at my table because that's what keeps them in the game.

this is true, i played poker for a long time, and in the long run you are making something if you do the correct choice, but this is true only out of a tournament, in any tournament those rules have no place and only luck determine who will win
recently a google deep learning AI has beaten some players in poker, proving that poker is indeed a skill based game https://www.wired.com/2017/02/libratus/

[phr0stbyt3]

Poker is a game of chance if you don't know how play it, but if you know how to play it then poker is a game of skill and probably one of the most rewarding games in the casino since almost any other game does not give you the chance of winning at all.

If you see most of the gambling games needs some sort of skills and of the course the rules on how to play and requirements to win. I find that blackjack is more profitable as there is equal probability of winning and losing while if you see other gambling games like roulette if you put on a specific number there is very  less chance of win while on color there is a equal probability.

[game-protect]

Poker is a game of chance if you don't know how play it, but if you know how to play it then poker is a game of skill and probably one of the most rewarding games in the casino since almost any other game does not give you the chance of winning at all.

If you see most of the gambling games needs some sort of skills and of the course the rules on how to play and requirements to win. I find that blackjack is more profitable as there is equal probability of winning and losing while if you see other gambling games like roulette if you put on a specific number there is very  less chance of win while on color there is a equal probability.

Wait, blackjack with 0 or -EV is more profitable than poker with possible +EV?

Roulette: Your chance to win on colour is 48,65% and your chance to win on numbers is 47,7%. The difference of 1,35% is not very less chance!

[bohr]

Poker is a game of chance if you don't know how play it, but if you know how to play it then poker is a game of skill and probably one of the most rewarding games in the casino since almost any other game does not give you the chance of winning at all.

If you see most of the gambling games needs some sort of skills and of the course the rules on how to play and requirements to win. I find that blackjack is more profitable as there is equal probability of winning and losing while if you see other gambling games like roulette if you put on a specific number there is very  less chance of win while on color there is a equal probability.

Blackjack is not profitable even if you play prefect basic strategy, the only way to get profits is to use card counting in a live casino but eventually you are going to get banned from the casinos because they don't like to lose money to card counters.

[hollandvan]

Poker is very funny game, you can earn much of money if you have decent strategies and mind reading knowledge, especially live poker.

[cjmoles]

Poker is a game of skill.  It requires math, psychology, and money management skills.  To further add to the advantages of those skills a player can learn to be profitable player, poker players can also utilize a heads up display (HUD).  HUDs keep data bases of the players one plays and sets their statistics next to their names.  Those stats can be used to predict your opponents moves which is an invaluable skill to have at one's disposal.

[Silberman]

For most people poker is a game of chance since very few can truly play the game the way it is supposed to be played since we don't have the economic means to do so.