The Impact of Luck on the Game of Poker

I have an article that was just added in the Articles section. I have opened up this thread for comments, observations and rebuttals. Here is the link if you would like to take a look.

http://www.texasholdemforums.com/art...game-poker.php

Well written and well said Jadie.

I think you just justified a comment Fossil Man made, as near as I remember it, if you are goo poker player I don't want to see you at my table, if you are a bad player I do.

I guess the trouble that most of us face is this. The amount we would like to make is not available at the level where it's the others that are the donkeys and not ourselves. Gets kind of frustrating doesn't it? That's why it's good to have other interests, otherwise the game would screw our minds permanently.

Anyway, nice one mate, enjoyed that.

only skimmed through the article so far (before it was published widely). One of the interesting changes that have happened recently is the increase of risk eager players. Generally I think that people are generally becoming more risk tolerant online but there has been a definate increase in the number of players willing to call on hands that are at best a coin toss - eg

Calling an all in with 22 etc

They are changing the nature of the game to some extent as plays like reraising preflop are increasingly likely to be called. will study your article over the course of the next wee bit and make further comments if appropriate and thanks for writing what seems to be a well considered and presented article.

I think luck plays a much larger roll in poker than the best players want to admit to. The top players always say the cream will rise to the top over the "long haul". This is true. The better player will win, most of the time, however its the lucky player that will win that big tourney and have his bankroll in great shape. Varconi, Moneymaker, Gold might come to mind.

I put my game, with the levels I play at, as very good. I am a player who has a positive bankroll in Mtts and SnGs, but I have not won anything to brag about. I have had the oppertunity to win large paydays but it didn't happen because I got unlucky. I'll go pretty deep into a tourney, and that key hand will come up. I'll have the best hand going in, with a 2-5 percent to loose and get rivered, and it happens more often than it should against me.

As you might surmise, I consider myself, an unluckly player. With any kind of luck I would be sitting with a great bankroll instead of one that is able to sustain my modest buy in poker play. I'm able to play, but I'm sure not getting rich playing. Its very difficult to make a living playing poker, live or internet, no matter how good you might be, if you don't have luck working with you.
I will keep trying to hit that nice payout, and with some perserverance it may happen. I won't hold my breath though. If and when I do, most of it will be cashed out to pay some bills or take a vacation and the remainder paying for some more buy-ins

__________________
No More Free Rides!
No Room For Dead Beats!

Of course luck has relevance, which is why the best pro players don't win all the time, yet generally go deep into tournaments on a regular basis. Skill will take you so far in a tourny, then luck has to play a roll when one of the many inevitable all in hands gets contested.

Obviously cash games structure reduce the need for luck substantially since you needn't take the same risks as in a mtt or SnG, but again cards randomly being drawn is what it is, luck. The skill part of a player is where you increase your edge to overcome the overall randomness of cards being drawn.

I wouldn't say I'm a lucky or unluckly player. Sometimes I get more than my fair share of good hands, other times less. Some days I'll do extremely well in a cash game without much effort and soon after I join a table I'll double up. Other days I don't get the hands to play and leave down on chips after a long grind. However my overall wins outweigh my loses.

You adjust play to suit the current conditions, therefore skill provides overall positive results over any luck factors.

nice article...but do i really have to wait a year to find out i stink at the game
lol

__________________
2007 THFSOP LIMIT HOLD' EM CHAMPION

Remember also that a UK jury recently found that poker is a game of chance not a game of skill. So there you are, it's official.

Remember also that line from a very old blues song, if it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have no luck at all. Given some of the above comments, I guess I'm not the only one one that agrees with that sentiment!

Jadie
You know I absolutly LOVE this article you wrote! I also told you why too

You can cash with skill
You can go deep with skill
You can't win without luck
Cali

__________________

CalifNaughti - PokerStars