For those of you that subscribe to the notion that poker is a game of skill, I have news for you. It is not! Poker has always been and always will be a game of chance. No one can make an argument that invalidates this fact. Here's another fact to ponder. There has never been a tournament won on skill alone, but there are numerous tournaments won every day on luck alone. Bottom line.........skill does not win tournaments........luck does! Need an example? Check out the 2009 WSOP Main Event results! Now, I am not suggesting that a solid knowledge of the game and the skill to implement that knowkedge is not vital if you want to be a successful player. However, without luck, any success will be short lived. I'm sure that everyone will agree that Phil Ivey is one of the most skilled and feared players on the circuit. Lets imagine then, for a moment, he is seated at a table. To his left sits an elephant with a severe ear infection. To his right is a kangaroo that is not only blind but also has the runs. Across the way is an orangatan wearing diapers. You can fill in the rest of the seats with your own imagination. The cards are shuffled and dealt. At this point in the game everyone at this table, regardless of their skill level or knowledge, has the exact same chance to be dealt pocket aces. How to play those aces is where Phils' skill level grants him a big advantage over everyone else. But when elephant ears calls his 3x bet with nine eight suited and kangaroo reraises with king king and the flop is eight eight king Phils' skill and knowledge can now only give him the common sense to fold. This is the only role that knowledge and skill play within a tournament structure. Knowledge and skill will allow a player to survive........ going deep into the game, thereby, exposing him or herself to more opportunities for luck to favor his play. No player, who has won a tournament, did so without jeopardising his or her stack, at least once, during that tournament. As soon as your chips are commited to the middle, skill, no longer plays any part in the outcome. I wrote this blog because too many comments are made at the tables and way too many nasty remarks are posted on peoples profiles berating and insulting them for their play. These comments are made by players who in their own mind feel, that because of their so called knowledge of the game and self proclaimed advanced skills, they did not deserve to lose. Well, heres one last fact to swallow. In any game of chance if you want to be successful learn as much about the game as you can. If you want to win, however, you must be willing to gamble and anytime you gamble you must be willing to lose. Take it like a man! HAVE A NICE DAY!
TheWize1
Very well said David.
Nice to read that finally somebody put this game in the proper perspective.
Very good anology [example ?].