Top 3 Reasons Why Poker Is Not a Game of Luck

1.      You can calculate your odds of winning each hand you play

2.      You can make your opponents fold by bluffing

3.      You can obtain information through opponents’ tells

Poker pros hate being called 'professional gamblers' because the word gambler implies they are relying on luck to win, when in actuality there is minimal luck involved when they play. Sure it helps to catch cards, but every poker pro knows first-hand that poker is mainly a game of skill, and not a game of luck or chance.

It’s true that every player likes to get lucky when they play poker, but luck is really the enemy of a good player. Good players will minimize the amount of luck involved in them winning a particular hand by putting themselves in situations where the odds of their hand winning is extremely high, or planning to outplay someone they know will fold by making a bluff/semi-bluff.

At least half the time when a bad player wins a pot they would have done so by getting lucky. This does seem to happen quite often, but really it’s just you remembering all the times some newbie made a stupid play and got lucky to beat you. Always remember there are thousands of new players coming online everyday to play poker for the first time.

Good players will play the game using their skills. Yes, they will get lucky every now and then, but it’s usually because their opponent made a terrible call to begin with. Good players make decisions based on the math and have the ability to outplay their opponents based on their position in the hand, and/or chip stack.

Poker involves discipline, patience and focus. Without these aptitudes, you couldn’t win at a poker because your opponents would easily distract you. Poker also requires the skill of psychology to assess your opponents’ hands. You have to be able to read your opponents and carefully evaluate everything they do or say.

Poker also requires mathematical intelligence in order to calculate things like pot-odds, implied-odds, and outs. You need to make these calculations quickly and without giving away any information to your opponents.

The game is very similar to chess in that it requires the use of your brain to plan ahead and strategize. You need to be able to make changes to your game quickly in a tournament/cash game if things aren’t working out.

Just like in sports, poker requires knowledge and years of experience before someone can be considered a professional. The more you play poker, the better you will become. And remember... it’s not just about what cards you have, it’s what you think your opponent(s) have!