Poker

[Oldcity]

Quote:

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Based on some the definitions of "sport" in this thread it seems like a grueling 16 hour staring match would qualify.

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Yeah. I was going to say something like that. You could read for 16 hours, yo-yo for 16 hours or whatever and it could eventually be just as grueling. It's not a sport.

[dadofandrew]

Over one hand, or even one session, luck plays a huge part in your success or lack thereof. However, over a month, or especially a year or two, a skilled player will be up almost every time, and the fish will have lost it all.

 

I've taken an initial $25 bankroll and built into a 5 figure one. Now, I had help because online bonuses used to be plentiful, but since that gravy train dried up, I'm still up about $1K since.

 

Those who feel it's a game of luck simply do not understand the game.

[pitchleague]

does anybody else actually play other poker games with their buddies besides hold 'em? Like "good guys & bad guys", "Iron Cross", "Screw your neighbor", "3, 5, 7", and other poker games like that?

[stoutdude04]

Those who feel it's a game of luck simply do not understand the game.

 

I agree, there is luck involved. Yet, I do not think it is anything like a sport.

[BraunsBoyfriend]

When playing with people who know how to play (pot odds essentially and all the other elements covered here) the game is dominated by luck.

 

No on is saying this easy though. Like someone else here said, figuring out pot odds and estimating what the players still in the pot are thinking based on their previous plays isn't easy. But I think with averagely decent players, it gets pretty close. This can be the dominating factor in deciding who wins when most players are poor players. But when most players at the table are decent, I think luck is the major player.

 

The guy that gets the cards usually wins. I'm not a big player but I have friends that are really good and play a lot. They're basically throwing around the buy in since they all seem to win equally.

 

However, in a stranger game figuring out whose the idiot(s) quickest is definitely a good skill to have. The guy who gets fat on the guys who don't play well are given a large advantage.

[danzig6767]

When playing with people who know how to play (pot odds essentially and all the other elements covered here) the game is dominated by luck.

 

Have five different players play a 5000-10,000 hands or more,you will seperate the better players from the lesser ones

[Fatter than Joey]

Have five different players play a 5000-10,000 hands or more,you will seperate the better players from the lesser ones

 

Right -- However what you and AL are discussing is better players will beat lesser players. That probably is more to the better understanding of the associated probabilities. I am sure that this is true.

 

However, if you have 5 or 6 players of equal probability understanding/experience, I am pretty sure that the winners will be determined by who gets the better cards dealt to them, which is purely luck.

[GAME05]

better players will beat lesser players. That probably is more to the better understanding of the associated probabilities. I am sure that this is true.

 

true at least to the degree that probability plays into each hand. Of course you can't say that poker is entirely a matter of probability--it's simply one aspect of the game.

 

Probability is really not that hard, but speed in your calculations makes a difference. Plenty of guys I've played with could do the numbers, but they weren't that strong players. The importance of probability is also relative to the game you are playing, more important in Stud and Limit, but less so in NL.

 

I've played with plenty of people who knew how to do the calculations yet weren't fantastic players and vice versa.