How to handle someone saying that poker is "just luck"

[newbie in training]

...I assure you online p9ker is the exact opposite of luck youve got a ton of bad players at the micros and its easy to crish...but I have to agree that live poker is less luck just because irs cash games most of the time and the players are absalutly horrible

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[mapt02h]

This ^^^

Who cares if they don't understand the difference, and why make any analogy with rape!

Haha, like I said it just popped in my head at the time and I said it. If I think it's funny I'll say it. Plus the guy tilted me, find it annoying when someone says that I have a "gambling problem" when I play poker. 1) he doesn't know how often I play 2) he doesn't know how much I've won by starting from 0. Meanwhile he's a ****ing gaming geek (and yes, I used to be back in the day too), which I understand and don't judge him for it. He DOESNT know what poker is, and he judges me for it hahaha

I read this somewhere "Poker is a game of skill because you can lose on it on purpose". Can you lose on purpose on roulette? So like open folding AA, or folding a pocketpair in an mtt getting 18120114:1 on your money - etc.

 

[dealio96]

I get asked the same thing all the time . Another good one i get is they say its like a slot machine. i simply respond every time by saying my odds are better than lottery. They will never understand until they play on a regular.

 

[RUNRRUNRTO]

"It's just the luck of the draw" lol. I tell them if that's the case, take a look at some of the top players stats. It's a mathematically heavy game of outs, odds, percentages, constant calculations, and intuition.

 

[DenverDave]

I would tell them, "Not how I play" and smile and move on leaving them to wonder what you meant.

 

[blikbleek]

I tell them there is no such thing as professional slots or blackjack players, but there are a lot of professional poker players. Luck is an important part of poker, but good players need little of it.

Good players dont need to be lucky, they just need not be unlucky.

 

[burgdogky]

i had this discussion wit a co-worker yesterday about how I sued to make a living playing the game online, and he said "how can you do that? it's just all luck" He even went as far as saying it was 60 % luck and 30% skill.

Everytime I tried to understand where he came up with these stats, he just tried to change the subject. He started talking about how he played on ZYNGA...LOL.... GOD .... I BEGGGGGED him to play me... Let me prove 2 you that it is.. Of course he diddn't want to or made an exescuse...

People aren't going to change their mind , beliefs about life or themselves ONLY if they want to. I was wasting my breath.

But, IMO poker is 80% skill 20% luck. Example AA Vrs 22 preflop.

Does that seem pretty fair statement?

 

[etherghost]

But, IMO poker is 80% skill 20% luck. Example AA Vrs 22 preflop.

Does that seem pretty fair statement?

I think that are worse than 4:1 which makes skill >80% and luck <20%. I'd say, in ideal situation it's more like 90/10.

 

[cardsking]

Recently, I was on my lunch break at work, and decided to play some Pokerstars hyper 1on1s on my phone. My workmate asked me about it and I was like "I just play poker for money"

He then said - "yeah, but it's just gambling isn't it?"
I thought for a split second and came up with this response - "Comparing gambling to poker is like comparing rape to sex" hahaha

What do you guys answer if you get quizzed about this?

Gambling to Poker is Rape to Sex

Like Gambling , ROulette is One Sided , as Rape One person tries to win .

Sex , both individuals try their thing similar to poker haha

I like your comparision

 

[S3mper]

I tell them there is no such thing as professional slots or blackjack players, but there are a lot of professional poker players. Luck is an important part of poker, but good players need little of it.

Good players dont need to be lucky, they just need not be unlucky.

Actually there are pro Black Jack players, also Black Jack is a game of skill and not luck.. The house has an edge in black jack because they go last this is why they are winners but it is still a game of skill

Plus card counters take the skill aspect up a notch lol

 

[DonV73]

If they are serious, I would give them a serious answer. If they are just joking, I won't even bother and just say "yeah".

 

[blikbleek]

Actually there are pro Black Jack players, also Black Jack is a game of skill and not luck.. The house has an edge in black jack because they go last this is why they are winners but it is still a game of skill

Plus card counters take the skill aspect up a notch lol

Blackjack is not a game of skill. There are charts anybody can memorize that tells you how to play optimally.

Counting cards is close to impossible with all the decks that casinos use these days.

 

[S3mper]

Blackjack is not a game of skill. There are charts anybody can memorize that tells you how to play optimally.

Counting cards is close to impossible with all the decks that casinos use these days.

I worded myself wrong I think.. It's a game of odds with skill involved

and card counting is still possible with multiple decks, its not like the movie 21 where your going to win win win win.. It will just get you a little better feel for what cards are left in the deck to adjust your betting size for more of an edge.. the house will still take your money in the long run I'm sure..

But lets say you were playing against some one else and he wasn't the dealer and you knew basic strategy and the other person didn't, he doesn't have a house edge on you nor you him and in the long run you will probably come out ahead of that person (still be down to the house)

So the fact that you are a better player then him means you will come out ahead of him so it shows that there is skill involved... I know you didn't dispute that I'm just making what I meant clear since I worded my self wrong..

I think of it this way lol...

Play a 6 year old in Black Jack they will be hitting on 19's and 20's you'll destroy them, play a 6 year old in poker you will (hopefully) destroy them... Play that same 6 year old in Bingo or Slots.. lol

 

[WeenieSVK]

If I care about what that person thinks about it (family member or friend) I will try to explain...

For example that there are thousands of people all over the world who are constantly winning and earning "big money"

I would also say that YES - poker is gambling if you decided to play it like gambler. But if you study the game and get deep into it, then its much more than just luck.

And ofcourse, in poker there is also luck involved, cause everybody will get into situations where he cant influence game with his skill (coinflips etc..) But you cant say its pure gambling like roulette or slot machine, cause there you cant influence absolutely nothing, but in poker you can with your decisions. Thats why poker is about losing minimum and winning maximum.

 

[S3mper]

If I care about what that person thinks about it (family member or friend) I will try to explain...

For example that there are thousands of people all over the world who are constantly winning and earning "big money"

I would also say that YES - poker is gambling if you decided to play it like gambler. But if you study the game and get deep into it, then its much more than just luck.

And ofcourse, in poker there is also luck involved, cause everybody will get into situations where he cant influence game with his skill (coinflips etc..) But you cant say its pure gambling like roulette or slot machine, cause there you cant influence absolutely nothing, but in poker you can with your decisions. Thats why poker is about losing minimum and winning maximum.

Exactly.. I think of it like the Stock Market.. People who don't know what they are doing and just start investing in things will be gambling.. people who do know what they are doing and study and work hard will show profit..

In poker you get unlucky and lose some pots, in Stock market you get unlucky and lose some if a company hits a bump in the road..

Warren Buffet is to Stock Market as Phil Ivey is to poker

 

[vinylspiros]

I don't bother talking about poker to people who are non poker players.Its tilting.

 

[mapt02h]

Gambling to Poker is Rape to Sex

Like Gambling , ROulette is One Sided , as Rape One person tries to win .

Sex , both individuals try their thing similar to poker haha

I like your comparision

Haha, thanks. I think I will be avoiding poker talk with non-poker playing people from now on.

The most tilting thing that I've had to deal with in the poker community is you saying "I'm up $1000 (or w.e)" and they're like "how much did you lose?" hahahah

 

[ScottieDuncan]

Sooner or later someone who believes it is luck will come to realize that it takes skill to win, not luck, over time. Sure, once in a long while you hit a lucky break, but, skill wins the pot over luck.

 

[S3mper]

Sooner or later someone who believes it is luck will come to realize that it takes skill to win, not luck, over time. Sure, once in a long while you hit a lucky break, but, skill wins the pot over luck.

I kind of disagree with that.. Not because Its better to be lucky then skillful in the long run but I think it depends on when the luck occurs..

For example you get really lucky during the wsop ME and keep winning when you shouldn't *cough* Jamie gold *cough* Something like that would be better to be lucky then good where the variance up swing is amazingly high

So in general its better to be good then lucky except when the luck happens its life changing..

 

[mapt02h]

The WSOP ME is the most extreme example of how a player can get rich from 1 bink. It's ridiculous when they show the winners these days and they're like "so and so caught a 3 outer on the river to stay alive and now they are winning the tournament". So sick

 

[rock0001]

although poker requires a share of luck, in the long run skill prevails over luck, and its very easy to explain that to your friends. when you make good decision you are at least in a coin flip decision or better, the only exceptions are coolers.
however even by making the right choice you can lose not only one hand, but 10 ore even more in a bad streak. however by playing thousands of hands luck evens out and you will eventually get good results.

 

[sleepymike]

And if you happen to constantly play only with people with the same skill level?

 

[S3mper]

And if you happen to constantly play only with people with the same skill level?

If that is the case one should move down a level if you play against the same skill level as you there is no edge there.

Game selection is very important play in till you're crushing the lower level and move up the ladder slowly and patiently following good BRM

 

[sunburnt2k11]

i agree that poker is a lucky game no other than throwing dice but poker is just timed luck. positioning ourselves with the best starting cards to win.

 

[aceboogie]

there is luck involved but there is also math involved. if insurance companies can base their whole businesses on these math theories then why can't you