I feel like some sessions im unbeatable, dealt dream hands and players calling. Other sessions im not allowed to win, no matter how good i flop i will bet big and get outdrawn by a backdoor full house or something sick. Constantly outdrawn even when im an 80% favourite on the flop.
So my question if poker is so much skill how do you consistantly win when the cards are very much against you?
And please dont say 'youll win in the long run' ive been playing for a year now and cant consistently win because of the sessions i get horribly outdrawn almost every hand when i should be winning them most of the time!
Your question is very results oriented.
Variance is a part of the game. If you are going to measure your ability by how much you are winning / losing then you are going to hate poker.
Review your hands and decisions after every session (not immediately after, takes the crucial notes and rest up first) when you are running bad.
Even if you have a cash losing session, if you had an +EV session then it's just a matter of riding the variance. It helps to know you are winning EV even if you are losing actual cash.
By the same token, when you review your hands and you find yourself winning a session in cash but playing below EV then you need to fix that shit asap bc when variance hits you. You are going to absorb your roll in no time.
Always focus your reviews on whether or not you are playing making bank EV wise.
When running bad. Play but reduce your variance by playing fewer tables, maybe one or two.
Further reduce your variance by playing fewer hands (shave off the bottom of your range a little) then iso in most of your pots so that you are only up against 1 or 2 people max. You should do this anyway but make a point of it when running bad
And as for how much of poker is luck, the answer is dependent on your game format. If you play cash game, then there's not a whole bunch of luck there. Pure skill with a sprinkle of luck.
If you play tournaments, the luck is required a little bit more there due to the amount of flips you have to take sometimes.
You need your good hands to hold, your draws to get there and your crushed hands to get there when it matters most.
In a cash game, ideally, the moment you are below 85 bigs, you top up back up to 100+
You don't have the same luxury in tournaments. When you are below 22 bigs, you start looking for spots to 3bet get it in.
Each time risking your tournament life. Once again, cannot quantify the luck factor in poker without a set scene but I would stop referringto it as "luck". Variance is the appropriate word, luck is just what the uninformed call variance.
The answer to your question is your results will show long term
