A lot of new poker players tell me that poker is a game of luck, and to them I say poker is a game of skills. Luck is just one random factor which you have no control over, and it's not that important when considering all the other variables that you can influence as a player.

Poker Variables - Do You Have Control?

What are those variables you ask? Well, they are numerous. Reading an opponent for example, is something experienced players are good at. While there is never certainty in reading an opponent, those who are good at it have worked hard to develop that skill. What you need to know about luck is that it can only affect the hand you are currently playing. When you think about it globally, there is no good luck or bad luck simply because one person's bad luck is someone else's good luck. Furthermore, while luck can only affect the hand you are playing, remember that sometimes it only also only takes one hand to lose all your chips if you are not playing poker strategically! Don't rely on luck to be successful at poker, because it won't work out. The two don't go together. Just acknowledge that there is such a thing as luck in the game, and it's the only variable you have no influence over. Everything else you do at the table, like when you bet, raise, bluff, fold and so on, are all things you are in control of therefore your poker strategy should be focused around those areas. These are the things you need to invest time on to become a better poker player.

Relying on Luck in Poker

Poker is a gambling game and there are times when you'll consciously make the decision to rely on luck alone. There are times when you want to gamble, when you don't want to play by the rules. Generally, this is when you're playing heads up (two players left at the table) and you have a massive lead. If your chip stack is ten times the amount of your opponent, then you can afford to gamble and hope to get lucky and eliminate them. At that stage, you can put your opponent all in with any hand, and hope to get lucky. If it doesn't work out, maybe you'll want to try again later. Just be cautious because every time you fail, you'll double up your opponent and that's not good.

Poker Bad Beats

Sometimes you can do all the right things and play a perfect game but still loose. It happens. It can be frustrating, but don't let it drag you down. Everyone goes through this experience once in a while. It's just the name of the game. One day, you'll be in trouble and luck will rescue you. Sometimes it beats you up real bad and other times it saves you from the walk of shame. In the long run, everything is relative and when analyzing your poker performance over an extended period of time, you'll realize that the luck factor really doesn't matter that much. There are other critical poker factors that determine if you're a good player or not.

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Luck vs Skill