Evidence in: Poker game of skill
source: http://www.pokerlistings.com/evidence-in-poker-game-of-skill-33977
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- Chilipoker
- added this
Part of the defendants' argument in the online gambling domain name seizure case pending in Kentucky hinged on distinguishing poker as a game of skill.
But the lower court judge concluded that poker was a game of luck, summarizing it simplistically: "In the end, no matter how skillful or cunning the player, who wins and who loses is determined by the hands the players hold."
Anyone who plays poker seriously knows this is not the case at all. While three of a kind is certainly a better hand than two pair, it does not always beat two pair.
Why is that? Because betting, bluffing and a keen understanding of statistics and human nature elevate what some think of as a game of chance into a sophisticated game of skill.
Considering all of the calculations and evaluations that take place during a poker game, it's hard to imagine anyone would think the game can be summed up as one where "the best hand wins."
If every poker hand ended in a showdown with all the players at the table turning over their cards and the best hand taking the pot, then, yes, poker would be a game of luck. But then poker would be about as interesting as coin flipping.
Instead, poker is about decisions that are influenced by statistics, old-fashioned math and psychology. And it is about outsmarting your opponent and not being outsmarted yourself.
But the lower court judge concluded that poker was a game of luck, summarizing it simplistically: "In the end, no matter how skillful or cunning the player, who wins and who loses is determined by the hands the players hold."
Anyone who plays poker seriously knows this is not the case at all. While three of a kind is certainly a better hand than two pair, it does not always beat two pair.
Why is that? Because betting, bluffing and a keen understanding of statistics and human nature elevate what some think of as a game of chance into a sophisticated game of skill.
Considering all of the calculations and evaluations that take place during a poker game, it's hard to imagine anyone would think the game can be summed up as one where "the best hand wins."
If every poker hand ended in a showdown with all the players at the table turning over their cards and the best hand taking the pot, then, yes, poker would be a game of luck. But then poker would be about as interesting as coin flipping.
Instead, poker is about decisions that are influenced by statistics, old-fashioned math and psychology. And it is about outsmarting your opponent and not being outsmarted yourself.
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- tags:
- Poker, Skill Games
