Poker - Gambling or Skill Game?

Poker is a very old game, the origin of this game is not certain. It is believed to have its origin even long before the 1800s, its origin is not really known, but in fact the important thing is that it has passed down through generations and has undergone many modifications and adaptations over the years.

Currently there are many variants of this game, among which we have Razz, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven-card Stud, Badugi, Caribbean Poker, Texas Holdem, among others. To this is added that each of these variants can be played with different betting limits (Limit, Pot Limit or No Limit). As if that were not enough, there are different game modalities, for example you can play Cash, Sit and Go, Heads Up, MTT, Spin and Go and within each of these there are other sub modalities. As you can see, Poker has a very wide range, but without a doubt the most recognized worldwide is Texas Holdem No Limit, which is why I will focus on this modality.

How is Texas Holdem played?

Despite not being the main topic of the article, I will explain very briefly the basic rules of this variant of poker. It begins by randomly defining who will be the Small Blind and Big Blind (this is done to ensure that in all rounds, there is money in the pot as an incentive) and proceed to deal 2 covered cards to each of the players of the table (the minimum number of players is 2 and the maximum is 10). Once the first betting round is dealt, once the first betting round is closed, 3 uncovered cards are placed in the center of the table (this is called the Flop) and a betting round begins again, then a fourth is uncovered. card (the turn), new betting round and finally a fifth card (the River) is placed uncovered, to finally carry out the last betting round.

The winner of the hand is the one who manages to make the other players leave (that is, they do not pay the bet made) or the player who at the end of the last betting round has the best combination of 5 cards. In order not to make this article any longer, I invite you to review here an image made by me where I explain in detail the Texas Holdem hand ranking.

Gambling or Skill Game?

Now, what is promised is debt, is poker a game of chance or a game of skill? My answer is, it depends. It mainly depends on the variant of poker that we play, if we play Caribbean Poker in any casino it would be a game of chance, while if we play Texas Holdem it would be a game of skill.

Before elaborating further on the main difference between Caribbean Poker and Texas Holdem, I want to show you a little why poker has long been associated with gambling, gambling, weapons, drugs, women, alcohol. , crime and all that "dark side of the force" stuff. This has been so largely thanks to the audiovisual entertainment industry, since poker has always been present in the movies in the wild west themes, gangsters, murders, scams, you always saw scenes where people gambled all their money, the car, the house or even his wife and was associated with gangsters who took advantage of the gambling of some, but in reality nothing is further from reality.

Currently, there are many official poker associations around the world and many face-to-face poker tournaments are organized, where different variants and modalities are played, even every year the world series of poker is held, which historically is held in Las Vegas, specifically at the Hotel Rio.

Unfortunately, this negative image that poker society has made lawmakers in many countries have made playing poker outside of authorized establishments (Casinos) illegal, meaning that we cannot even play a game with our friends at the comfort of our home, because it is considered a crime, making society's general perception of poker even more negative and helping it to be associated with a game of chance and not skill.

Now, why is Texas Holdem a game of skill and instead Caribbean Poker is a game of chance? Well, if I have to give a simple answer, I would say that in the first one you play against other people in the same conditions as you and At Caribbean Poker you play against the casino, and we know that their objective is to win, so all the games they offer their clients have a clear advantage for the house (Casino). Now perhaps you may be thinking, if so, then why do casinos offer to play Texas Holdem? The answer is simple, because since in Texas Holdem he can hardly manipulate the game to give him an advantage, these in his Replacements apply a commission (called rake) that is charged each time a poker hand is started. Rake is generally a percentage of the pot accumulated in each play, having a maximum rake limit, which can vary depending on each casino. In this way, the casino ensures that it will always win and it does not need to manipulate the game in its favor, which guarantees that it is a fair game and with the same conditions for all participants.

Learning the basic rules of poker and starting to play a game "is easy", it can take 15 minutes or less, but being a good poker player is not easy, it can even take a lifetime, since it is a game that It is always evolving, the Metagame is not the same today in 2020 as it was 10 years ago. Poker requires mathematical and mental skills, so in general it can be said that it is a 100% mental and not a physical game. Mathematical skills are necessary to perform probability calculations mainly and mental skills are required for maximum concentration necessary to understand the actions of our opponent, identify tells, possible bluffs, etc.

This is why I love poker, it is a skill game that requires a lot of study, it is a fair game that provides a level playing field for all participants and does not require more than a deck of cards to start playing it. . I invite you to discover this incredible game, you will not regret it.

And what do you think ?, is it a game of chance or skill ?, do you think that my way of seeing poker is not correct ?, would you like to know a little more about this great game ?, please leave me your comments to that we can generate a good debate on the subject.

Many thanks.