How many times have you sat down at a poker table and watched a nothing hand turn into the winning hand? For example, You're dealt a 3 and a 6. Instead of folding you decide to take a chance and stick it out. The dealer turns up (4, 5, 7) among the next four cards for a Straight! Or, you're dealt a pair of Jacks and another Jack face up in the community cards for Three-Of-A-Kind. Winning hand, eh? But someone else is dealt a Full House of three 4s and two 9s.
Luck sometimes has as much to do with the above scenarios as skill. And sometimes just sticking around long enough to "gamble" that your cards will pay off is the adrenalin that some players are looking for. You find you're asking yourself more often than not: Do I want to take the chance?
Anyone who has played poker or sat and observed a game of Texas Hold'Em can certainly attest to the random luck of the cards that are dealt. The start of the first few cards can signal a promising hand only to result in the proverbial "fold".
A player can always take a chance and count on a certain amount of luck over a short period of time. It's the realistic or skillful player who recognizes that there are times when it's best to quit when that string of luck or cards appears to be elusive.
Some skillful card players will spend as much time observing their opponents as they do playing their own cards. They watch how other players may telegraph what they have in their hands. Watching the way players bid, their verbal comments, or their body language can tell a lot about the possible outcome of the hand: Fidgeting, smiling, frowning, counting their chips, blinking, constantly looking back at their hand, shifting around in their chair, etc.
So, what is the answer? Is successful poker playing a result of luck or skill? I believe there's a combination of BOTH involved here: Luck and skill share a tag-team hand in playing poker. You have to have the skill to know what you're looking for in that hand to win. But you also know that, by taking a chance on checking or bidding, you need the luck that the next card is the one you are looking for!
Are you a skillful player or a player who relies on taking the chance with Lady Luck? Only you can answer that question. Good Luck!
