Poker and Luck

The vast majority of online poker players would describe poker as a game of skill, and we would agree with that as far as the long term prospects of success are concerned. The more skilful a player is the more chance he has of showing a profit over an extended period. That said, luck also plays a role in the game, and in the short term that role can be significant. This is why some really bad players can sometimes win some really big pots – they just happen to get lucky!

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Knowing how to deal effectively with this element of luck is important, because if you ignore it you will suffer and if you rely on it then you will also suffer. Here then are some ideas on how to take luck into consideration as you play…

Rely on Skill
First, make sure that you base your own game on playing as skilfully as you can. Whilst luck exists in the game of poker, relying on it will only lead to losses over the long term even if you manage to catch an inside flush draw or make a winning set with poor hole cards in the short term. A big mistake that many amateur players make is relying on luck, winning as a result and then assuming that they are good players. Such a course of action inevitably leads to long term losses, so the much better alternative is to focus on developing your poker skills as much as you can and to then rely on those skills when you are playing.

Acknowledge Luck
Having said that you should rely on skill, we now advise you to acknowledge the role that luck plays in the short term. If you don’t do this then you could pay dearly if one of your opponents relies on luck, gets the luck he is after and beats you with what was initially a very poor hand. By being mindful of the fact that players can and do get lucky from time to time, you reduce your chances of getting stung by a monkey who called your pre-flop raise with 2-7 off suit and saw the flop come down as 7-7-7.

Trap Those Who Rely on Luck
When you rely on skill but acknowledge the role that luck plays in poker, you can go one step further and deliberately trap those who rely on luck as a matter of course. For example, if you have the nuts but you are playing an opponent who likes to ride his luck by chasing a hand to the river, exploit that fact by making him pay dearly for the privilege. And if the player in question likes to be aggressive, be sure to bet enough that he tries to scare you out of the pot by going all-in. There’s nothing sweeter in the game of poker than trapping someone who has aggressively ridden his luck throughout a game and making him pay for his amateurish approach.

Think Long Term
Because luck plays a role in online poker, you should assess your performance over the long term rather than judging your ability according to the last few games that you happened to play. Winning a couple of games or losing a couple of games doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a good or a bad player, it could just as easily mean that you were lucky or unlucky. Think long term rather then getting caught up in short term results and you will find it much easier to remain in control of your emotions and continue to play in a skilful and self-disciplined manner.

William Briggs