Poker - A game of chance or skill ?

[ian]

In a recent Poll on Gamingfloor.com I asked the question

Legally how do you think the game of Poker could be most accurately classified ?

The poll ran for three weeks and here are the results.

A game of chance 6% 14
A game of skill 8% 19
A game of chance involving some skill 40% 101
A game of skill involving some chance 47% 117

251 votes total

I think we can discount the first answers as clearly Poker isn't a game solely of chance, not is it totally a game of skill.


That leaves us two options. Is it a game of chance that involves some skill or a game of skill involving some chance. 40% of those who voted favoured the former and 47% the latter.

I myself believe, and voted, that the game is one of CHANCE involving some SKILL. In subsequent posts I will explain my argument and why I believe that 60% of those who voted were wrong

Skill and/or chance is an important factor in several court cases at the moment in the UK and US. Plus on both sides of the Atlantic there have been high profile police raids recently on premises where Poker is played.

Poker online and off is of course now a multi-billion $ industry so how the courts and judges decide in these cases will certainly effect the games future.


My next posting will be in a couple of days as I need time to prepare. Do we have a member who is going to put formard the case for "SKILL with some CHANCE" ?


Ian