“Skill” in Poker Proven By Scientific Research

Posted:September 2012

In recent times, one of the most contentious arguments surrounding the game of poker, and/or online poker, has been whether this is a gambling game or a game of skill. Most poker fans and players agree that it is a game of skill, and alliances of these fans have appealed time and again to governments to have this (fact) realized. Is Poker Skill or Luck?A new study from the School of Economics – Erasmus University, Rotterdam - suggests that poker is in fact a game of skill.

The first draft of the research paper has been published, it’s called – “Beyond Chance? The Persistence of Performance in Online Poker. ”

After analysing more than 400 million online cash poker hands, the research has discovered that “Skill Is An Important Factor in Online Poker”. The three academics who are PhD candidates; conducted the research between October 2009 and September 2010. They also used three different stakes – low, medium and high. The aim of this lengthy study is to inform the current online poker debate taking place around the world, that the legality of poker and fitting taxation of winnings should be applied as a game of skill would be applied.

Now a New York judge has also ruled that poker is mainly a game of skill, not of chance. His decision threw out the conviction of a New York man who ran a “by word of mouth” poker club. Not only is this ruling a legal victory for the man in question, it is also a decisive victory for the game. His lawyers argued that slot machines, lotteries and bookmaking were games of chance; however, poker cannot be classified as the same type of game. The judges finding also stated; that because poker is a game of skill it cannot be covered by current gambling laws.

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