I have been playing poker, both pay and free poker online, for nearly a decade, which to me is quite a long time. During those years I have come across many discussions on whether poker is really a game of skill or luck, hopefully this article will shed some light on the situation.

Being a skilled player is always going to get you a little further when playing poker than an inexperienced player. Skilled players understand the basics of poker, such as patterns, odds and they usually have a plan. However, no matter how skilled a player is, they are always need to account for the actions of other players and the way the cards play out on the table.

The conclusion I have come to, is that it takes both skill and luck to win at poker.

The assumption would be based on this conclusion that you have to be both pre flop aggressive, as well as post flop smart. Many times one might find themselves in a position where they made the proper call, yet they find themselves behind due in part to an opponents luck hitting a one or two outer.

It is very difficult to try and overcome such a situation. This also can be attributed more toward online game playing vs. traditional brick and mortar casinos because of the amount of hands dealt online. The action of online poker is much faster, and decisions must come much quicker.

Many individuals feel that they take more bad beats online as opposed to live play. This mathematically can be attributed to the number of hands both seen, and played. As well, there is a tile factor involved when one feels that they are being pushed too hard, or perhaps have suffered a bad beat.

The decision making can become irrational, and typical hands that would be thrown away are now played, or even pushed pre flop out of anger in trying to win back lost funds.

Others, who are skilled can pick up on such trends and play them to their advantage, which in turn leads to an even more increased loss, and in the eyes of the losing player, more bad beats which he feels was based on luck.

This is a game of two equals, luck and skill, neither in my opinion more important than the other, however the successful poker player knows how to manage both aspects of the game, learns skill playing free poker online before moving into money games and uses skill, in effect, tweak luck and so sustain consistency in winning.

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