At the beginning of this year [2007], the poker world was faced with a very serious question- is poker a game of skill or chance? The British court was left to decide on this question that has been argued upon for years, where a man was charged with running an illegal gambling den. The accused argued that since poker was a game of skill, he did not require a license according to the British laws. The court, after much deliberation, decided that poker is a game of chance. Thus, the private club owner was found guilty of illegally running a poker club.

This case has once again brought to light the age-old question of whether poker is a game of chance or skill. While legally the status may be different from place to place, however, the correct answer to the question can help everyone around the world where such gambling laws can get blurred.
 
When this question is asked to people, there will be two types of reactions to the question. A professional poker player, who has been playing the game for quite some time will always say that poker is a game of skill. However, there is significant amount of luck associated with it, which will always affect the game, whether anyone likes it or not. People who have never played poker, and have no idea about the rules, and the game will immediately place poker in the league of gambling section along with roulette, blackjack etc. They believe that in poker too, the outcome is always decided by the probability, and the odds are always stacked in the favor of the house.

But if this argument is true, then why are poker tournaments regularly held, just like so many other sports? And why are there no tournaments for lottery? If you look at the World Series of Poker, you will find that, at times, a person has won the tournament more than once. If luck is the dominant factor here, then these people are without doubt incredibly lucky. But the fact remains, that they have won, as they were one of the most skillful players.

Many people argue that it does so happen that an amateur can also win a round of poker, and thus it could be a game of chance. But if the same person plays a series of the game, it will no doubt be clear that the professional will emerge as an undoubted winner. This also happens in many other sports like cricket or football. At times, an underdog team can give the world champions a run for their money. But that doesn’t mean that they have suddenly transformed into world’s best players, nor does it mean that the particular sport is a game of chance. If such an underdog team is to play in a series of a particular game, they would rank somewhere at the bottom. The same is true for poker.

It can, in no ways be argued that there is no factor of chance in the game. Poker is defined by both the chances of winning, as well as skill of a player. So it will be very difficult to place it within a category, and to label it. It will depend on how you see the game yourself.