Online poker - Playing poker game is a game of skill or luck ?
In the recent years, the online poker rooms and casinos
have gained a lot of attention and popularity, in some
occasions; the media and the popularity of televised
poker tournaments have created some sort of "gold rush"
among online poker players. At this point it is not
surprising to see a wave of new players interested in
this type of poker rooms and casinos in general, poker
became a world wide event, millions of dollars are
invested every year in advertising and sponsorship and
it is now when the impact of those campaigns can be
measured. As more and more individuals are initiated in
the poker life every year, it becomes extremely clear
that there is no end to the generous amount of
promotional offers and incentives for players to compete
in these types of virtual poker rooms and casinos on a
regular basis.
Considering the explosive popularity of the online poker
rooms and casinos, it is somewhat strange that the net
earnings generated for the establishment proprietors in
these types of industries are limited, due largely to
the tremendous amount of free rolls, free tournaments
and giveaways in the form of online poker promotions
that are considered run-of-the-mill in these types of
Internet based poker rooms. Without the promotions
offered by the poker sites, the level of activity that
is required to keep the poker rooms and casinos going
can rarely be reached by normal means, but by promoting
and advertising the online poker rooms and casinos, the
proprietors can practically ensure that there will be a
constant incoming stream of traffic to the poker rooms
that are so dependent on the revenue generated in these
types of Internet gaming portals.
Whether poker is a game of skill or luck is not simply a
theoretical argument, it is at the center of the
argument regarding the future of poker in the U.S. The
Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was
passed in 2006 and has just come into effect. The UIGEA
has made it illegal for financial institutions to
transfer money for bets when the “opportunity to win is
predominantly subject to chance.” The UIGEA specifically
exempts trading in stocks and horseracing; however,
poker is currently categorized as such leaving online
poker rooms that cater to American players having to
walk a strange dance.
Undoubtedly the best argument made in favor of poker
being considered a game of skill rather than a game of
chance was made by Sklansky. Sklansky’s point has more
to do with losing than it does with winning. With a pure
game of chance such as baccarat or roulette, it is
impossible for one to intentionally lose. Not that
anyone would intentionally would but it is still
impossible. One places a bet before anything is dealt or
rolled and whatever hits, hits. One can not deliberately
play poorly much in the same way that they cannot play
well. This is not true in the case of poker. Poker
offers the player plenty of opportunities to lose if
they would so wish. The truth is that most would argue
that poker is very much a game of skill; however, the
U.S. Congress appears to remain unmoved. |
