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Poker Is A Game Of Skill: Fact

POKER is a game of skill.

Always.

Well, not always. Or ever...

At Case Western Reserve University, USA, Michael DeDonno and Douglas Detterman are counting the cards.

They are watching students play poker. Data is being harvested. Sums calculated. Some students are given tips and a strategy.

They are told that professional players play on average about 15% of the hands dealt to them. They should do the same.

And the conclusion is that those players armed with strategies to make decisions do better than those without the strategies.

Such is the way of university research the world now knows that dumb luck is not everything.

Of course, the key finding was that all players improved as the hands progressed.

So practice makes better. And the more you practice the better you become.

As one poker commentator it: "The ability to force your will upon a table allows you to bring your own luck. Forcing others to fold by bluffing also is a way of creating your own luck."

And one more thing: if you can't be lucky, be careful.

Play online and practice with bonus bet.

• Poker