Statistical Analysis: Poker is a Game of Skill

Statistical Analysis: Poker is a Game of Skill

Tuesday, 31 March 2009

Some months ago we reported that software developer Cigital had taken over 100m hands from PokerStars to analyse the results and determine if skill or luck was the overriding factor in NLHE.

Cigital said: “Many legal jurisdictions apply a ‘dominance test’ such that if the outcome is predominantly determined by chance, then the game is considered to be gambling. If the outcome is predominantly determined by skill, then the game is not considered gambling.”

Out of the 103,000,000 hands, 75.7% did not result in a showdown. This meant that the players’ decisions and skills resulted in the win, not the luck of the cards. The outcome of the hands and these findings could be used in future court cases involving poker and gambling.



Tags: Poker News, Statistical, Analysis:, Poker, is, a, Game, of, Skill