'Minimum amount of luck' needed for best poker players

2008-08-15 17:02:58

Professional poker players can enjoy great success even without much luck, it has been argued.

Michael Caselli, Bluff Europe magazine's editor-in-chief, was discussing the game ahead today's Poker in the Park event in London.

"Like chess, to play poker at a competitive level requires practice, education and a high degree of skill - luck plays very little factor in successful poker," he commented.

This is the reason why poker has proven to be such a success over the last few years, Mr Caselli explained.

His remarks contrast with those of PokerPlayer magazine's Dave Woods, who claimed earlier in 2008 that "a lot" of luck is needed to win the biggest cards competitions such as the World Series of Poker main event.

Mr Woods did say that competitors need to play well in order to triumph in these kinds of tournaments, but admitted that good fortune is a requirement as well.