Poker’s ‘difficult’ reputation –what’s it all about?

Casino games come in a variety of styles and shapes – for example, playing a round or two at the roulette wheel is likely to be very different to the experience you can expect from the poker table. However, this is something of an ongoing phenomenon. To those who are yet to really get into poker as a game, it can seem fairly difficult to get to grips with. But why is this?

Despite the fact that poker has a reputation for complexity and a stack of rules, the game remains one of the most popular, worldwide, from casino to casino. You will easily find a virtual poker table or two at an NJ online casino, and real dealers at clubs across the states (not just in Vegas!). Surely if poker was that difficult, there’d be fewer people getting involved! So, what’s this all about?

It’s the skill factor

When we might see poker as a difficult game, we are perhaps confusing difficulty with the need for skill. Games elsewhere in the casino lounge, such as roulette and blackjack, are largely dependent on luck as well as risk analysis. Poker, meanwhile, takes a lot of the luck aspect away. After all, you don’t need the best hand in the game to win a round – though having a powerful hand certainly helps when it comes to the punch! This goes for reputable online games as well as at real tables.

Therefore, newbie players may immediately think poker is tricky purely because it requires consistent effort. There is genuine skill in learning the hands at stake, how to read people, and how to temper your thought process when playing. Getting ‘good’ at poker isn’t just a case of being in the right place at the right time. It’s about brushing up on technique and strategy, and ultimately, holding your nerve!

Is poker necessarily ‘difficult’?

Poker’s ‘difficulty level’ is fairly moot. That is simply because games will vary from play to play, and the players at the table will make the game what it is. Different players work to different levels of aggression and have varying risk attitudes. This can make a game trickier to analyze or work to your advantage depending on your experience, and your own attitude to risk.

Therefore, no – poker isn’t necessarily difficult. Even world class poker players experience variance from time to time. Everybody loses at poker eventually! What’s more, you can still win rounds based on poor hands if you know how to conduct yourself. That said, it’s never a good idea to get into a poker game assuming you’re going to win based on a few circumstances that will line up in a row. You have an active part to play, and the main difference between this game and others at your average casino is that there’s more effort demanded of you!

So, breathe easy. If you are new to poker, there is no need to worry about the complexity of the game. It certainly helps to do research and to practice before you take to the bigger games – but luck doesn’t have that much of a part to play.