chess or poker
 

I have a question targeted primarily to the serious chess players in the poker community. I was wondering which game you think requires more skill. I know that is a very general question, but I was hoping that might generate some spirited discussion.

I am a chess master in the United States Chess Federation (though I have not been active in about three years - about the time that I have been playing poker seriously), and I have some pretty detailed opinions on this. I'll provide them later, but I was wondering what others thought on the matter.

Re: chess or poker
 

ummm i thought the answer was pretty obvious

Re: chess or poker
 

Without really being good at chess at all (or poker [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]), i would have to think it's chess. You can dictate the game more than with poker, as there are many moves that your opponent must have a direct and specifc response to, which top players are going to maniupulate. The same is true in poker, however, there is also more of a luck factor and it's a partical information game, whereas chess is not. For that primary reason, i would guess that the highest levels of chess require more skill.

Also Samo, wtf, you are a chess master, ex professional athlete, and poker master. WHERE ARE THE HOLES IN YOUR LIFE!?

Re: chess or poker
 

Question is too general IMO. You need to give us some quantifiable means of equating a skill level in chess with skill level in poker.

Also, how do you define skill?

Re: chess or poker
 

ggbman, thanks for the compliments man - I really appreciate it.

Some (but not nearly all) basic arguments for chess would be:

- no one can be a world class chess player without much much more study and experience than it takes to be a world class poker player

- the game is more analytical and requires more complex thought

- calculation is both more important and more difficult than in poker

- the margin between great players and good players is much more than in poker

Some (but again, not all) basics for poker:

- while the imagination/creativity factor is similar to that in chess, the psychological factor is greater

- in chess, it is nearly always best to play one exact move in a given situation in a game while poker is deeper than that; a plethora of factors enter every situation which can make the "right" play different in exactly the same situation on a different day or session.

- much more emotional control and general temerity is required in poker

- computers can beat all but the best humans in chess; computers on the other hand will probably never be able to beat the best humans in poker. this is probably indicative of the greater intangibles in poker than in chess.

- in poker, one has to be able to adjust much more for specific opponents, moods, etc.

There are more arguments on both sides, but I wanted to creat some initial points for discussion ...

Re: chess or poker
 

chess and it's not close. There is ZERO luck factor in chess. The better player will win in the short run AND long run.

Samo,

Pro athlete? Huh?

Re: chess or poker
 

He played soccer professionally.

Re: chess or poker
 

More skill is required in chess mainly because there are strategies in poker that can be simple yet effective, i.e., being random. In chess, it's a battle of intelligence, and there are no easy ways to win. There is no "pushing around" in chess, or purely psychological factors. Because there are more resources for a player to employ, poker offers a less skilled player overall more opportunities to outplay his villain.

Re: chess or poker
 

[ QUOTE ]
He played soccer professionally.

[/ QUOTE ]

In the US or in a proper league?

Re: chess or poker
 

Megenoita, there is no way that a player can win at poker simply by "being random" or by "pushing around" when the situation does not call for it. Poker requires much more skill than that.