Which Game Requires Most Talent?

[vypremik]

I would think that NL Holdem requires more talent than most games. Of course it also allows for a variety of winning playing styles.

I think tournaments require more playing style than regular tables, especially freeze-outs. You've got only one shot and you need to make it count.

Face to face requires more skills than an on-line game (although there are some skills to on-line play that face to face does not have). In particular you need to both use tells and defend against them.

I think mid-level stacks require more skill play than big or short stacks in tourneys. Big stacks have a lot of lee-way and can afford to make a few mistakes. Short stacks have very few options and are dictated more by the table and the cards than by skill.

Finally, I think a four to six handed table requires more skills than heads-up play. There are so many playable cards and so many strategies you can use. It requires a lot of knowledge about the players and their stlyes. Heads-up is more of a game of guts with a taste of caution mixed in. Nine and ten player tables are more about waiting for opportunities and position.

Not that I am saying other games don't require a high level of skill, but I think a five-handed NLHE live tourney table with approximately equal mid-level stacks requires a lot of skill to navigate through. That would be my vote.