Which Poker game has the least amount of luck?

[Doc T River]

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After watching some of the HORSE coverage on ESPN it got me wondering which game has the least amount of luck involved out of the five. By luck I mean the inability to control the outcome through bet sizing, reads, and other skill related factors.

I only play NL Hold'em and have very limited knowledge about the other games. It does seem to me that Stud and Razz especially are nothing but card catching contests.

In Omaha 8 there are so many different ways to win the pot, that you are never a huge favorite as in Hold'em for example. I think that NL Hold'em is the one game where skill heavily outweighs the luck, and it's not even part of the HORSE until the final table.

Again, I have very limited knowledge of the other games, and I'm not trying to offend anyone who enjoys all of the above mentioned games.

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I looked at all the responses and I did not see anyone point this out, but was No Limit Hold'Em even played in the HORSE event this year? I know the final table last year was nothing but no limit hold'em, but I thought this year was the traditional HORSE format.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I think that NL Hold'em is the one game where skill heavily outweighs the luck, and it's not even part of the HORSE until the final table.

That was only in last year's WSOP, and IMO was stupid.

The different games vary in complexity. In the play of your starting cards, Hold'em (NL, PL or limit) is a much simpler game than stud because you only get two cards, they are hidden and specific hand rankings based upon position can be assigned. The simple fact that in flop games position remains relatively constant makes that aspect stategically simpler.

Now, big bet poker gets more complex because bet sizing adds another strategic variable, but along with that you get more information from which to read your opponent as well.

Stud games also have an extra betting round, and hand values can change from round to round much more than in flop games. The extra betting round creates bigger pots relative to bet size and thus often makes chasing correct *if* you read you opponents correctly.

Which brings us around to the real reason HORSE is the ultimate test of poker skill even if it does not contain any big bet games. The most important skill in poker (and the hardest to learn) is hand reading, and since different actions can mean radically different things in the 5 HORSE games, the ability to utilize that skill is the key element to success in HORSE.

[blueodum]

Sort of off topic,

If you were to create a "standard" big-bet mixed game and had to choose 4 or 5 games, which would they be. The object would be to choose the games that tested as wide a range of poker ability as possible within the big-bet format.

[4W Cowboy]

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offhand I'd say Hi/Lo Stud. [ QUOTE ]
Have to agree..Although quite a bit of luck involved in making your hand. But I think 7 Stud helps in hold em play. It can help you read board texture and outs.

[KamiKatze]

chess imo