Poker is a game of strategy and luck merging into an intricate system of decisions that contribute to a player’s success or failure. Even if luck plays a big role, in poker, you have a fair chance of making a profit in the long run through skill.

As with some casino games, there are a number of myths and misunderstandings in poker. Here we examine the five most famous poker myths.

# 1: Poker is a pure game of chance

“It’s all a matter of luck …” is an often heard saying, especially when you’re about to lose. One only has to look at the results of the great poker players to see that the game is not just a matter of luck. It is not for nothing that the same names appear again and again in the big tournaments on the poker tour.

At the highest level of the game, players work with probabilities and carefully weigh the risks of each scenario. So it can sometimes happen that a hand or even a tournament is lost despite solid gaming behavior. However, the pros have confidence in their strategy, and the next time you try, the world will look very different.

# 2: Poker is bluffing

In the movie Casino Royale, Agent 007 wins a huge hand by shamelessly bluffing. This looks good on screen, and at the tables with professional poker players, bluffing is an integral part of the game. However, bluffing is NOT the most important part of poker.

Even if you look at the highlights of a poker tournament, a hand that is bluffing is sure to be shown. But that’s misleading because you miss all the other rounds where not much is happening. The secret of the bluff lies in using the tactic sparingly.

# 3: Body language is essential

Sometimes it seems like some professional poker players have superpowers that allow them to look inside their opponents’ heads. Amateurs are also spending more and more time reading books on body language.

In certain cases, such information can certainly influence a professional’s decisions. First and foremost, decisions should be made based on the opponent’s playing behavior (e.g., when they check/raise and bet) regardless of body language.

If you focus too much on your opponent’s body language, you run the risk of getting more unclear information than you would get through intuition and objectivity.

# 4: with a good strategy, you win 100%

The short answer is no. As I said, there are always situations where even the best-thought-out strategy does not help. Most good strategies have in common that they fold a lot, often pre-flop. So a bit boring.

# 5: The casinos are rigged

Anyone who says that hasn’t spent a lot of time in a casino. Anyone who has spent a bit of time in a casino knows that there are cameras in every corner for both players and staff. The consequences of employee fraud in a casino are severe, both in terms of fines and reputational damage. Online software is also regularly checked and tested to ensure that games are always safe and fair.

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