There’s quite a debate raging on the internet about the relative merits of chess and poker.

I’ve never played competitive poker although some chess players, such as Eddie Levi and Guy West, are excellent card players. The closest I’ve come is when a spectator commented to me that I had a “poker face” as he could never tell if I was winning or losing my chess game by looking at my expression. Apart from that, there are some similarities between chess and poker. Both require an understanding of psychology, risk taking and the ability to think quickly.

You can win (or lose) more money at poker than chess but, unless you intend to make a career out of gambling, chess must surely be the better option. I can’t see poker being taught in our schools!

Here is a selection of people’s views on the subject:

Comment 1

Poker is a game of luck, chess is all skill. You have no idea what the other person has in their hand, that’s why it’s called gambling. You can play poker drunk and still win a fair percentage of hands by just getting lucky.

Comment 2

I think that poker is every bit as challenging as chess. If you can master the ratios and probability, you can greatly increase your odds. You can also learn a lot about human behaviour/psychology in regard to when one goes on or folds.

Comment 3

I quit studying chess because it is frustrating having no chance against a player so much better than you. In poker that’s not ever the case, you always have a chance, and it’s often the most fun to play someone better than you.

Comment 4

Poker a better skill set to teach kids than chess? Looks like you want to promote gambling at an early age … great idea! … in terms of “fast-changing circumstances” … that version of chess is called Blitz. It’s on the clock, and you have 5 minutes. It really does keep you on your toes.

I studied and played competitive chess throughout high school … I took lessons, played competitively, and in my senior year was proud to be captain of my high school team.

I just turned 30, and own a engineering consulting business, have 3 engineering degrees, and a couple of patents. I owe a lot of my success to chess. Chess does wonders for your ability to think analytically, understand consequence, learn planning and creativity. I say chess is a fantastic program for kids, and the more schools that we can get it into, the better!

Comment 5

If you don’t like losing, stick to games like Poker. If you lose you can say things like, the cards were against you, or the referee missed that foul on me or they were probably cheating. There is no hiding place in Chess. I admit that I am not always comfortable with that thought, but look at the other extreme, Snakes and Ladders. Pure luck. It is about who rolls the right number at the right time. How do you feel if you win Snakes and Ladders? You feel good, right, but it feels very hollow.

Now imagine how it feels to win a game of pure skill.