Poker Is Like Chess, Claims Expert

Poker players need the same level of skill as chess players if they are to succeed in the professional game.

Luck plays only a very small role in a successful poker strategy, according to an expert on the game.

Michael Caselli, editor-in-chief of Bluff Europe magazine, made the claim as he attempted to explain the surge in poker's popularity in recent years.

"Like chess, to play poker at a competitive level requires practice, education and a high degree of skill, luck plays very little factor in successful poker," he said.

The fact that so much about the game depends on skill means that new players find it "challenging" and become determined to improve their strategies, Mr Caselli added.

Bluff Europe is one of the sponsors of this weekend's Poker in the Park event in London, which will see a range of free-to-enter tournaments staged in Leicester Square.

Some of the best British professionals, including World Series of Poker bracelet holder Dave Ulliott and Irish Open champion Neil Channing, will be on hand to give tips to enthusiasts who attend the series of seminars that run alongside the tournaments.