Poker 'Is A Game Of Skill'

Poker requires ability and tactical awareness, according to judges.

Poker has been ruled by a court in the Netherlands to be a game of skill rather than chance.

The case kicked off when an individual organised a poker tournament, despite the law stating only the Holland Casino Group can arrange gambling events, reports Dutch News.

Because of this, the public prosecution department took the tournament chief to court in the Hague, with the case lasting for three-and-a-half years.

However, the law eventually sided with the defendant, concluding that poker is a game of skill and therefore is not liable to the same gambling rules as random events.

The judges suggested the presence of tactical strategies, psychological battles and experience in poker made it more than simply a question of luck, explains the online publication.

Also benefiting from poker laws this week are authorities in Colorado, US, where revenue from casinos has risen in the year since regulations were imposed allowing gambling complexes to stay open 24 hours a day.