luck and hold'em
Hold'em is as close to "skill over luck" as you can get and still not squeak when you walk. NOTHING is more profitable than the player belief in luck--that with a little luck he or she can wax the best and walk out the second coming of Moneymaker. It just isn't true.
However, virtually every serious bettor I know wants you to believe it is true, because it removes the immense responsibility of developing your skills as far as you can. After all, if the outcome is strongly influenced by luck, why bother with developing playing skills? Sit right down, push your chips into the pot, and rely on Lady Luck to take care of you. I LOVE that philosophy!
Seriously, luck happens, but it seems to happen in equal share to most of us. Some people would like you to believe that the outcome in Hold'em is almost as random as greyhound racing. (That is a joke--dog racing is almost mechanically predictable--not random at all.) Those same people want you to accept that belief because it gives the strategy player an almost overwhelming advantage.
Good Luck
