Lucky, or good?

Working in a convenience store, especially during a slower shift such as graveyards in which I have greater opportunity to converse with customers, I am fortunate enough to have a great variety of discussions on some topics which might not otherwise come up … some are analytical, others are philosophical. Some political, some inspirational. The one thing that is always a given is that people (and subsequent conversations) never fail to be interesting.

One such situation came up recently, in which a gentleman came through on his way to a texas hold-em poker tournament. Having played a little bit myself online and looked at some of the strategies, it made for a good discussion about various aspects of the game, how to read players and cards, and other points that can only be learned through time spent at the table. One of hte most interesting points of the conversation came in his view on the delicate balance of luck versus skill.

"I’d rather be lucky than good," he said … an interesting thought.

Anyone who understands texas hold-em poker (or any poker variety for that matter) understands that the balance of the game is decided through the ability to read the other players, combined with the luck of the draw necessary to get a good hand. However, the most interesting point came when he asked whether, sitting at the table, I’d rather have luck on my side, or the skill to read the players and cards.

Personally, regardless of the situation, I would far rather be good at something than merely having luck fall in my favor. Luck is an intangible variable, and at any given time you either have it or you don’t. Skill, on the other hand, is a trait which one develops into a pattern, and does so so steadily that the pattern becomes more of a scientific truth than anything else. Skills become set so absolutely that with near perfect precision, if the same circumstances are in place time and again, the result will remain the same–the skilled archer will hit the bullseye.

While luck is always a factor, Lady Luck (like the universe itself) is a fickle bitch who can turn her back on you in a heartbeat without reason or rhyme–I would rather hold faith in knowing that I am good at something than hope in thinking that I might be.