Small edges are why there’s so much money gambled in poker.
It’s hard to reach a skill level where you make money 50% of the night, but it’s not that hard to reach a point where you’re “only” losing 60% of the time. (That’s still significantly worse than playing roulette, but compared to chess competitions where hobbyists never win any sort of prize, you’ve at least got chances.)
Small edges are why there’s so much money gambled in poker.
It’s hard to reach a skill level where you make money 50% of the night, but it’s not that hard to reach a point where you’re “only” losing 60% of the time. (That’s still significantly worse than playing roulette, but compared to chess competitions where hobbyists never win any sort of prize, you’ve at least got chances.)