Poker is a game with a skillful element which sets it outside the realms of gambling, it is not devoid of luck and anyone who wins a major tournament such as the WSOP will have to 'get lucky' at some point (even if they go the whole tournament without having to get lucky then that constitues getting lucky in my book). But you would never find so many professional players in a game of pure chance. How many professional keno players do you know? or craps players? But there are thousands upon thousands of professional poker players if it were a game of chance no one would win consistently.