I have elaborated the Skill Poker Index according to a course of regulation of the discipline and it has been necessary to start from the basics and understanding the difference between game and sport.
The origins of game
Etymologically the word game originates from the Latin iocus, and includes multiple meanings, from board games , to individual or childish games up to gambling. Another term that refers to the game is ludic, also from the Latin ludus which means fun and entertainment, often used as synonyms. Archaeological finds testify the existence of the game already with the presence of the first prehistoric men, used mainly as magical rituals to entertain the village. Over time they have become predictive rituals evolving into today’s gambling forms [Tani and Ilari, 2016].
Definition of game
Sociologist Roger Caillois elaborates a classification identifying four categories of games: Agon, Alea, Mimicry and Ilinx. The author considers the first two fundamental, defining them as opposing and complementary elements. Agon identifies the games where the result of the performance depends on the commitment and the skills of the participants. With Alea are represented all those games in which the results depend on the random component. The categories classified by Caillois are characterized by two common elements, Padia and Ludus, two sides of the same coin. With Padia he defines all those components of the game that activate a mechanisms of carefree and fun. With Ludus he indicates all the components that, instead, require more attention, commitment and application by the subject involved for a successful performance.
Position of cards game
Depending on the degree of padia or ludus required by the game, Caillois classifies the categories of games. According to this logic he places gambling in the category Alea, setting as an example the card game that, although it includes a certain component of skill, the fate of the player depends on luck [Tani and Ilari, 2016].
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Pietro Semeraro
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