Sat, 04/09/2011 – 00:19 – PokerPages Staff

Sweden’s Supreme Court has ruled that the cash poker is predominantly a game of chance and not skill.

Lawmakers in the Scandinavian country have been attempting to clarify the situation since six poker players were arrested for organizing a Texas Hold’em tournament four years ago.

Two of the men involved received jail time in 2008 as laws in the country state that playing a game which is predominantly based on luck is against the law.

However, The Court of Appeal overturned that ruling in May 2009, stating that tournament play is skill based.

Judge Goran Lamberth outlined the details of the decision which upheld that ruling.

“We have found that the main tournament and its side tournaments were not random chance games, but that skill does come into it.”

Therefore, the tournament held in Grebbestad did not breach gambling laws in Sweden though those involved did receive fines for participating in luck based side games.

Lamberth went onto reveal that cash games were deemed to have a higher degree of luck because players can leave whenever they choose.

“The cash games constitute games that primarily depend on luck as in the meaning of chapter 16, article 14 of the Criminal Code, while the main tournament and side tournament (sit and go) do not constitute games of luck.”