Is it possible...

[JackWilson]

Is it possible that over one person's lifetime he could be a consistent loser at poker, given that he plays beautifully (perfectly even)? If so, what are the chances?

I have a friend who wants to know. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

He was obviously joking but I had to concede the fact that it seems possible.

[Piz0wn0reD!!!!!!]

it depends on how much he plays. the more he plays, the less likely its possible. After 10 million hands im sure the chances are "huge number i cant fit here":1

[The Truth]

It is possible that I will get pocket aces, flop quads and lose to a straight flush 100 million times in a row.
actually, i think that is the run im on.

[Siegmund]

Do you play at Party? If so, you must be a very rich man, on a run of bad beats like that. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Seriously, to the original poster:

Yes, it's possible - how likely it is depends how much he plays and what games he plays in. If he plays against other people who are as good as he is, the ame would only be a break-even proposition for him (or worse, if it's a raked game where everyone's equally good, everyone can wind up a lifetime loser!)

If he's good enough to beat the games he plays in, being a net minus for several thousand hands is still possible -- and if you play B&M one night a week (among bridge players, a regular game one night a week is pretty common; it could be among poker players too) you will play few enough hands that a net minus over a few years isn't too unlikely.

If he plays frequently and he knows something about table selection, it remains a mathematical possibility but is fantastically unlikely to be behind for that long.