The much-hyped five-month, 10,000-hand poker challenge between Norwegian poker pro Ola “‘Odd_Oddsen” Amundsgård and politician Erlend Wiborg has fizzled out unexpectedly after the first clash, in which Wiborg was heavily defeated over an initial 1,056 hands.
The challenge was supposed to illustrate that over time skill will always trump good fortune, a key element in establishing whether the generally accepted definition of gambling can be applied to the game of poker.
In announcing he was folding on the entire challenge, Wiborg commented: “Ola was simply too tough. His superior skills clearly showed, and I didn’t have a chance. No million [kronor] for me, but we clearly demonstrated the core principle here, namely that poker is a skill game.”
Amundsgård gave his take on the clash, saying: “I was in total control and I feel I accomplished what I wanted; demonstrating that poker is a game of skill. Erlend never had a chance to win, and my million [deposited for the challenge] was never threatened.”