The same could be said of HFT. Traders are "skilled" at having nanosecond access to the orderbook, having their servers co-located in the same rack space as the exchange itself. They are also "skilled" at recognizing a price movement nanoseconds before it actually happens and getting their order in just in time.
But the HFT game changes and you have to keep up. Just as a poker player from 10 years ago would not survive in the game today without adapting his style of play.
Poker is "a game of skill with an element of luck" and should not be confused with say, gambling on roulette or the outcome of a coin toss.