Gambling in the Bible?

[Carded]

How many of you consider this gambling?

Parts from Genesis 30 and 31

Jacob’s proposition: “Don't give me anything," Jacob replied. "But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: 32 Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. 33 And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen."
37 Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. 38 Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, 39 they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 40 Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban's animals. 41 Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches, 42 but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob. 43 In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.”
1 Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying, "Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father." 2 And Jacob noticed that Laban's attitude toward him was not what it had been.

Seems to me the agreement was gambling for the following reasons:
1) No more livestock were created from the deal, only how they would distribute.
2) Whether an animal is born spotted or not is basis on genetic chances.

[kerowo]

1. Why does this matter?
2. When the author thinks having critters breed in front of striped branches produces spotted offspring your points are obviously wrong. The author isn't showing this as a gambling but as someone being outsmarted by someone else.

[Carded]

I don't see your point. Gambling is about one person outsmarting someone else.

The two ways to get the best of it are either manipulating your chances to win or manipulating the expected return by the bettting structure.

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't see your point. Gambling is about one person outsmarting someone else.

[/ QUOTE ]

Apparently his point should have been that you lack an understanding of what gambling is.

[Carded]

So tell me duke, What is gambling? Also, why can not gambling included one person outsmarting another?

I would really like to know why outsmarting someone absolutely proves the action in question is not gambling.

[T50_Omaha8]

[ QUOTE ]
I would really like to know why outsmarting someone absolutely proves the action in question is not gambling.

[/ QUOTE ] It doesn't prove the action in question is not gambling. It also doesn't prove the action in question IS gambling

We have a term for these things: unrelated.

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
So tell me duke, What is gambling? Also, why can not gambling included one person outsmarting another?

I would really like to know why outsmarting someone absolutely proves the action in question is not gambling.

[/ QUOTE ]

TSO is on the money with them being unrelated. It's quite possible to have people gambling where nobody is outsmarting the other at all.

[kerowo]

For instance, no one is gambling with you in this thread.

[Carded]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I would really like to know why outsmarting someone absolutely proves the action in question is not gambling.

[/ QUOTE ] It doesn't prove the action in question is not gambling. It also doesn't prove the action in question IS gambling

We have a term for these things: unrelated.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly what I thought, unrelated. So i stand by my previous statement, "I see no point."

[onlinebeginner]

ever play dice against someone... nobody is outsmarting anyone

[SNOWBALL]

jacob was SHADY

[yukoncpa]

[ QUOTE ]
jacob was SHADY



[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. This was a con job, not a fair and square gambling game. The other guy didn’t stand a chance. He didn’t have an all knowing God on his side explaining that animals copulating in front of a striped fence will produce speckled offspring.

Laban was probably worshiping a weaker God that doesn’t reward theft and deceit.

[PLOlover]

[ QUOTE ]
jacob was SHADY

[/ QUOTE ]

jacob tricked his dad into giving him the inheritance iirc, although god hated his older brother esau so i guess that made it ok.

[Carded]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
jacob was SHADY



[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. This was a con job, not a fair and square gambling game. The other guy didn’t stand a chance. He didn’t have an all knowing God on his side explaining that animals copulating in front of a striped fence will produce speckled offspring.

Laban was probably worshiping a weaker God that doesn’t reward theft and deceit.

[/ QUOTE ]

So are you saying Poker is a con job? If I get information how to play from a superior source (good poker book) and play against someone who in the long run doesn't stand a chance to win because they lack the knowledge to compete.

[yukoncpa]

[ QUOTE ]
So are you saying Poker is a con job? If I get information how to play from a superior source (good poker book) and play against someone who in the long run doesn't stand a chance to win because they lack the knowledge to compete.

Post Extras


[/ QUOTE ]


Gambling is placing a wager on an uncertain event. I don’t think your Jacob story qualifies. As to poker, the information you spoke of is available to all. Being a good poker player takes practice, patience and scholarship, most people can acquire these virtues.

If on the other hand, you are cheating your opponent at poker, then it is a con job.

[vhawk01]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
jacob was SHADY



[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. This was a con job, not a fair and square gambling game. The other guy didn’t stand a chance. He didn’t have an all knowing God on his side explaining that animals copulating in front of a striped fence will produce speckled offspring.

Laban was probably worshiping a weaker God that doesn’t reward theft and deceit.

[/ QUOTE ]

So are you saying Poker is a con job? If I get information how to play from a superior source (good poker book) and play against someone who in the long run doesn't stand a chance to win because they lack the knowledge to compete.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, poker is a con job that is only tangentially related to gambling. Not all con jobs are gambling, not all gambling is a conjob, poker overlaps the two.

[Carded]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So are you saying Poker is a con job? If I get information how to play from a superior source (good poker book) and play against someone who in the long run doesn't stand a chance to win because they lack the knowledge to compete.

Post Extras


[/ QUOTE ]


Gambling is placing a wager on an uncertain event.

[/ QUOTE ]

So is it wrong to bet the river when I hold the stone cold nuts? Since, there is no uncertainty I know i have the best hand and will win. Thus, betting that situtuation is just a con-job.

Secondly, not all the sheep turned out striped or spotting there was some uncertiantity.

[vhawk01]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So are you saying Poker is a con job? If I get information how to play from a superior source (good poker book) and play against someone who in the long run doesn't stand a chance to win because they lack the knowledge to compete.

Post Extras


[/ QUOTE ]


Gambling is placing a wager on an uncertain event.

[/ QUOTE ]

So is it wrong to bet the river when I hold the stone cold nuts? Since, there is no uncertainty I know i have the best hand and will win. Thus, betting that situtuation is just a con-job.

Secondly, not all the sheep turned out striped or spotting there was some uncertiantity.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats like asking if its ok to collect on your bet after you win, since the contest is no longer in doubt. The gamble has already happened, you've won, now collect.

[ran]

OP forgot to mention whether Jacob was getting rakeback; clearly significant.

[PLOlover]

[ QUOTE ]
OP forgot to mention whether Jacob was getting rakeback; clearly significant.

[/ QUOTE ]

no he was not getting rakeback, until he tricked his brother into giving him his, at which point he also tricked the rakeback affiliate into thinking he(jacob) was his brother(esau), at which point he was successful in gettting rakeback.