[dogreplacer]

I think poker is just as valuable to society as any other recreational activity or form of entertainment. For example, take a look at movies. They don't create any tangible benefit for man. You can't live in a movie. You can't eat it. You can't drive it to work.

But movies are fun to watch. And if you want to watch a movie, you have to pay $9.50. And if you want to have $9.50 you have to create $9.50 worth of value and give it to someone in exchange for $9.50. So forms of entertainment are valuable to society not just because people need to be entertained, but because that desire for entertainment motivates them to create value to society so that they CAN be entertained.

And it is the same way with poker. Most people like to play poker because they think it is fun, even though they know they are a favorite to lose. So by playing poker and providing these people with opponents to lose to, you are providing them with the service of entertainment and motivating them to keep creating value to society, because as losing players they obviously won't be able to sustain their poker habit without a steady influx of cash from an outside source.