Poker - Luck vs. Skill from a different angle

[candyman718]

I have no doubts that in the long run poker is a game of skill. I have done a lot of thinking on this question due to having to constantly defend my position from family, friends and even other players who think the game is one of luck.

But, there is one thing that has been eating at me for some time now. Most of the players that I think are among the best players in the world are degenerate action junkies. During High Stakes Poker on GSN last season, the all-star lineup was so obsessed with the prop bets ( what cards would come out on the flop) the producers had to ban the prop bets for the next season, because it slowed down the play and dominated the table talk. TJ Cloutier, one of the greatest tournament players of all time has reportedly lost all his winnings at craps tables. Daniel Negraneu plays high stakes golf against seasoned players despite the fact he is just a beginner at the game. Phil Ivey can regularly be found betting obscene amounts in the High Roller BlackJack Pits. Some of the better players on this forum 'coinflip' at the 10/25 NL tables.

Don't my arguments that poker is a game of skill and one of seeking out +EV situations and grinding out a profit lose some of their weight when the best players in the world seem to be constantly seeking out -EV situations in an attempt to make a quick buck?

Sometimes I feel like someone who's backed a politician who preaches family values only to find that he's been caught snorting blow off a hooker's [censored].