Being told "professional poker doesn't contribute to society."

[BUSTO]

[ QUOTE ]
seeing as how it is taxed, it contributes.

[/ QUOTE ]

so if i go around stealing money from people and then pay taxes on that income, am i contributing too?

[tarheeljks]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
seeing as how it is taxed, it contributes.

[/ QUOTE ]

so if i go around stealing money from people and then pay taxes on that income, am i contributing too?

[/ QUOTE ]

do you honestly think that these two scenarios are analagous?

[stinkypete]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
seeing as how it is taxed, it contributes.

[/ QUOTE ]

so if i go around stealing money from people and then pay taxes on that income, am i contributing too?

[/ QUOTE ]

do you honestly think that these two scenarios are analagous?

[/ QUOTE ]

yes. the cash flows are the same. the production is the same.

[F0rtysxity]

ENTERTAINMENT. People have already mentioned this. To be productive members of society we need to find the balance between work and play, between following the rules and breaking them in, preferrably a regulated manner.
We have understood rules that say you can't act like a fool and we abide by them during the work week but then on the weekend we get drunk and ham it up. Because we can blow off some steam on the weekend we can easily follow the 'rules' of our culture for the remainder of the time. It's how societies work well.

Poker has is an adventure and is a way to blow off some steam. I feel that part of the allure of gamblind in general is the deconstruction of our value for money. We spend so much of our time saving tupence that to throw some around, burn it, make it rain or whatever is kind of like saying it's not the most important thing out there. Our spirit and enjoyment is more important. Even though gambling is all about money it still has an irreverence towards it.

To recap: poker and gambling is a venue where people can blow off some steam, enjoy themselves which allows them to better adhere to societies norms and restrictions in our daily routine.

Of course there are some problems, GA will list em for you.

[HumbertHumbert]

Diem totally owned this thread...I get the feeling that the people arguing that professional internet poker players are the same as professional athletes who entertain millions of people are delusional. If all you internet professionals disappeared no one would miss you.

[kleath]

How many jobs actually contribute to society? How many people choose their job because of this? Its an irrelevant question because "contributing to society" is an irrelevant concern to most people.

[stinkypete]

[ QUOTE ]
How many jobs actually contribute to society?

[/ QUOTE ]

probably like 99% of jobs. off the top of my head, i can't think of a single "real job" that doesn't contribute. examples?

[KRPI2k05]

Does it contribute to society? Probably not.

But who cares? Most people who ask me how playing poker contributes are generally doing everything they can to maximise the money they make from benefits and dodge taxes anyway.

"Oh I work as a bank clerk and make a [censored] wage and claim thousands off the state to pay for the upbringing of my four children, all of which are from different fathers, but hey, what do you contribute?"

Poker players most probably don't claim benefits like most of the working classes who do.

Maybe you are contributing by simply not taking money away from being invested in schools/healthcare etc.

When I told my mother I was playing poker, not working 9-5, and that I felt slight guilt that I didn't contribute to society (I was lying), she said "I don't care about that, most people work their jobs to get paid, not save the world".

Good point Mum.

Just my 2 cents

[stinkypete]

you're missing the whole point of the argument, and so is your mom.

and i don't understand why you all equate paying taxes with contributing to society. americans seem to think there's something patriotic about paying taxes. is that what you guys are taught in school or what?

[MarkD]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
How many jobs actually contribute to society?

[/ QUOTE ]

probably like 99% of jobs. off the top of my head, i can't think of a single "real job" that doesn't contribute. examples?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, I haven't read this whole thread but was going to respond without reading more but this quote is a perfect entry point.

Fundamentally I disagree with this. I work in the oil and gas world. I am engineer who helps design control systems that help oil and gas facilities run properly and run safely. I contribute to society, but I contribute in a negative way. I think a lot of our jobs that contribute to society contribute in a negative way.

I know I am going to need to expand on that, so I will. I am not an activist or an environmentalist but regardless of that I fully understand that the culture we live in is raping our planet and for what? Economics. So do I contribute to the economic foundation of society? Yes, I do. Does a poker player? No, he does not. Do I contribute to the environmental foundation of society? Yes, I do - in a negative way. Does a poker player? No, he does not - in anyway. So although poker players do not actively contribute to society they also do nothing to harm society either, so they are somewhat neutral.

As small of a distinction as that is I think it is an important one.