What good are we? As poker players, are we socially responsible? - Page 3

greenroom1 · #21 01-08-2006, 03:56 PM

It is still money going to a good cause. I would venture to say that most money won in poker games doesn't go to charity. Giving to charity insures that a greater good from your winnings is used for a good cause. I think it is the least we can do with some of the money we win.

pvn · #22 01-08-2006, 04:49 PM

So if I rob a bank and give the money to charity, then that would count as "socially responsible" or "contributing to society"?

We're not talking about what you do with the money. We're talking about how you get it.

greenroom1 · #23 01-09-2006, 08:00 AM

Your not robbing the money. You are playing a game, and assuming your not cheating then the playing field is level. Win rate would be determined by skill and luck. I agree that there are many compulsive gamblers out there who are net longterm -EV players. By playing you allow that money to leave the poker table permanently.

dustyn · #24 01-09-2006, 09:31 AM

Economically, poker players create employment for the gaming/casino/entertainment industry. Whether it's online or in B&M, the "rake" we pay funds a business that creates jobs for others. While poker in and of itself is a zero sum game with overall limited economic value compared to many professions, professional poker players still create more than zero value.

pvn · #25 01-09-2006, 10:17 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Your not robbing the money. You are playing a game, and assuming your not cheating then the playing field is level.

[/ QUOTE ]

Again, yes. The point is that how you make the money is seperate from how you use the money. You can't say that activity A is "contributing to society" just because you take the money made in activity A and give it to charity.

pvn · #26 01-09-2006, 10:18 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Economically, poker players create employment for the gaming/casino/entertainment industry.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is consumption, not production.

TomBrooks · #27 01-11-2006, 12:13 PM

How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World - A Handbook for Personal Liberty discusses why and how you can live your life the way you want to, unencumbered by notions like you have an obligation to contribute something to society.

PS: The above link takes you to the page where you can read a few pages of the book, but it shows the book costing $70. Redo a search at Amazon (click the author's name) to find it for as little as $25.

gurgeh · #28 01-11-2006, 01:02 PM

I have to admit I didn't take the time to read your entire post, but I've seen this and heard this over and over again. If you are feeling a little guilty, that's okay, it's good you're talking about it.

But usually I hear this from people who simply don't like poker and are looking for a way to criticize something they don't even understand. The fact is, it's a cop out. I have never heard this said by anyone who applied the same reasoning to people in marketing, professional atheletes, or anyone in the entertainment industry. No you are not saving the world, but I say that many of us are much better off as people for poker and that all of us are worse off for television commercials. But oh my, poker is gambling, that's very very bad we can't have that so we'll use a completely different set of reasoning than we apply to every other occupation in the world.

Don't feel guilty. Poker is good. Poker, unless you're an idiot who has no interest in developing his game, helps teach you not to think like these people. Remember the first part of Sklansky's title in Poker, Gaming, and Life? It's "Fighting Fuzzy Logic." Don't use fuzzy logic. Don't buy the "What good is poker?" argument, because it's based on a false pretense.