[Article] Is Playing Poker ReallyGambling?

[LuxuryMaster]

Many people have perception that gambling is bad for you. Well, I agree in a sense. Image gambling 1/10 of your bankroll with a dice. If you roll 1-4 you double your money, if you roll 5-6, you lose your money. You are getting 2/3 (~67%) odd on your money. Now, imagine gambling your whole bankroll with a dice. If you roll 1-3 you double your money, if you roll 4-6, you lose your money. Would you call both cases a gamble?

Wikipedia defines gambling as

"wagering money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods"

Based on the definition, both of the activities described above are gambling. It is true that you are betting your money on uncertain outcome. However, what if you have a better chance of winning even slightly? Imagine having a favor over 1,000,000 dice rolls. Can you imagine how many times you can double your backroll?

Poker is a game of intellectual guessing - You can never see what the other players are holding. However, there are certain factors to be observed - Odd, amount to bet, tendency of player, betting pattern, the amount of time an opponent take on certain hand, facial expression, shoulder level, eyes movement, the way they talk, and much more! Skilled players make these critical observations and use it on their favor in order to generate the maximum amount of profits. Can you understand the advantages you gain from perceiving these factors? I take these factors as an additional add to win my games. Just like the dice example above, if you have an extra winning number, your profit will enhance significantly in long-term. It is also true that you can lose the money even with these perfect observation skills. However, in a long term, professional players will generate tremendous income from these edge.

This is exactly why I call Poker a skill game and can be a profession. I really get disgusted from people saying Poker is gamble so you should quit. How can one really lecture others without knowing what they are talking about. We see people working on Mcdonald's drive through and make $5 hr vs people working on a law firm making over $200/hr. What do you think is their difference?
Education is my prior investment in my life at this moment. It is just not the schools but becoming an sophiscated and intellecture individual takes a lot of dedication and work. This is exactly why I still go to the school and work as a software enginner although I can afford to live my way just by playing Poker 3-4 hours a day.

Some people just don't say it and just look Poker players with their sunglasses on. This is exactly why I don't share my poker stories with an unintellectual inmates in real life. For the people who heard my deep Poker story in person, you deserve to be an intellectual individual, at least on my own perspective!

[illini43]

Not to burst your bubble, but even getting when you get your money in as a 95% favorite, you are still gambling.

Poker is gambling. It is a form of gambling that gives the opportunity for players with sound knowledge of the game and who make mathematically correct plays the ability to become long-term winners.

If one gambles by playing the lottery or roulette - over the long-term, they will be losers because of the inherent disadvantage in the game.

Poker allows players to gamble their money with a much higher possibiliy of ROI than the lottery or other, house-favored casino games.

[excession]

Hmm.. not so sure - gambling implies taking a risk.
If I play 10 hands vs Phil Ivey I have a decent (<50% for sure but still decent) chance of coming out ahead. If I was given the amount of Phil's roll (say by Bill Gates) and played at stakes where the BB was 1/10th of that amount, Phil is gambling.


If I sat down at a $200 table and played Phil over 100,000 hands, Philp isn't gambling in any meaningful sense of the word...(he is wasting his valuable time, but that's another issue).

[pokergame66]

Actually poker is a scam in most cases right now due to the high rake fees imposed at most sites. What i'm saying is after all the rake is paid only the sites are really winning.

And its true.

[silver book]

Is driving a car, with the intention of living, gambling?

[KneeCo]

Yes.

Poker is gambling.

Idiot.

[Bill Murphy]

Stocks, bonds & derivatives, ftw?

[LoosenUp]

[ QUOTE ]
Is driving a car, with the intention of living, gambling?

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a good point.

The way you are labeling poker gambling can apply to almsot everything we do day in and day out.

[bap2086]

op are u by any chance perfume from tft?

[Ramon Scott]

Is the second post from the guy that wrote the rake is the real winner - there is no one that can win over the long run article?