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

Even people who do not object to gambling because of moral or spiritual beliefs often come up with this one. Anyone have a good answer? Shouldn't you quit poker now and run off to become a doctor so that you can "contribute to society?"

Greenstein has obviously decided he doesn't contribute and has decided to give to charity, but I think pro poker contributes by itself -- it's just a little difficult to explain.

Give it a shot.

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

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Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

Well I guess you are some kind of entertainer for amateur players who want to play some cards. You offer them the action they want.
They pay you with the money they lose

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

I see it as just another way of making a living.

How does a bank clerk contribute to society? He doesn't, he just works, gets his money and puts food on his family's table. Same with poker pros.

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

Entertainment for jimm.

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

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I see it as just another way of making a living.

How does a bank clerk contribute to society? He doesn't, he just works, gets his money and puts food on his family's table. Same with poker pros.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah, he helps you deposit checks and withdraw money, get a loan, etc. Without him, we'd have trouble using the bank, and we need banks.

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

How does Wall Street contribute to society?

How does the President of the United States contribute to society?

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

[ QUOTE ]
How does Wall Street contribute to society?

How does the President of the United States contribute to society?

[/ QUOTE ]

1. Wall Street helps us buy and sell companies.
2. The president helps us bomb the brown people. Duh

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Well I guess you are some kind of entertainer for amateur players who want to play some cards. You offer them the action they want.
They pay you with the money they lose

[/ QUOTE ]

They could play without professionals and have just as much fun, maybe more, without live pro nits at the table.

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

Professionals entertain recreational players so i consider them entertainers like actors ball players etc.

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

Quote:
Well I guess you are some kind of entertainer for amateur players who want to play some cards. You offer them the action they want.
They pay you with the money they lose



They could play without professionals and have just as much fun, maybe more, without live pro nits at the table.



What about Andy Beal?

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

I didn't sign the social contract.

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Well I guess you are some kind of entertainer for amateur players who want to play some cards. You offer them the action they want.
They pay you with the money they lose

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

[ QUOTE ]
How does Wall Street contribute to society?

How does the President of the United States contribute to society?

[/ QUOTE ]

don't answer a question with a question you societal leech

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

If you live in America don't you pay a hefty amount of taxes?

Don't taxes contribute to society?


Contributing to society is so relative it cannot be argued. Thousands of job descriptions out there don't "contribute" to society but there are no social stigmas attached to it.

If you were a VP for a tabacco / alcohol company people wouldn't say anything about "contribution".

If you owned a casino no one would really cough down your neck about "contribution".

If you are a salesman for some useless medical drug / pill that doesn't help people do anything would people give you grief about not "contributing"?

No.

Next time someone asks you that question, just say you pay a lot in taxes and that you are helping paying their kids to go to elementary / highschool as well as helping build roads and pay salaries for civil servants and if they don't think that is contribution they can go screw themselves.

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
How does Wall Street contribute to society?

How does the President of the United States contribute to society?

[/ QUOTE ]

1. Wall Street helps us buy and sell companies.
2. The president helps us bomb the brown people. Duh

[/ QUOTE ]
I hope you're leveling regarding #1.

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

[ QUOTE ]
If you live in America don't you pay a hefty amount of taxes?

Don't taxes contribute to society?


Contributing to society is so relative it cannot be argued. Thousands of job descriptions out there don't "contribute" to society but there are no social stigmas attached to it.

If you were a VP for a tabacco / alcohol company people wouldn't say anything about "contribution".

If you owned a casino no one would really cough down your neck about "contribution".

If you are a salesman for some useless medical drug / pill that doesn't help people do anything would people give you grief about not "contributing"?

No.

Next time someone asks you that question, just say you pay a lot in taxes and that you are helping paying their kids to go to elementary / highschool as well as helping build roads and pay salaries for civil servants and if they don't think that is contribution they can go screw themselves.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point. What about countries where professional poker players don't pay taxes?

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

Unless it is televised, poker is just an isolated event inside some room. Nobody not at that table benefit from the game taking place.

Televised poker could be considered entertainment, in the same way as football games, and has a purpose in society.

The society needs leaders (e.g. The President).
The society needs lawyers.
The society needs doctors.
The society needs bank clerks.

I have problems finding any profession that is comparable to poker players in terms of society uselessness.

Edit: Taxes do contribute to society. I'm looking past that right now.

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

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Professionals entertain recreational players so i consider them entertainers like actors ball players etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

What about Andy Beal?

[/ QUOTE ]
What about him??

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
How does Wall Street contribute to society?

How does the President of the United States contribute to society?

[/ QUOTE ]

1. Wall Street helps us buy and sell companies.
2. The president helps us bomb the brown people. Duh

[/ QUOTE ]
I hope you're leveling regarding #1.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, no. The actual stock markets help us buy and sell companies. The talking heads at least think they are helping us in some way... but do we really think we're helping anyone?

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

theres no argument agaisnt it because theyre right.

so? ty for your money dumbasses now i go snort coke from a bunch of silicontits, have fun at your job sucker.

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

[ QUOTE ]
theres no argument agaisnt it because theyre right.

so? ty for your money dumbasses now i go snort coke from a bunch of silicontits, have fun at your job sucker.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL

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

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
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Professionals entertain recreational players so i consider them entertainers like actors ball players etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

What about Andy Beal?

[/ QUOTE ]
What about him??

[/ QUOTE ]

Wanted to quote another post and got this one instead of it. I edited it now. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

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

It is true, Pro Poker does not contribute to the society.

Only a poker player makes himself believe that it does. Barry Greenstein is a good example. It is like Pablo Escobar donating millions to charity, to offset the damages.

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

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Good point.

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not really. redistributing wealth from individuals to the government doesn't qualify as contributing imo.

the point that plenty of other occupations don't contribute is valid, but that doesn't make being a poker player any "better" imo.

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

I win most of my money from foreigners. Therefore I create wealth in my own country. If some Frenchman donks off a stack to me and I go spend it then at least 'my society' is better off.

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Good point.

[/ QUOTE ]

not really. redistributing wealth from individuals to the government doesn't qualify as contributing imo.

the point that plenty of other occupations don't contribute is valid, but that doesn't make being a poker player any "better" imo.

[/ QUOTE ]

It is contributing to society... just in a less efficient manner.

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

[ QUOTE ]
Unless it is televised, poker is just an isolated event inside some room. Nobody not at that table benefit from the game taking place.

Televised poker could be considered entertainment, in the same way as football games, and has a purpose in society.

The society needs leaders (e.g. The President).
The society needs lawyers.
The society needs doctors.
The society needs bank clerks.

I have problems finding any profession that is comparable to poker players in terms of society uselessness.

Edit: Taxes do contribute to society. I'm looking past that right now.

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

You can argue redistributing the wealth does.


Fish can either:

1) Lose money to other fish
2) Lose money to pros that withdraw
3) Lose money to rake

There is only 1 option where they can lose money where the money goes back to the government.

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Good point.

[/ QUOTE ]

not really. redistributing wealth from individuals to the government doesn't qualify as contributing imo.

the point that plenty of other occupations don't contribute is valid, but that doesn't make being a poker player any "better" imo.

[/ QUOTE ]

It is contributing to society... just in a less efficient manner.

[/ QUOTE ]

explain?

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

It is just a game - do any games "contribute to society"? Whether an individual should "contribute to society" is a different question.

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

[ QUOTE ]
You can argue redistributing the wealth does.


Fish can either:

1) Lose money to other fish
2) Lose money to pros that withdraw
3) Lose money to rake

There is only 1 option where they can lose money where the money goes back to the government.

[/ QUOTE ]

the rake is taxed too, but why do you equate giving money to the government with contributing to society?

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Good point.

[/ QUOTE ]

not really. redistributing wealth from individuals to the government doesn't qualify as contributing imo.

the point that plenty of other occupations don't contribute is valid, but that doesn't make being a poker player any "better" imo.

[/ QUOTE ]

It is contributing to society... just in a less efficient manner.

[/ QUOTE ]

explain?

[/ QUOTE ]

The government builds roads, free healthcare for the poor, etc. It's not effecient but some of my tax dollars actually do go towards helping other people. The rest go to bombing people in other societies, but that's okay because the bombs help them live better lives, in freedom!

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

Poker Pro's contriube to society by spending money and paying taxes. Because of that I believe being a poker pro contributes more than most other jobs.

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

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Without him, we'd have trouble using the bank, and we need banks.

[/ QUOTE ]
no we dont.

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

I have no obligation to contribute to society.

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

[ QUOTE ]
It is true, Pro Poker does not contribute to the society.

Only a poker player makes himself believe that it does. Barry Greenstein is a good example. It is like Pablo Escobar donating millions to charity, to offset the damages.

[/ QUOTE ]

Or Frank Lucas donating turkeys at Thanksgiving in Harlem; queue the music!

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

It does'nt but neither do a lot of other jobs that are more traditionally accepted. What level you choose to contribute to society is up to you and you can still contribute even if your job does not, look at BG for example.

Re: Does professional poker contribute to society?
 

I think playing poker and doing nothing but use the money on yourself contributes nothing (although it puts money back in the economy when you spend it)

However, I think when you get to a level where you make enough money to invest a decent amount of it or donate it you are contributing as much as anybody else. I think as long as a very low percentage of the population tries to play professional poker it is not that harmful to society overall.

If you go to a casino every day, win or lose money, buy nothing but a few things for yourself here and there aside from essentials, you would be contributing nothing.

But if that's contributing nothing to society, what's the difference when you talk about actors or musicians? Isn't that close to the same as a poker player who for instance makes a lot of TV final tables?

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

Have some kids and raise them well, there ya go, job done.