[ QUOTE ]
What is gambling?
[/ QUOTE ]
Risking something for a potential gain. More info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambling
[ QUOTE ]
Is poker gambling?
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes. Without a doubt.
[ QUOTE ]
What makes poker a game of skill?
[/ QUOTE ]
The fact that the decisions you make has a real effect on your long term expected outcome.
[ QUOTE ]
Does the fact that poker is a game of skill change anything?
[/ QUOTE ]
Nothing substantial.... I don't know what you mean.
A skill game and a gambling game are not mutually exclusive.
[ QUOTE ]
Do tournaments have less of a "gambling factor" than cash games?
[/ QUOTE ]
I don't think there are varying degrees of something being gambling - The definition from wikipedia, and any useful definition, is a binary situation - it is either gambling, or it is not. Something can't be half gambling.
I think, however, you're trying to ask about the variance of each game, and that varies according to the format of the game, the style of the game, the rules of the game, and the payout structure of the game. In STTs, someone (Irieguy?) proved that one standard deviation was almost always 1.9 as a result of a .5/.3/.2 payout structure. The search function will help you find that post if you genuinely care.
[ QUOTE ]
What are ways to get around poker as gambling? (to make it NOT gambling)
[/ QUOTE ]
Uh - I don't think it's possible in any meaningful way.
I guess you could play the game with all the cards face up, including those that are yet to come, and have a pre-determined deal for each hand. I assume that would eliminate the gambling aspect of it.
Alternatively, most people would not consider it to be gambling if there was no monetary value at stake, so you could have a "free" game of poker with 0/0 blinds.
On the other hand, if you explain a little more about the situation that you want to know this informatio for, it may be possible to provide some alternative ideas. You're asking very direct questions, and are going to get a bunch of joke answers and a bunch of very direct answers.
If you provide more information, some more meaningful answers may be possible.
Also, similar discussions about poker as a game of skill are reasonably common in the legislation forum.