What is the difference between contest w/ Prizes, and Gambling?

[xxThe_Lebowskixx]

You can enter writing contests were you pay $100 and attempt to win a first place prize that is either cash or scholarship or whatever.

How is this any different than a poker tournament?

[QuentinCompson]

Writing involves skill, and poker is nothing but luck, obviously.

And writing doesn't destroy teenagers' lives and family values like poker does.

Why make the writing arguement when you could make the horse-racing arguement, anyway? It's all BS.

[Kamakize]

Poker is considered a Skill in a few states.. California for one.

Horse Race Betting.. if you KNOW what you are doing.. can be Skill. since you have the stats there to understand and read.. (argument COULD be for sports as well)

But In Horse Racing if you lose, someone else gets the $$ as Parimutual pot. a % goes to the kitty, a % goes to the track a % goes to the Winner (Horse/jockey/etc) and a % goes to the OTB or palce that took the bet.

Sports you bet if you win you win, if not the house gets all the $$

[Auren]

What is difference between stockmarket and poker? Both take skill and both can be profitable if you know what you do.

What is difference between insurance and blackjack? In blackjack you bet your hand is better than dealers. In insurance you bet that your home will get robbed during time of insurance.

[Benholio]

[ QUOTE ]
What is difference between stockmarket and poker? Both take skill and both can be profitable if you know what you do.

What is difference between insurance and blackjack? In blackjack you bet your hand is better than dealers. In insurance you bet that your home will get robbed during time of insurance.

[/ QUOTE ]

Come on, insurance and blackjack?!

[Gregg777]

[yellowbastard]

I'm trying to come up with positions like this to take against people who might be in favor of the bill.

What is the reason why online poker is any different than investing in the stock market online? If I study 2+2 books and apply what I know to 5-10 on party poker and make +$20 per hour at the tables, how is this any different than me studying material on the capital markets and becoming a successful investor?

[m80smusic]

well for one thing, when you buy stock you have a piece of the company, and something to show for it.

when you lose a tournament you have nothing but a story

the stock market isn't just gambling on symbols, it's an investment. while I understand what you're saying about poker, the fact is one has substance and ownership, the other is money or no money

very different

[yellowbastard]

[ QUOTE ]
well for one thing, when you buy stock you have a piece of the company, and something to show for it.

[/ QUOTE ]

How does this make stock investing anymore safe/ moral/ ethical than poker? The company could file for bankruptcy tomorrow and your stock could be worthless.

[Jeff76]

[ QUOTE ]
How does this make stock investing anymore safe/ moral/ ethical than poker?

[/ QUOTE ]The inital question did not specify "safe/ moral/ ethical". It just said "what's the difference".

That you are investing in a tangible thing of value makes stocks very different from poker. In poker the situation you are wagering on has no value except for the wager itself.

There are a lot of stocks that are more risky than poker bets, and a lot that are safer as well. This is all dependent on the type of stock or investment you are making.

Another big distinction about stocks is that an investment can increase and make the investor money without having a "fish" on the other end losing money. The only loser is the one who sold the stock too early. Of course, the correlary is true as well- you can lose money in stocks without someone gaining. But in poker for someone to lose there must be a winner, and for someone to win there must be a loser.

Does this speak to the ethics or morality of either trading stocks or playing poker? Not really, but they are two different animals.