My religion forbids gambling or games of chance.

jojo11 · #1 09-25-2006, 10:17 AM

My religion forbids games of chance (where there is no skill involved) to be played for money as do nmost conservative faiths.

I would like to know if Limit poker is a game of skill or chance. I really want to play but this is the only issue that is stopping me from doing so.

Please do not say obvious things like, if you play 1 hand, then yes chance dominates the skill factor and if you play 10000, vice versa.

Could someone informed in this area comment please. It would really help me out and decide once and for all to play or not.

Does skill truly determine the FINAL outcome of this game?

Thanks.

wazz · #2 09-25-2006, 10:21 AM

There are lots of debates about this, but the short answer is that YES skill does generally truly determine the final outcome.

To help you think about your problem, would your religion forbid you from running an internet start-up? Or investing in the stock market? Every investment is a gamble to some degree, even if you think it is generally a money-maker.

uXs · #3 09-25-2006, 10:27 AM

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My religion forbids games of chance (where there is no skill involved) to be played for money as do nmost conservative faiths.

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It's both. If your religion forbids games of chance, period, then it's forbidden. If it forbids games of chance unless there is skill involved, then poker should technically be allowed.

However, religion is not always logical, and if you really care about it you'd be better off asking a priest (rabbi, ..., whatever) or some kind of religious scholar.

If you'd rather not ask a person like that, the best option is probably to tell us what religion it is. There are bound to be people on a forum as big as this one that know the rules for at least the bigger religions.

jojo11 · #4 09-25-2006, 10:45 AM

I have asked a scholar and am waiting for a reply. I am Muslim.

That's exactly what I have thought. Business and most sports have an element of chance attached to them. For e.g Pool. If you enter a tournament for a fee with the winner receiving a prize, and every entrant was as skilled as each other, what would happen? Wouldn't they pretty much win the same amount of games? And if they played the tournament 100 times over, the only clear winner would be the tournament organizer.

The key is to find players of a lesser skill in your game or field. That is how you win any game. Am I correct?

cardcounter0 · #5 09-25-2006, 11:03 AM

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if you play 1 hand, then yes chance dominates the skill factor and if you play 10000, vice versa.

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jojo11 · #6 09-25-2006, 11:49 AM

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Please do not say obvious things like, if you play 1 hand, then yes chance dominates the skill factor and if you play 10000, vice versa.

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[ QUOTE ]
if you play 1 hand, then yes chance dominates the skill factor and if you play 10000, vice versa.

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Should I have said Christian? [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

hachkc · #7 09-25-2006, 11:55 AM

Chance determines what cards are dealt out but you determine what you do with them based on you skill level. Overing the long run, a skilled player will win while a lesser skilled or unskilled player will lose. That being said, no amount of skill in the world will can help you win every hand. Sometimes you are just gonna lose and the best you can do is minimize your losses which does take skill.

#8 09-25-2006, 11:57 AM

troll

fire_fly · #9 09-25-2006, 12:50 PM

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Please do not say obvious things like, if you play 1 hand, then yes chance dominates the skill factor and if you play 10000, vice versa.

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you answered your own question. so why are you posting this, if poker is "obviously" skill in the long run?

think before you post please

MicroBob · #10 09-25-2006, 01:03 PM

If you've never played poker before then you are very likely to lose anyway.

Interesting to note that there is a CHANCE that you could win in the short-term...but that would make it gambling and you shouldn't play.
But in the long-term it is almost a cinch that you will lose (unless you study the game) in which case it isn't really gambling as much, it is just 'donating' which means that it is okay for you to play.

But this same argument could be made for any number of other non-skill gambling games such as roulette and slots.
If you play long enough then maybe it is no longer gambling, it's just LOSING.