Let's face it Poker isn't good for Society

[mojobluesman]

I hate to be contrarian on this issue because I enjoy poker so much, but it's explosive growth can't be good for society and the country in general.

1. There are people on the other end of our winnings. It's all very impersonal when the other guy is just a figure on a screen, but they are real people. They have wives, children, bills to pay etc... Some actually are children. Many are losing money they cannot afford to lose. We use them and take advantage of them.

2. It hardly makes sense for many of the most talented and intelligent members of society blessed with the ability to make their living playing poker to be dedicating those special gifts and that energy towards a gambling game instead of becoming doctors, scientists, technical wizards and other things that make people's lives better.

3. For now, all the profits are going to foreign companies that contribute little or nothing back to our tax base.

Of course it can be argued that there are all sorts of other gambling games out there that are legal, but that doesn't mean those things are any good either. They are also generally regressive in nature and take money from those that can least afford to lose it. At least some of those forms of gambling are less personal. We go out searching for fish and suckers to take money from.

[BGnight]

[quote
2. It hardly makes sense for many of the most talented and intelligent members of society blessed with the ability to make their living playing poker to be dedicating those special gifts and that energy towards a gambling game instead of becoming doctors, scientists, technical wizards and other things that make people's lives better.


[/ QUOTE ]

This is an idiotic statement. Do you want me to list the other 1000 professions that serve no useful purpose to a healthy society.

[MNpoker]

Please tell me how our society would be worse off if we outlawed McDonald's. (And only allowed Fast Food chains to sell food that meets certain 'healthy eating' requirements)

Benefit to society IS NOT a requirement for something to be legal, ESPECIALLY in a society that considers itself to be 'free'.

[Hock_]

Why does poker need to be good for society? Why does anything I do have to be good for society?

Go save the world if you want to; good for you. But don't force me to do or not to do anything because of your personal views on what is good and what is not. IMHO, it's exactly that type of freedom -- to do or not do whatever each of us wants so long as it doesn't harm others (in a way that is involuntary -- which playing poker clearly is not) that is at the core of this country's unequaled success. If you start messing with these basic freedoms, THAT's when you really start to pose a serious danger to society.

[mojobluesman]

I have no problem with you playing poker for a living. However, assuming you are as talented an individual as I suspect, I also have no problem saying that IMO society as a whole would be better served by you making another career choice. That doesn't mean I think you should be mandated to do something else. Just that we would all be better off if you did.

[mojobluesman]

There are many life choices that provide little benefit to society. Poker just happens to be one of them and near the top of the list. I don't want it to be illegal. I'm just pointing out the reality.

[MNpoker]

What if his second choice of occupations was to be a 'welfare receipient'?

You could make the EXACT same arguments about professional athletes.

[mojobluesman]

[ QUOTE ]
Please tell me how our society would be worse off if we outlawed McDonald's. (And only allowed Fast Food chains to sell food that meets certain 'healthy eating' requirements)

Benefit to society IS NOT a requirement for something to be legal, ESPECIALLY in a society that considers itself to be 'free'.

[/ QUOTE ]

Who said anything about making it illegal?

I don't want to make poker illegal. I don't want to make Mcdonalds illegal either.

I just have no problem pointing out that children eating tons of Mcdonalds is not a very good idea for the society as a whole because of health issues. Neither is having our best and brightest dedicating their lives to poker.

[Hock_]

[ QUOTE ]
I have no problem with you playing poker for a living. However, assuming you are as talented an individual as I suspect, I also have no problem saying that IMO society as a whole would be better served by you making another career choice. That doesn't mean I think you should be mandated to do something else. Just that we would all be better off if you did.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's very nice of you, but would your opinion change if you knew I was a lawyer? I probably cause a lot less mischief as a poker player.

[BGnight]

Day trading and real estate investing should be outlawed. These take about the same amount of "work" by very smart people, but are not shunned by society and they serve no purpose to make anyone's lives better.