Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game

IDONKCALLU

Speaking to a freind who never bets or gambles i say i play poker a fair bit and do ok from it  they said you are gambling money i dont see it as gamblind myself as i have experience in the game so i have a edge against a newbie     if a newbie played poker then id say it is gambling as they dont know the basic fundamentals of the game 

imo roullttes are gambling as just luck poker is skill  thoughts ?

chilling

In Response to Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game:

Speaking to a freind who never bets or gambles i say i play poker a fair bit and do ok from it  they said you are gambling money i dont see it as gamblind myself as i have experience in the game so i have a edge against a newbie     if a newbie played poker then id say it is gambling as they dont know the basic fundamentals of the game  imo roullttes are gambling as just luck poker is skill  thoughts ?
Posted by IDONKCALLU

If you are a winning player over a LONG period of time, i'd suggest poker for you is either an investment or an income.

If you are a losing player over a LONG period of time, then i'd suggest its gambling.

Throw into the mix a player getting staked or playing their whole bankroll each time they play, then.................................i need a drink.

tomgoodun

In Response to Re: Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game:

In Response to Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game : If you are a winning player over a LONG period of time, i'd suggest poker for you is either an investment or an income. If you are a losing player over a LONG period of time, then i'd suggest its gambling. Throw into the mix a player getting staked or playing their whole bankroll each time they play, then.................................i need a drink.
Posted by chilling

It's gambling win or lose.

tomgoodun

In Response to Re: Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game:

In Response to Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game :  Poker is gambling. It involves SOME skill, also some luck. You are placing something of a monetary value in order to win a prize, hence the gamble as you are not guaranteed to win. People who gamble on horse racing regular could use your analogy ( I play often so I am skilled) but the definition of gambling is mentioned above. Good Luck on the felt gambler
Posted by tomgoodun

StayOrGo

It's always hard to explain this to non-poker players.

Yes it is gambling, but there is certainly a skill edge.

When I try and explain this to non-poker players, I use an example of throwing a dice.

The experienced player will win every time it's a 1,2,3 or 4 and the inexperienced when it's a 5 or 6.

If each player doubles their money when they win, over an extended period of throws the 1,2,3,4 guy will prevail handsomely.

Of course over a small sample the 5,6 guy may get lucky.

This seems the easiest way to explain it. Of course if you have a good sharkscope graph, you can always point them at that.

Cheers,

G

IDONKCALLU

i said to my freind if i played u at poker who would win they said i would as i know how to play and they dont kinda says it all really if u have an edge over some 1 its not gambling 

IDONKCALLU

well said stay or go 

goldon

It's only Gambling if there's Money involved....... Win or Lose.     Playing Poker in Free play for points it's .......just a Game. !

aussie09

ive just thought...

do bookies gamble?  do casinos gamble?

probably not.  they are businesses.

everyone that goes to the bookies and those who go to a casino gamble.

in poker, the business is to take rake.  everything else is gambling.

if a player could guarantee taking money then they are in business.

tomgoodun

In Response to Re: Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game:

i said to my freind if i played u at poker who would win they said i would as i know how to play and they dont kinda says it all really if u have an edge over some 1 its not gambling 
Posted by IDONKCALLU

I took your question as " Is poker gambling"? 

Poker IS gambling

If you are playing someone who has never played before you may have an edge, but you are still NOT guaranteed to win.so I disagree in your statement " kinda says it all really"

What part of the question would you like an answer to? - is poker gambling ? -Yes 

will you over time make a profit over someone who hasn't played the game?- Maybe.

unknown_username

you have a friend

gerardirl

I've given up trying to explain this to anyone. I just never mention that I play poker because i find if you do they think you need to go to rehab.

The same people dont see doing the lotto as gambling, but it is.

Ger

MP33

In Response to Re: Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game:

I've given up trying to explain this to anyone. I just never mention that I play poker because i find if you do they think you need to go to rehab. The same people dont see doing the lotto as gambling, but it is. Ger
Posted by gerardirl

+1 . I did spend many hours in a drug and alcohol rehab last year trying to explain the difference between playing poker and games of total chance like roulette and blackjack,(even tried explaining BR management)  but i might as well have been banging my head against a brick wall. I understand their reasoning behind their warnings of where it might lead but they see it all as the same. they were all a bit brainwashed i there tho. Even got a rollocking for watching a film with poker in it

Jac35

"But how much did you lose"

MattBates

In Response to Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game:

Speaking to a freind who never bets or gambles i say i play poker a fair bit and do ok from it  they said you are gambling money i dont see it as gamblind myself as i have experience in the game so i have a edge against a newbie     if a newbie played poker then id say it is gambling as they dont know the basic fundamentals of the game  imo roullttes are gambling as just luck poker is skill  thoughts ?
Posted by IDONKCALLU

For you it is gambling

Enut

Haven't the authorities in the UK decided it IS gambling and therefore profits are NOT taxable? But what do they know?

From a personal point of view I would disagree. Having gambled all my life (in a very small way) up until I started playing poker I would say that, long term, the skill element means that it is not.

There are quite a few very rich professional poker plays, does anybody know a professional slot machine player?

I would say if you have the correct bankroll management it is a game of skill, if you have no bankroll management then it is gambling pure and simple....and you will go broke.

SQUARKEY

In Response to Re: Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game:

Haven't the authorities in the UK decided it IS gambling and therefore profits are NOT taxable? But what do they know? From a personal point of view I would disagree. Having gambled all my life (in a very small way) up until I started playing poker I would say that, long term, the skill element means that it is not. There are quite a few very rich professional poker plays, does anybody know a professional slot machine player? I would say if you have the correct bankroll management it is a game of skill, if you have no bankroll management then it is gambling pure and simple....and you will go broke.
Posted by Enut

there is plenty of people that make a living backing horses so is that not gambling

Tikay10

In Response to Re: Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game:

Haven't the authorities in the UK decided it IS gambling and therefore profits are NOT taxable? But what do they know? From a personal point of view I would disagree. Having gambled all my life (in a very small way) up until I started playing poker I would say that, long term, the skill element means that it is not. There are quite a few very rich professional poker plays, does anybody know a professional slot machine player? I would say if you have the correct bankroll management it is a game of skill, if you have no bankroll management then it is gambling pure and simple....and you will go broke.
Posted by Enut

The individuals who play are not taxed, but the Operators are.

weecheez1

This is an interesting thread and the mention of a number of things got me thinking gamble ,luck ,skill ,bankroll management, varience, if you had to sum up what makes a good player in one word what would it be I think it's dicipline   

ps it's deffo gambling 

Enut

In Response to Re: Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game:

In Response to Re: Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game : there is plenty of people that make a living backing horses so is that not gambling
Posted by SQUARKEY

That's a very good point. I think those people are like pro poker players, looking for an edge in the odds.

I always remember when I was at university one of my friends made good money on horse races. I used to see him perusing the papers in the morning and would ask him what he was backing, often the answer was 'nothing today, no value'. Also remember his telephone bookie doing a runner owing him over £2,000, which was quite a lot of money 30+ years ago. He wasn't a happy bunny.

Sir-Gary

Its gambling whether you win or lose, as the outcome at any moment in time is not definite

chilling

Dont tell the pension fund managers that take money, then allocate it into different risk categories , then expect a return, that they are gamblers.

Streuth, there would be hell to pay.

IDONKCALLU

lol ok matt

MP33

In Response to Re: Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game:

Haven't the authorities in the UK decided it IS gambling and therefore profits are NOT taxable? But what do they know? From a personal point of view I would disagree. Having gambled all my life (in a very small way) up until I started playing poker I would say that, long term, the skill element means that it is not. There are quite a few very rich professional poker plays, does anybody know a professional slot machine player? I would say if you have the correct bankroll management it is a game of skill, if you have no bankroll management then it is gambling pure and simple....and you will go broke.
Posted by Enut

 

I know a few, and used to do it myself many moons ago, but similar to poker it was gambling with an edge, There used to be plenty of them growing up on the golden mile in Blackpool. You could wait for the holidaymakers to fill the machines up and there would be certain signs of when they were gonna drop. (reels pausing, and various patterns  depending which machine it was)

In the winter when the arcades were qiueter we would travel to other areas of the country looking in pubs, holiday parks, service stations etc looking for machines we felt we had an edge on. Some would have skill features on them which would often guarentee the jackpot if you could hit it spot on. - others even had faults on them which meant only taking certain features it wouldn,t register as a win and we could empty them. There were also a few slightly less legal ways they could be emptied but i of course would know nothing about them.

I never used to see this as gambling as we were only ever playing machines we knew we could win on. Unfortanely they,ve changed a lot of the years and there doesn,t seem to be as much skill involved in them as they,re used to be. I know a few ppl tho who.ve paid off mortgages  and bought business,s purely through slots. Some ppl even go round playing the quiz machines but even they seem to be fading out 

Blackpuma

No matter how good you are its gambling +1 Sir Gary

unknown_username

I used to think and argue that  it wasnt gambling , after this thread, Im now convinced its gambling.

But ill still argue that its not with my friends.

percival09

semantics. 

Some include in their definition of gambling that money is the important characteristic of a gambling activity, and poker certainly satisifes that criteria. I've heard others use different definitions. Using those other defintions, you could go as far as saying anything that anyone does in life is gambling, since there's always luck involved - always some form of probability. 

If you successfully walk 50 metres to your local shop, collect your sugar-free breakfast bar & and then return home in 1 piece, then, well, you're running well. You're lucky. The average success rate of such a journey will likely be very high, 99.94% or whatever, so the fact you managed it 1/1 times means you're running @ 100%, or above EV. Trivial example perhaps but it can be applied to more serious things like driving to work, starting a new job, getting a girlfriend, university degree. 

I tend to side with the first definition and conclude that poker is a gambling activity, yes, even for winning players. That doesn't mean poker is the same as roulette though. It just means money is directly involved. And even if you're a winning player you have to accept that there is enough luck in poker that it's possible for you to go on an extended bad run and lose a lot of money. Unlikely for the great winning players, more likely for the less good winning players (yet still unlikely), but possible for every winning player. The same cannot really be said for a chemical engineer. 

Millwall53

Without doubt poker is a form of gambling where if u r not carefull u can quiet easy lose thousands of pounds within weeks so come on to say it is not u r mad keep it what it should be a bit of fun where u win and lose but within your means anyway happy new year 

LARSON7

At first when i started "winning" at poker, i felt it wasn't gambling because it's a "skill" game.

Mostly, because there is a stigma associated with "gambling" I would have said it was not gambling.

Like if you tell someone you know well you play poker and they can be very judgemental eg it is degenerate and "bad".

So it was ok to say, no it's not "gambling" it's a "skill game". But as another poster stated it is semantics.

SirGary was quite apt when he said when you get your chips in, it's seldom a 100% conclusion, so yes it's gambling.

Therefore, i would say it's reasonable to say poker is gambling, but it is also a skill game. 

imber

Yes


....as is crossing the road - flying - driving - using the tube - going out of the house - going up and down stairs - using or not using condoms - need I go on???

If you enjoy it and can walk away from it fine ..... if you are completely hooked I am not sure .....

Enut

In Response to Re: Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game:

In Response to Re: Is poker gambling? i dont see it as gambling as its a skill game :   I know a few, and used to do it myself many moons ago, but similar to poker it was gambling with an edge, There used to be plenty of them growing up on the golden mile in Blackpool. You could wait for the holidaymakers to fill the machines up and there would be certain signs of when they were gonna drop. (reels pausing, and various patterns  depending which machine it was) In the winter when the arcades were qiueter we would travel to other areas of the country looking in pubs, holiday parks, service stations etc looking for machines we felt we had an edge on. Some would have skill features on them which would often guarentee the jackpot if you could hit it spot on. - others even had faults on them which meant only taking certain features it wouldn,t register as a win and we could empty them. There were also a few slightly less legal ways they could be emptied but i of course would know nothing about them. I never used to see this as gambling as we were only ever playing machines we knew we could win on. Unfortanely they,ve changed a lot of the years and there doesn,t seem to be as much skill involved in them as they,re used to be. I know a few ppl tho who.ve paid off mortgages  and bought business,s purely through slots. Some ppl even go round playing the quiz machines but even they seem to be fading out 
Posted by MP33

I realised when I posted that there probably were a few pros, mainly for the reasons you have given. I remember myself as a lad always checking on of the payout chute of one of the machines on Hastings Pier as it didn't sit correctly and sometimes held back some of the 'winnings'. An 8 year olds arms are quite thin and many was the time we got enough to pay for a bag of chips on the way home.