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How to explain to people who dont play poker that it isnt gambling

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  • liamboi11liamboi11
    edited November 2012
    In Response to Re: How to explain to people who dont play poker that it isnt gambling:
    Agree that short-term poker results are determined mainly by luck while insisting that long term results are always determined by skill, because the luck will have levelled out over the course of time. As proof show them Olivier Busquet's Sharkscope graphs (Adonis112 on PS, livb112 on FTP) and ask them to explain how this could possibly happen if poker was purely a game of luck.
    Posted by GaryQQQ
    just checked him wow those are impressive results
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  • WHOAMI196WHOAMI196
    edited November 2012
    we don't want poker to be taxed so lets just say its pure gambling, and you cant make a living out of it(little do tbf), tell people you are a stock broker or summat,..if you are lucky enough to play poker for a living that is..
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  • bearlytherbearlyther
    edited November 2012
    Ive got to the stage where if im asked what are you doing with yourself these days?  I tell them im an equity analyst its so much easier!
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  • WilhelmWilhelm
    edited November 2012
    In Response to Re: How to explain to people who dont play poker that it isnt gambling:
    In Response to Re: How to explain to people who dont play poker that it isnt gambling : Possibly I feel into the trap there but I said that to try and explain why I thought backing horses or any sport betting was different to poker that's all. If you place a bet on a horse there is nothing you can do alter the outcome. You are relying on someones elses skill to win that  bet for you. I know there is skill involved and to place bets can involve a vast amount of knowledge about form etc. But unlike poker you can't influence the outcome. Maybe I shouldn't have lumped Roulette in with it as that is definateley gambling with no skill involved. I don't know if it's the same for most people but if someone mentions gambling it's a natural thing to think of Horse Racing before anything else.
    Posted by FlyingDagg
    But you can't control the outcome in poker either.  If I get it in on the flop as a 90% favourite I can't control what cards hit next.  That's how I lose that situation roughly 10% of the time.
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  • WilhelmWilhelm
    edited November 2012
    In Response to Re: How to explain to people who dont play poker that it isnt gambling:
    In Response to Re: How to explain to people who dont play poker that it isnt gambling : any individual hand or bet may be a gamble in your sense of the word, but good poker players don't gamble - they play percentages - they use their skill at deciphering the info in the hand, along with past experiences based on similar hands, and notes on the same people, to make evaluated bets. i find there are two main types of people who play poker - those who like to gamble - and those who don't - and there are enough of the latter to confirm to me that poker isn't just about gambling. my analogy is to relate poker to chess - but with a big dollop of chance on top. so  you can be "lucky" enough to beat phil hellmuth* in any one hand - but you won't do so in the longer term - why - because over the long term his skill overwhelms the luck factor. but the reason many of us play is that in the short term we might beat phil. * insert preferred poker pro name here
    Posted by GELDY
    This is kind of the definition of "good" gambling.
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  • unknown_usernameunknown_username
    edited November 2012
    If you pay money to enter a poker tournament then the only way you are going to see a return is if you use a certain amount of skill - you cannot win a tourney by luck alone.

    However..................

    If I have a wager on a player who is playing in a tourney, then that is gambling as I have no control over the outcome. Unless I have a wager on bearlyther of course, in which case it's less of a gamble as i'm more likely to see a return :)
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  • unknown_usernameunknown_username
    edited November 2012
    In Response to Re: How to explain to people who dont play poker that it isnt gambling:
    Ive got to the stage where if im asked what are you doing with yourself these days?  I tell them im an equity analyst its so much easier!
    Posted by bearlyther
    Nice one!
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  • bearlytherbearlyther
    edited November 2012
    In Response to Re: How to explain to people who dont play poker that it isnt gambling:
    Unless I have a wager on bearlyther of course, in which case it's less of a gamble as i'm more likely to see a return :)
    Posted by POKERTREV
    Dont back on me mate il either have a mountain chip stack in a tourney or be out!
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  • rancidrancid
    edited November 2012
    In Response to Re: How to explain to people who dont play poker that it isnt gambling:
    we don't want poker to be taxed so lets just say its pure gambling, and you cant make a living out of it(little do tbf), tell people you are a stock broker or summat,..if you are lucky enough to play poker for a living that is..
    Posted by WHOAMI196

    very wise words, 100% gambling - tax free goodness

    just tell people you are an unemployed bum, who sits around all day playing computer games online :D

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  • IDONKCALLUIDONKCALLU
    edited November 2012
    just tell people you are an unemployed bum, who sits around all day playing computer games online :D



    cough cough me :P
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  • amanda1983amanda1983
    edited November 2012
    poker =luck(there is no skill involved people), so if your betting on somthing which is out of your control then it is gambling.
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  • unknown_usernameunknown_username
    edited November 2012

    I sigh when I have to explain to people what I do for money. In a nutshell it is Gambling. Either use the analogy of the coinflip where you get more when you win than when you lose or just say you're an online investment account manager
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  • GlenelgGlenelg
    edited November 2012
    Just say you are a "software tester" for Sky!  Works for me. ;-)
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  • bigflop1bigflop1
    edited November 2012
    loved reading this thread as i can relate to it in every sense..

    what i get from my work mates is "its a slippery slope" and that i be in the gutter!!! really annoying

    im not a +ev player but dont drink or gamble.. i just enjoy playing poker. i spend less on poker than most people spend on thier hobbies.. ie i may deposit £20 and play a few mtts in one night as entertainment. if i lose people say i have a problem as iv wasted £20..  what gets me is the people who say this often go down the pub drinking playing pool etc etc and spend the same on their entertainment!! whats the difference
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  • TPTP123TPTP123
    edited November 2012
    Yep - just say your an internet entrepreneur - will get more love this way and less hassle. 

    I think i've finally learnt that its just not worth bothering to try to and explain online poker to anyone, ever. 

    The only way i think i'll discuss it in the future with non-poker mans is if they see me playing and ask me what i am doing with a genuine child like curoisity and interest/other than that F them...  I'm an internet entrepreneur baby. 
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