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ger2000

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Do you consider Poker to be gambling?

Im talking about the game you play against other players (not the house)

this doesnt include any house games such at 3 card poker or simliar...

Would you consider no limit texas hold'em poker to be gambling? and why?

Posted 592 day ago

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Answers (16)

soutie 		Although I think he went off the deep end in his 2nd paragraph, I basically think huckleberry is right on with this.

It really depends on who you're talking about. For the average person, they COULD win, or they COULD lose playing poker. It's MORE LIKELY that they will lose, so whenever they play, they are gambling.

If you're talking about a skilled poker player, they COULD win, or they COULD lose playing poker. It is MORE LIKELY that they will WIN. In their case, I do NOT believe you should call that gambling. I think you should call it a skilled game of profit for these people. They WILL WIN a certain amount of money over time based on how many hours they play. Any SINGLE hour they might lose, but they know if they continue to play hour after hour, they will inevitably MAKE money. (Not "win", but "make".)

Posted 592 day ago

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smithy 		Crossing the road can be considered as gambling...

Posted 592 day ago

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montie 		if playing for stakes (i.e. cash, cars etc) then yes!

Posted 592 day ago

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franco 		There are various definitions of gambling:
Taking a risk with money (Merriam-Webster)
To bet money on an uncertain outcome (FreeDictionary.com)
To play a game of chance for stakes (FreeDictionary.com)

No matter which definition you use, poker fits the criteria for gambling.

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Posted 592 day ago

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cameron 		Yes, of course. But if it doesn't involve money or material goods, then I wouldn't really call that gambling, just more of a game if its played like that.

Posted 592 day ago

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soutie 		There are two kinds of gambling. Games of luck and games of skill. Poker is a game of skill, but there is still a random element to it, so it's still considered gambling.

Posted 592 day ago

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twocox 		If you are playing for anything of value, then of course. But if you are just using something like poker chips, for fun, and nothing is exchanging hands then no.

Anytime you are risking anything of value, in the hopes of gaining more, you are gambling. It doesn't matter if your money is lost to the house, or your best friend.

Posted 592 day ago

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Davido 		I do consider poker to be gambling but not in the same way as betting on the horses, football, or any other casino games.

The difference is in Hold em you are betting on yourself and your ability to play. With the horses etc you are betting on other people or random outcomes. I would far rather bet on my own ability.

There is a large element of skill in Hold em (ok so there are always a few lucky so and so's too......) and with practice and a lot of play, you can reduce the chance element right down. Then it becomes far more a game of skill.

You gamble in life with your ability to do things all the time - should I take that promotion, am I good enough for the job? What's the difference between this sort of gamble and gambling on your ability to win at poker?

Posted 592 day ago

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Davido 		Yes it can be considered as Gambling coz the only reason is that you going to risk your money.
Different minds have different names for poker. Like the one who is winning would call it as a lottery. The one loosing mostly will say it a scam. Others can say some different words also.

But on the all it can be considered as gambling as there is a risk of money.

Posted 592 day ago

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Davidov 		It depends .

For fish yes it is a game of chance

For sharks it is a game of skill.

We do not gamble we take calculated risks.

After doing the math counting odds out percentages etc etc A good player knows he will win over time. Each hand is a gamble 1000 hands is not.

Legally it is gambling

Posted 592 day ago

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jamsey 		If you are betting real money on the game then yes it is gambling. I think one of the questions though that politicians are trying to answer is whether or not poker contains enough of a skill element to make it legal gambling.

I believe that poker contains a great deal of skill, but it's hard to convince non-players and bad players that this is true.

Posted 592 day ago

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franco 		In the short term yes, in the long term no. Here's an analogy: when the casino takes your bets, who's the one gambling-- you or the casino? I know you're not talking about house games but the connection is, the casino and the winning poker player share something in common: an edge on their opponents. You might beat the casino at Roulette on any given night, but in the long run you will lose. Same situation in poker: any amateur can beat any pro with the help of some luck, but if they play long enough, the pro will win the amateur's entire bank savings.

For that reason, I don't include it in my definition of gambling. But if you want to be extremely technical, then yes, it's theoretically possible for the casino to lose for 10 years straight and go bankrupt, and it's possible for all amateurs to start a life-long lucky streak right now and never lose to the pros. The same way it's "possible" to win the national lottery thousands of times in a row, or for a monkey to randomly type Shakespeare. If betting against something like that is gambling, then yes poker is gambling.

Posted 592 day ago

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franco 		Poker has to be considered gambling because you are risking money to win money. But all good poker players know that it is a game of skill and the gamble is only in the short run. Over a long period of time it is not a gamble for skilled poker players. But going strictly by the definition of gambling, yes playing poker for money is gambling.

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fullhouse 		Getting out of bed in the morning is gambling.

Posted 592 day ago

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smithy 		If you're good poker player, and make living off of it, It is not.
But if you keep losing like me, it is gambling.

Posted 592 day ago

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jamsey 		I agree with both huckleberry and pdq.

For a skilled player, poker is a game of statistics, psychology and luck. They know the first two, and they use these to provide their edge against luck. In the long run, they know that, if they make the correct plays, they will come out ahead. They also recognize that, in the short run, luck can make their correct plays a failure. That's accepted. It's part of their skill-based evaluation in each hand they play. They include the likelihood that luck will give the other guy the card he needs, even if it is statistically unlikely. Because they know it's statistically unlikely that they will lose, they take the risk. Or if it makes better sense to fold, they fold. But it's still not exactly gambling for them. They have an edge, and will win in the long run.

Some players, however, like to take big risks when they play poker. They gamble it up. For them, the game is pure gambling.

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