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is poker gambling?

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  • Kiwini4uKiwini4u Member Posts: 3,830
    edited August 2010
    Poker may or may not be gambling, but look how many of us are addicted to it.  Its a sunny Bank holiday and what are we doing? either playing poker or posting/reading the forum or possible even both lol. 

    Now tell me how that isn't an addiction:)
  • J-HartiganJ-Hartigan Member Posts: 2,756
    edited August 2010
    In Response to Re: is poker gambling?:
     re War and Peace. Yes I do mean that version. I saw it in two huge parts in my local cinema  - on my own. Not much profit there for an amazing film . As for the Wikipedia quote - isn''t that precisely my point n the difference between cash and tournament ? Oh and dont trust Wiki  . There is a olt of wrong info there. e.g An artcle on Bruce Forsyths grandfather said he was a bigamist. He wasn't just an adulterer - twice over.  Use the OED. In Response to Re: is poker gambling? :
    Posted by tiercel
    You've clearly missed my post about why I believe tournament poker is gambling (using Primo as an example) - and my (un)subtle dig at Wikipedia's inaccuracy!

  • J-HartiganJ-Hartigan Member Posts: 2,756
    edited August 2010
    In Response to Re: is poker gambling?:
    Poker may or may not be gambling, but look how many of us are addicted to it.  Its a sunny Bank holiday and what are we doing? either playing poker or posting/reading the forum or possible even both lol.  Now tell me how that isn't an addiction:)
    Posted by Kiwini4u
    Good point, well made, Steve!

    With that in mind, I'm going to log-out and experience the great outdoors...

    See you all this evening.

  • tierceltiercel Member Posts: 325
    edited August 2010
    ISoftware can prove anything . It can show you can be blown apart by a bomb then get up and carry on fighting. That is meaningless.
    I dont enter a tournament to turn a small amount of money into a large amount of money. I pay the entry fee so I can play the game and test my skills against other players. And I base my success against my finishing position.  To play to turn 33 into 3000 based on gambling alone represents silly odds. To pay £33 to enter a game ( as I might for any computor game ) is to pay for an hours (?) entertainment not to turn it into a profit . That is a bonus.  Its all about attitude.


    n Response to Re: is poker gambling?:
    In Response to Re: is poker gambling? : Using the Primo as an example, in real terms, your aim is to turn £33 into £3000+ To achieve this objective, you have to gamble. As the tournament progresses, regardless of your ability, you have less and less control over proceedings and are reliant on fate siding with you and not your opponents. One other point: while the chips in a tournament don't have a cash value, but they do have value.  There are various software applications that will assess your equity in a tournament based on your stack, the total number of chips in play and the pay-out structure.
    Posted by J-Hartigan
  • Kiwini4uKiwini4u Member Posts: 3,830
    edited August 2010
    In Response to Re: is poker gambling?:
    In Response to Re: is poker gambling? : Good point, well made, Steve! With that in mind, I'm going to log-out and experience the great outdoors... See you all this evening.
    Posted by J-Hartigan
    Me too, until the 2.20 deep stack lol
  • tierceltiercel Member Posts: 325
    edited August 2010
    You mean your not taking your laptop lol.
    I'm in he great outdoors

    n Response to Re: is poker gambling?:
    In Response to Re: is poker gambling? : Good point, well made, Steve! With that in mind, I'm going to log-out and experience the great outdoors... See you all this evening.
    Posted by J-Hartigan
  • LOL_RAISELOL_RAISE Member Posts: 2,188
    edited August 2010
    yes its gambling but that doesnt mean that you cant have an edge.

    flip a coin heads you win £10 tails you lose £5. this is gambling but you'd still snap anyones hand off if they offered it to you.
  • J-HartiganJ-Hartigan Member Posts: 2,756
    edited August 2010
    In Response to Re: is poker gambling?:
    ISoftware can prove anything . It can show you can be blown apart by a bomb then get up and carry on fighting. That is meaningless. I dont enter a tournament to turn a small amount of money into a large amount of money. I pay the entry fee so I can play the game and test my skills against other players. And I base my success against my finishing position.  To play to turn 33 into 3000 based on gambling alone represents silly odds. To pay £33 to enter a game ( as I might for any computor game ) is to pay for an hours (?) entertainment not to turn it into a profit . That is a bonus.  Its all about attitude. n Response to Re: is poker gambling? :
    Posted by tiercel
    OK, this will be my last post on this topic, because I really need to get out and have a life!!!

    You're entitled to play for fun and test your skills against others.  The most important thing about poker is to enjoy playing the game.  And you clearly do.  But I wonder how many people would enter an event like Primo if it didn't have a four-figure cash prize at the end of it?  I believe the attraction of tournament poker is the possibility of receiving a big reward for a relatively small wager.

    For the record, I did not say that winning a poker tournament involves gambling alone - but gambling/luck is a major factor.  Unless players are deep, final tables of poker tournaments can be very boring to watch, because the dynamic of the game (stack sizes, blinds, etc.) dictates the action.  (I've lost count of the number of times I've seen 99 race against AK!)

    Finally, your point about computer software is a bit odd.  An application like PokerStove can genuinely assess your equity in a tournament, helping to influence your decision-making in the late stages.  For people who play MTTs with a view to making a profit, it's a useful tool which shouldn't be dismissed as meaningless.

  • pod1pod1 Member Posts: 4,377
    edited August 2010
    if you just wanted to play for the skill and entertainment value then just play on the free chip tables!!! come on be honest the money makes it more interesting lol

  • kalooki8kalooki8 Member Posts: 451
    edited August 2010
    Have you posted an argument with your wife Tiercel? "I don't gamble too much love I play poker". I don't think gamblers anonymous would be on your side mate.
  • GavinxxxxGavinxxxx Member Posts: 559
    edited August 2010
    Poker is a gamble, just one that you have the most controll over the outcome
  • SHANXTASHANXTA Member Posts: 1,507
    edited August 2010
    In Response to Re: is poker gambling?:
    Poker is gambling because you'll never know what hands your opponant has and poker has recieved such pluadiits for the falseness of "being able to read" your oppenants hands, FFS COME ON! its absolutely ludacris and scientists will tell you all this exellent hand reading is B/S. If you're into poker its because you've won a decent pot starting out but no one ends up a long term winner and thats why every poker fan trys to convince themselves by reading books, telling themselves you can teach your self to read hands in the fear of actually coming around to the realisation that poker is just LUCK and luck alone. Does get on my nerves that people say poker is the self proclaimed prophecy and the art to all intelligence and those who play poker are better than the general public, if i pulled out a deck of cards and said raise 50 times with 50 different two cards in my hand at random i bet you that you couldn't guess at least 5 cards right!? oh wait but its meant to be different  story when you're sitting a table right? the word raise actually means something then...complete and utter tosh.
    Posted by MadHorse
    lol may i advise that u never play poker
  • tierceltiercel Member Posts: 325
    edited August 2010
    We must agree to disagree.  People enter a tournament for different reasons. Primo gets your name in lights. If my aim was the big pot Primo s the last thing I would enter because all the skill is removed by the pace of the game. But even if making money is your aim ( and more people lose than win ). It still does not make it gambling. Owners pay money to enter a horse into a race. They want to win the prize but are they gambling. No but plenty of people bet that they will win .
    Your software is about perceived value . You cannot trade your turnament chips in so they have no value. Software depends on the progranners starting point. I dont use it . The human brain has not yet been bettered.
    Anyway as you say time to do something more interesting. GL.


    n Response to Re: is poker gambling?:
    In Response to Re: is poker gambling? : OK, this will be my last post on this topic, because I really need to get out and have a life!!! You're entitled to play for fun and test your skills against others.  The most important thing about poker is to enjoy playing the game.  And you clearly do.  But I wonder how many people would enter an event like Primo if it didn't have a four-figure cash prize at the end of it?  I believe the attraction of tournament poker is the possibility of receiving a big reward for a relatively small wager. For the record, I did not say that winning a poker tournament involves gambling alone - but gambling/luck is a major factor.  Unless players are deep, final tables of poker tournaments can be very boring to watch, because the dynamic of the game (stack sizes, blinds, etc.) dictates the action.  (I've lost count of the number of times I've seen 99 race against AK!) Finally, your point about computer software is a bit odd.  An application like PokerStove can genuinely assess your equity in a tournament, helping to influence your decision-making in the late stages.  For people who play MTTs with a view to making a profit, it's a useful tool which shouldn't be dismissed as meaningless.
    Posted by J-Hartigan
  • dantb10dantb10 Member Posts: 583
    edited August 2010
    In Response to Re: is poker gambling?:
    Poker is gambling because you'll never know what hands your opponant has and poker has recieved such pluadiits for the falseness of "being able to read" your oppenants hands, FFS COME ON! its absolutely ludacris and scientists will tell you all this exellent hand reading is B/S. If you're into poker its because you've won a decent pot starting out but no one ends up a long term winner and thats why every poker fan trys to convince themselves by reading books, telling themselves you can teach your self to read hands in the fear of actually coming around to the realisation that poker is just LUCK and luck alone. Does get on my nerves that people say poker is the self proclaimed prophecy and the art to all intelligence and those who play poker are better than the general public, if i pulled out a deck of cards and said raise 50 times with 50 different two cards in my hand at random i bet you that you couldn't guess at least 5 cards right!? oh wait but its meant to be different  story when you're sitting a table right? the word raise actually means something then...complete and utter tosh.
    Posted by MadHorse

    My hero.
  • JockBMWJockBMW Member Posts: 2,653
    edited August 2010
    In no way is Poker gambling............  Gambling gives you a chance to win....  Sigh 
  • GREGHOGGGREGHOGG Member Posts: 7,155
    edited August 2010
    anyone who says poker isnt gambling is living on Mars

    of course its gambling!

    what a redic thread

  • spornybolspornybol Member Posts: 8,212
    edited August 2010
    poker is a gamble no matter what, it`s the same as going home to misses after a nite out, lol just ask irishrover and the sauce pans
  • oynutteroynutter Member Posts: 4,773
    edited August 2010
    But greggers me ole chap-- if-- over 2000 games--- one has a consistent 35% return on investment, can poker not be considered an investment, as opposed to a gamble?
  • GREGHOGGGREGHOGG Member Posts: 7,155
    edited August 2010
    In Response to Re: is poker gambling?:
    But greggers me ole chap-- if-- over 2000 games--- one has a consistent 35% return on investment, can poker not be considered an investment, as opposed to a gamble?
    Posted by oynutter
    Of course i accept that poker can be an investment with very little risk, with the right formulae, but it is still gambling by definition.



  • oynutteroynutter Member Posts: 4,773
    edited August 2010
    Gambling yes-- in the short term-- but long term, for winning players, I'd say its investing
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