Herkstwin
Legend
Bronze Level
We play enough slots (that is all my wife plays), to get 'free' rooms,
Duke - "All in, All in." in his deep booming voice. Funny guy.
Melissa and Colleen have to longest fingers of any dealers I have ever seen!
Bill - hmm... I do not remember encountering him.
See you there - whenever we can cross the border safely.
J
jorgejarapy
Rock Star
Silver Level
The truth is that for me religion has nothing to do with playing poker, since I consider it a sport where I am not affecting anyone when it comes to playing and in my case I am not harming myself economically or moving away from myself family since I dedicate a necessary and prudent enough time to be able to play
Luvepoker
Lost in the twilight zone
Community Guide
The thing that always got me about the catholic church is they would always say gambling is a sin. Yet every few months they would have casino night and there was bingo every week. So its a sin but not when the church endorses it.
Luvepoker
Lost in the twilight zone
Community Guide
Is poker a sin? Talk about a open ended question and my sarcastic side want to have fun with it but i will be good.
If we are honest and look at how sins and what was so bad has changed over the year who knows. In the 1920's we had prohibition because drinking was so bad and a sin, yet every time Jesus turned around he was making wine. think our all the great scientific minds who were told they were committing blasphemy for the things they discover or the theory's they had. One think I dont recall was gambling is a sin in the bible. Could I have missed it? yes. IS god looking at US poker players and shaking his head and marking us down to go to hell, i dont think so. People do many worse things in this world than playing poker.
If we are honest and look at how sins and what was so bad has changed over the year who knows. In the 1920's we had prohibition because drinking was so bad and a sin, yet every time Jesus turned around he was making wine. think our all the great scientific minds who were told they were committing blasphemy for the things they discover or the theory's they had. One think I dont recall was gambling is a sin in the bible. Could I have missed it? yes. IS god looking at US poker players and shaking his head and marking us down to go to hell, i dont think so. People do many worse things in this world than playing poker.
SPANKYSN
Legend
Bronze Level
The first time I sat at the table with Duke dealing, I thought it was nice that they put where they went to school on their tags...then I noticed the others had regular names...but Duke is a great guy...give him a hard time and he can return it with his quick wit. Have you ever been served by Anthony in the Western Door ? That guy is hilarious...works part time as a waiter, but teaches school during the day...his students must love him...and the steaks at WD are some of the best I have had anywhere, including the Octagon in Thornhill and Sinatra's in the Wynn Hotel.
Where do you call home ? I live in Thornhill.
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AizenFalck
Legend
Bronze Level
I do not understand why the question, why could poker be a sin whether you believe or not believe in God? It is a game and it all depends on how you see the game, for me it is nothing more than fun and talk with friends during tournaments, I do not see why consider it a sin, thinking that a game is a sin is on the minds of fanatical people.
Dorugremon
Rock Star
Silver Level
Almost without exception, Fundievangelicals are dour, unpleasant, busy bodies and kill-joys. As for the question, here are a couple of articles:
[Gambling is a Sin
Gambling: It's a Bad Bet
There is a lot of ignorance on display here (WHUDDA SURPRISE!) which he displays here:
The other source of their bitch is that some people aren't very good at gambling, and so lose a lot on money they can't afford to lose. That was their choice, not mine. I certainly did nothing to make them do stupid things like that, and if they're not losing the kids' college fund and the mortgage money to me they'll just lose it to someone else.
The main take-away from both articles is that it's a sin to make negative expectation bets. I wholeheartedly agree! All bets should be 0EV at worst. These days, all +EV bets are to be found at the Poker table. Blackjack? Not so much these days, what with 6 : 5 blackjacks, continuous shuffle machines, shallow cutoffs in multideck shoes -- it would be a sin to play such games. As for Roulette, tech on the floor is no longer legal. Dice influence? Jury's out on the effectiveness of this.
In the final analysis, it's between you and your conscience.
[Gambling is a Sin
Gambling: It's a Bad Bet
There is a lot of ignorance on display here (WHUDDA SURPRISE!) which he displays here:
Poker and blackjack are not games of chance. They are games of skill where how you play determines your results. Some would say roulette and Craps aren't games of chance either due to wheel clocking and dice influence. They're wrong on these points. Another thing is that they object to receiving money without working for it. Well let me tell you: learning how to count cards or to play Poker is a good deal of hard work. And all that work precedes your seeing even so much as a single dime. So don't tell me it isn't work because it most certainly is.
The other source of their bitch is that some people aren't very good at gambling, and so lose a lot on money they can't afford to lose. That was their choice, not mine. I certainly did nothing to make them do stupid things like that, and if they're not losing the kids' college fund and the mortgage money to me they'll just lose it to someone else.
The main take-away from both articles is that it's a sin to make negative expectation bets. I wholeheartedly agree! All bets should be 0EV at worst. These days, all +EV bets are to be found at the Poker table. Blackjack? Not so much these days, what with 6 : 5 blackjacks, continuous shuffle machines, shallow cutoffs in multideck shoes -- it would be a sin to play such games. As for Roulette, tech on the floor is no longer legal. Dice influence? Jury's out on the effectiveness of this.
In the final analysis, it's between you and your conscience.
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Claudiunm
Legend
Platinum Level
There were many responses. Most sarcastically others just to capitalize on posts. If playing is bothering you, look in the Bible for what it says about it. I found nothing to indicate that it is a sin.
However, if poker is becoming an addiction and causing you emotional, financial, emotional loss, stop playing. Not because it's sin but because it's doing you harm.
IntenseHeat
Legend
Bronze Level
Some years back I had a similar conversation with a very close friend of mine. Actually, the topic of our discussion was cannabis. We had been discussing our faith in God and the impact it had on each of our lives when the question of smoking weed came up. This was his take on the subject, which I think is applicable here.
He said there are always going to be those people who are going to try to shame you into behaving the way they want you to. They will tell you that this is a sin, or that is a sin. They will tell you so many things are sins. Any behavior that they don't approve of, they will tell you is a sin. But you can search your bible from front to back and you won't find a lot these so called sins. In your heart, you know right from wrong. That is where sin lies. Sin is in your heart.
If in your heart, you don't think smoking weed is a sin, then you might smoke a joint, find your mind elevated, open your bible and see deeper meaning in the scripture and find yourself feeling closer to God. But if you believe in your heart that smoking weed is a sin, but smoke it anyway, the you are sinning in your heart. The same goes for playing poker. Not the feeling closer to God part. I'm pretty sure you're not going to find anything about gambling in the bible. But if you do it in moderation, and don't cause your family to suffer from it, and perhaps put a portion of the profits to doing good deeds, then I don't see it as being a sin. But if you feel in your heart that playing poker is a sin, but do it anyway, then you are sinning in your heart.
Bottom line, it's not for me to tell you whether or not it's a sin. You have to search your own heart and answer that question for yourself.
He said there are always going to be those people who are going to try to shame you into behaving the way they want you to. They will tell you that this is a sin, or that is a sin. They will tell you so many things are sins. Any behavior that they don't approve of, they will tell you is a sin. But you can search your bible from front to back and you won't find a lot these so called sins. In your heart, you know right from wrong. That is where sin lies. Sin is in your heart.
If in your heart, you don't think smoking weed is a sin, then you might smoke a joint, find your mind elevated, open your bible and see deeper meaning in the scripture and find yourself feeling closer to God. But if you believe in your heart that smoking weed is a sin, but smoke it anyway, the you are sinning in your heart. The same goes for playing poker. Not the feeling closer to God part. I'm pretty sure you're not going to find anything about gambling in the bible. But if you do it in moderation, and don't cause your family to suffer from it, and perhaps put a portion of the profits to doing good deeds, then I don't see it as being a sin. But if you feel in your heart that playing poker is a sin, but do it anyway, then you are sinning in your heart.
Bottom line, it's not for me to tell you whether or not it's a sin. You have to search your own heart and answer that question for yourself.
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IntenseHeat
Legend
Bronze Level
MauroMMMM
Rock Star
Silver Level
hahaha then I'm a great sinner. Any activity that is not listed in the bible as sin cannot be sin. And in the bible they never talk about poker. It is my simple opinion. I think that what certain figures of international politics and big businessmen do is much more sinful ... and it is not exactly playing poker.