Is Poker Gambling?

[RamdeeBen]

There are aspects to playing poker that are a gamble but Poker at its basic level is a sport. I fully expect NLHE and PLO8 to be fully sanctioned, Metaled, Olympic Events in 2016.

The Question is, Who Would You Want Representing Your Country At The Tables?

All aspects of poker is gambling. Of course there is a skill to the game; but it's completely different to horse riding or football for example..

I'd never like to see poker in the Olympics; it would be ridiculous.

Secondly; literally ANYONE could represent their country because of the luck factor. You could only get there by qualifying like they do with every sport; so even a fish like myself could be flying the flag for GB. Now; how stupid would that be if I or some other fish won a medal?

 

[Jblocher1]

I completely agree with madness joe. There are no odds in online poker lol

 

[shadow451]

I'm torn on weather to consider it gambling or not. I agree it is a game of skill and there is more of a knowledge factor than chance factor if played the way it should be. However, anytime you are wagering money it is perceived by the majority to be gambling. Also, there are plenty of people that sit down at a table and to them it is gambling, because they have a lack of knowledge for what they are partaking. We as poker players need that type of person to continue to take a gamble, as that is part of where the winnings of many come from.

I lean more towards poker being a game of skill, but it can also be consider gambling on certain levels.

 

[CAMurray]

I'm torn on weather to consider it gambling or not. I agree it is a game of skill and there is more of a knowledge factor than chance factor if played the way it should be. However, anytime you are wagering money it is perceived by the majority to be gambling. Also, there are plenty of people that sit down at a table and to them it is gambling, because they have a lack of knowledge for what they are partaking. We as poker players need that type of person to continue to take a gamble, as that is part of where the winnings of many come from.

I lean more towards poker being a game of skill, but it can also be consider gambling on certain levels.

^^^ A Politician in the rough.

 

[crisbiazus17]

I think Vince means you will fail but you don't let that stop you, you get up and try again until you do wi

 

[jaworek1405]

hey guys, IMO poker is kind of gambling, because we got cards and we don't know what cards will be on board. Lucky is part of this game. Skills 50% and 50% lucky. One person makes less mistakes, second person makes more mistakes, that's why one person win and second person lose. For example in MTT, tournament win person who makes less mistakes than other people. (usually)

 

[vic75]

That's a good question is poker gambling what if you only play freerolls is that gambling considering there is no risk involved?????????????????????????????

 

[pokerstud777]

NOPE


but i think 60% of the players r gambling when playing poker

 

[pittjj95]

It is about 95% skill ad 5% luck. You can get hands but you wont win them if you dont bet right. Also you can win by bluffing another person off a better hand and that has nothing to do with luck. Slot Machines and lottery are gambling, which there is no active way to exhibit any skill what so ever.

 

[mamutmamut]

I agree with 80% skill, 20% luck. And poker is and isn´t gambling. By dictionary? Yes it is. But in reality I would say it is not because in poker there are many things you can influence (you can´t influence much in roullete for example).

 

[Emperor IX]

It's pretty simple, isn't it? You're putting in money that can be lost to win other money. Whether or not you win that money is not entirely under your control. Therefore you are gambling.

 

[avjul66]

Poker? Luck or know how to play?

Many of you , especially those initiating in poker will think that poker is just luck . Well, judging by the experience that I have , not really much , I have to say no . There is one factor , rather low , which is luck. But it is the most important.Poker ?
As time goes on and you learn to play poker , you will realize this. It is true that many times, with a pair of aces , we can lose the game. Now, to see if we have played well , we would have to look at the game in detail. Many times , especially the rookies , lose one game with two aces in hand , because they could not gamble right at the right time .
Unlike casinos where the games in there is the luck factor which is quite predominant in poker we have to take into account the chances we have of winning a hand or not. For this there are some programs that are calculators to calculate the probability that we have in each case.
When you've played many hands you will know if you have to bet, check or Raisear . This, unfortunately , is learned losing and playing. When you take a lot of time playing , you know how to make this importante decisions.

 

[TheNoobie]

Yep. Surely it is a gamble. Put yourself into that situation.
You have the nuts and you place a bet, lets say 10 dollars. You bet your money, but you are absolutely sure that they cannot be taken away from you, because nothing can beat you. Most of the time it isnt just like that. You bluff, you get outplayed, you get bluffed.. When you bet money that will not on 100% come back to you doubled or tripled - you are gambling. And one more thing - those of you that say that luck takes only a little part of the game, this is so not true. Maybe luck takes no place when pro's play live, but when you play tournaments or cash games online, I'd much rather be lucky, than good. So, you are betting hard, bluffing me and so on but if Im lucky enough I will hit my cards and beat you. So .. x) And the guy that compared poker to chess.. thats a big LOL. Im 99% certain that if I play headsup with worlds best poker player, lets say 50 games, Im sure that I will win atleast one of them, because I will get lucky atleast once. But how about you play against Worlds best chess player and see if you win 1 time in 50 games. Ive played Chess long enough to know better. Whether you like it or not, luck is a huge part in poker, and it is gambling. And luck takes no place in Chess whatsoever. I believe all of you know the definition of the word Gambling, but Im not sure why you are trying to change it. Just because you like the game? You dont have to prove anything to anyone, but it simply is gambling. If someone is not okay with that, he just should not play. You can also say that betting on horses isnt gambling, and playing dices isnt gambling, but it is and I think you all know that.

 

[WR_CC]

A combination of both. Had a beat (perhaps will remember for my whole life). All-in post flop with Aces 3 of kind. 2 cards in the deck for opponent and both must come (in turn and river). Guess what?

 

[lostcause]

There are aspects to playing poker that are a gamble but Poker at its basic level is a sport. I fully expect NLHE and PLO8 to be fully sanctioned, Metaled, Olympic Events in 2016.

The Question is, Who Would You Want Representing Your Country At The Tables?

I don't believe it to be a sport. Mainly because you can be abnormally unfit and still be an excellent poker player.

Poker is gambling for the majority of players. The few that win can argue it is not gambling. The rake is what makes the game less of a skill game. No rake and there are a lot more winners.

 

[steveiam]

This is a very old thread,,, but just for the record poker is gambling..You are betting on an unknown result it's that simple.

 

[cleiton1988]

everuthing what had to do with money is gambling just poker needs and skills and is the most exciting game

 

[rock0001]

gambling is when you bet money in something. chess can be gambling if you play for money, therefore poker is not gambling if you play for fun without real money...

 

[Yadoula]

Nope, once you learn to play properly you notice its a sport similar to tennis in many ways.

 

[Caesura]

If you can smoke and/or drink whilst playing it's a game, otherwise it's a sport.

 

[Jay65]

It doesn't matter what people think, but I'm always down to sit at a poker table with gamblers.

 

[jsaw]

is it gambling - depends how you define the word - the following is from the Oxford Dictionary, but to be completely accurate one would have to know if the word is defined in the a piece of legislation within the relevant jurisdiction.



finition of gamble in English:

gamble

Line breaks: gam¦blePronunciation: /ˈgamb(ə)l
/
verb

[no object]

• 1play games of chance for money; bet: he gambles on footballMore example sentencesSynonyms
  
• 1.1 [with object] bet (a sum of money): they gambled their money on cardsMore example sentences
  

• 2take risky action in the hope of a desired result:

 

[Jokerman66]

The bigger part of you members, are trying to lie to yourselfs

A think poker is a game of skill, FOR SURE, BUT a part of the game is gambling, i considerably part is gambling because when you go all in with AK and a bigger stack calls with AQ when he hits a Q and you loose, THIS is gambling, you go without knowing if you gonna win or loose, you call or go all in, based in the percentage of times that you gonna win, number of outs, blablabla...
Even phil galfond says that poker is a gamble, keep fooling yourself with this bullshit, THAT the same guys are in final table and blablabla, obviously Negreanu and Ivey, or even timex now, they sucess, is because they play a lot of events and they are not afraid to gamble in the beginning and that's put him in a really nice shot to win the thing, AND OF course, they are the super good players and understand all types of thinking and everything.
Sorry for my english, that's horrible

 

[packernation85]

Poker is a game of skill, where luck plays a factor in how well you are able to do. Every game has luck involved though. In sports, a bounce of a ball one way or another changes the course of the entire game, but skill will win more often over time, which is the same way poker works. I find it outrageous that the US Government is trying to make online poker illegal because it is not gambling.

 

[Nickwastaken]

by definitition it is ony a gamble if the odds are ridiculously low and u have little to no chance....

so no; ita not a gamble if u continuously win (aka find a way to win; strategy, skill... there is only luck in a gamble)