Skilled Poker Players are not “Gamblers”
Gambling and poker are connected, and in some cases poker falls under the very broad category of gambling. On the flip side however poker players, if playing the game correctly often do not classify as gamblers.
To understand exactly what this means one must define the word “gambling”. The term “Gambling” refers to wagering money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods. Typically, the outcome of the wager or bet is evident within a short period. In a nutshell, the word “gambling” means putting up something of value at risk, on a game or event of chance, in hopes of receiving much more than the initial investment. Does poker fit this term? The answer is yes and no.
To state flatly why poker would not in many terms classify as gambling; when poker is played correctly and players rely on skill, rather than chance, the game does not fall anywhere near the theory of gambling. This is because a player is risking their money or value against their own skill. However this statement can be considered as “loose”, and is not necessarily the case for all poker players.
Skill does not mean chance. Skill is earned and built up over an extended period of time through game experience. Most veteran poker players once started out as nothing but a little blip on the map to poker stardom, but through their many years of successes and failures they built up an incredible knowledge of the game. This knowledge, also considered as skill, is not anything like chance. If a poker player is very skilled or even skilled enough to pull off more wins than losses, than the game of poker can basically be considered as a base profit source. This means that every time one of those skilled players sits at a table or even over an extended period of more than one table, they churn a definite profit in the long run.
People who sit down and play a short term game, or two, of poker are lessening their overall chances of churning a profit and are more than likely not relying on skill. These type of newer, or “noob” poker players fall under the term “gamblers”. This is because they are simply relying on the chance of cards to get a good hand and hopefully gain some money. This includes people who don’t normally play the game of poker on a regular basis, and those who do play often but simply have no skill pertaining to the game.
Poker veterans are not the only players however that are excluded from the “gamblers” term. As a generalized statement, players with any kind of skill at all, pertaining to the game of poker, that overall pull in more wins than losses can consider themselves “non-gamblers”. It is true that over time some poker players lose more money than they bring in but it stands to reason these players are no good at the game and should not be playing. This, in turn brings up a completely separate question. Should poker players who fall inside this “gambling” category remain avid participants of the sport?
The answer is simple. If you are gambling; that means not relying on skill while playing the game of poker, than you should consider only playing every now and then for fun rather than for profit. However, if you are starting at the bottom and plan to grow from a potential poker pro, to an actual veteran than you will have to start in the “gambling” category and then pull yourself from it. Meaning in the beginning, as a novice you will have to rely on chance while you build up your poker skill and experience and then much later, you will then find yourself outside the generalized category.
So, basically to sum everything up, poker veterans and skilled poker players cannot be considered “gamblers” because they are not wagering on chance, but merely their overall expertise. Players who jump into poker for a few hands, or rounds are considered “gamblers” because they are not relying on skill but the fall of the hands. Those looking to become veterans of the sport will have to start at the bottom; which means they will fall under the “gambling” category for quite some time.
