Can a person play poker as a profession and not be considered a gambler?

Question

Can a person play poker as a profession and not be considered a gambler?

Answer 1

Hi  Laura .

Yes poker players are NOT gamblers ... poker is a game of skill , and therefore they being call pro poker players , and not gamblers .

Your friend PokerMaster111

Answer 2

NO.. You are gambling...

Answer 3

can a person ask the above question and not be considered a moron?

Answer 4

Both yes and no, depending on certain aspects.

You are gambling if you have generally less experience and ability than your opponents.

You are gambling if you enter into higher limits than what your bankroll allows.

Good poker players rely on the natural long-term benefits. They rely on the idea that they will win in the long run grinding it out and consistently playing weaker less experienced opponents by playing in smaller limits. The better player won't always win every hand, but given enough time will always come out winning more money.

Therefore I disagree that an experienced poker player is a gambler.

Answer 5

Regardless of a player's skill or success, anything that involves risk is by definition gambling. Since nothing a poker player can do at the table can guarantee they will win, they are always gambling. And don't fool yourself into thinking the best players in the world never lose. At some time or another they all have a losing day, week, month, or even year.

Answer 6

They are gamblers, but there is more skill involved in poker than luck.  Most people don't understand that.  On the other extreme you have the players who don't want to admit that they're really gambling so they say that poker is a skill game with no gambling involved.

Poker, if played right, is 80% skill, 20% luck, since you do have to rely on the turn of the cards.

Answer 7

LMAO at some of these answers. If you put up your money and try to win others money you are GAMBLING. If there is a chance you can LOSE all your money at anything you are GAMBLING. (stocks and bonds) (blackjack table) (buying a house for profit) All have different measures of risk and equally a percentage of odds to win and lose. It has always been called GAMBLING. By the way the professional poker players ALL GAMBLE - they bet sports-horses-and even how many red heads are in the room at one time. But most of all they GAMBLE at the poker table daily...........

Answer 8

It's pointless to try and convince people who think poker is gambling that it isn't. So, to answer the question, poker players view people who make their living playing poker as pros, but most other people see them as gamblers who need help overcoming an addiction. He (or she) plays poker 8 hours a day, so he must be hopelessly addicted, right?

Answer 9

Well you might want to be called a Bus conductor instead?

Of course you're a gambler duh  lol

nothing wrong in that buddy!

Answer 10

If there is money involved in a poker game, yes- that's gambling.

They can use peanuts, or play strip poker.

But that's not professional is it?