Poker Craps
Can poker be considered gambling?
I realize there is an element of chance, but stocks has that as well. I have played poker seriously for 3 years and I have realized that it really isn't gambling if you play it right. In my mind, it is no different than investing, starting a business, etc. Some people don't see this and think it is gambling like craps or slots. Your thoughts?
You basically have it all right in your mind.
Yes, poker can be considered gambling. However, to a SMALL PERCENTAGE of people, it is not gambling. To those few people, it's just a question of putting in enough hours to make enough money to make a living. The more hours they play, the more money they will eventually win. This is not to say that they win all the time. These folks know that entire months might go by with them losing money. Still, because they are disciplined, they keep putting in their time and know that they will win overall in the long run. Year after year they will end the year in positive territory.
Again - that is a SMALL percentage of people.
For most people, poker is gambling. For some folks it's a total craps shoot because they only know what they learned on TV. These folks are the fish that the pros live off. Others will come close to breaking even (or they might even show a small profit) throughout the year because they've read some books and have some experience. These people are still gambling. It's just a question of degree.