Some interesting facts from Harrah's annual survey

[Cubswin]

Brief snippet from a las vegas sun article (full story here (http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/gaming/2004/oct/14/517665853.html))

The Harrah's study also included a separate survey of players polled during the World Series of Poker tournament at Binion's Horseshoe in May, the first year Harrah's has owned the tournament. Ninety-five percent of professional poker players are men and 98 percent of amateur players are men, according to the poll. Sixty-six percent of professional players said a nonsmoking environment makes a great poker room compared with 76 percent of amateurs.

More than half of World Series of Poker players gamble at other casino table games. About a quarter of players also play slots and make sports bets.

The pros said they have played poker for an average of 24 years while amateurs have been playing for an average of 23 years.

[Greg (FossilMan)]

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The pros said they have played poker for an average of 24 years while amateurs have been playing for an average of 23 years.

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I find these numbers amazingly high. Especially given the number of new players who have come into poker the last 2 years, and the number of new faces I saw at Binions. It makes me very suspicious of the other answers in the poker part of the survey.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[Cubswin]

That stuck me as a bit high also. Im sure a lot of people embellish their playing experience just like many do with their win rates. I guess its human nature to want to seem more experienced. Also, i would be interested in exactly how the question was worded as this can have a huge impact on the responces.

[jakethebake]

I'm sure that's it. If you asked me how long I've been playing poker I'd say 28 years, which was when I first learned to play at church summer camp. How long I've been an active player is a different question.

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exactly how the question was worded as this can have a huge impact on the responces.

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[Dante]

Exactly, I'm 27 and have "played poker" since I was 12 with my family (7-card stud and draw), but I've played poker in casino's (holdem and stud) since 1999, so it would very much depend on how it was worded.

[prop]

ive spent my life in casinos as a pro player and would guess less than .5% of pros are women. there are many women, however, who play poker full time but they are NOT pros. they are bankrolled by some stupid guy. i can name dozens of evelyn ng's ive seen come and go over the years they play every day and are propped by 1 or more rich dudes and they identify themselves as pro players.

[Cubswin]

considering most of todays pros are the online variety i think it would be hard to draw any conclusion about what % of pros are female.

cubs

[Ed Miller]

92% of players who say they are "professionals" are not by any reasonable definition of the word.

EDIT: To be clear, I'm not criticising those who call themselves pros. You can call yourself whatever you want, and many may have good reason to do so. I think surveys that try to draw distinctions between "pros" and "amateurs" are dumb.

[Blarg]

My guess is that it was the players trying to draw distinctions among themselves, and whoever was doing the survey simply had to take their assertions at face value.