Are we any better than drug dealers?

[toots]

I really don't go along with that "someone's going to get that money, why not you?" argument.

Let's try "someone is going to roll that drunk, why not you?" "Someone is going to steal cable service, why not you?"

Yeah, gambling is legal, but if you're looking at it strictly from a moral perspective, it's hard to justify taking money from an out-of-control fool, even if there's a line of alternates standing behind you. It ain't your responsibility for "fixing" his out-of-controlness, but neither is it your responsibility to facilitate it.

Here's how I rationalize playing poker (assuming that I'd be an overall winning player):

When I first started playing, a dealer friend told me that poker players are all jerks. Since the poker boom started, I've seen absolutely nothing to seriously challenge his assertion. So, me winning is one jerk (me) bilking another jerk out of his/her money. Symmetry is preserved.