A Theory: Poker is Evil

[FiReSiStAnT]

[ QUOTE ]
Poker is Evil. Once you know how to maximize your expectation you will be in the long run a winner. That means there will be in the long run a loser that supplies you your winnings. These winnings come from somebody who did a job, a service, for the community. They provided something for somebody and thus were given pay. This pay was placed into a poker bank roll. The money was placed into a bank roll because the player (loser) had the hope, or rather the illusion that they would win. Otherwise they would not play. But this player is ignorant about poker and also ignorant that you (winner) have a long term edge over them. So you are winning (I don't know if it can be called winning anymore because you *can't* lose in the long term to a player who is ignorant) because this person is ignorant, playing off of their illusion that they may win, and taking (yes TAKING) their hard earned cash. In other words you are stealing money from a person. This person is in the illusion that they have a chance to win, they don't. This person is ignorant that they can't win. Poker is a legal way to steal a person's hard earned cash. You who know how to have that edge are playing off of somebody's ignorance, addiction, and illusion. Poker is Evil. You can't lose with your edge, that is theivery.

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Its not stealing, not even close...

[ianlippert]

But how much are they even taking, if it is evil?

Lets take a 5/10 full ring game, anyone who is a losing player should definately not be playing above this let alone this level. Assuming 20% of players are winning players (A big assumption according to many threads I've read), there will be an average of 2 players at the full ring game that are winning about 2BB/hr each. Thats a charge of $40/hr between 8 other ppl, or $5/hr/fish. Honestly that isnt that much for an hours worth of entertainment.

Also its really hard for ppl to lose that much before they quit or go casual. When I started poker, there were 3 other guys at work who started with me. We all thought we were going to quit our jobs and go pro. Almost a year has gone by, and I'm the only one in the black. All my friends lost about $1000 before they called it quits. It seems like a lot of money, but its usually a one time thing, and for someone with a job it not going to break them.

[nervous]

[ QUOTE ]
By the same token, gas stations are evil for selling death sticks. And gas.

[/ QUOTE ]

Selling death sticks is one thing, but taking 2BB/100, come on. That's ludicrous.

[CIncyHR]

Besides that $1 taking someones hard earned money, it is also direct theft of the labor hours put into making the burger.

"The only monster here is the gambling monster that has enslaved your mother! I call him Gamblor, and it's time to snatch your mother from his neon claws!"

- Late 20th Century Philosopher H.J. Simpson

Are you a communist? Or did you son loose all your damn money?
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Your right, ya know what, we should ban all sports as well! I would hate for someone to "loose" their hard earned time, or be mentally distraught over it. Basically your a great examply fo the pussification of america, i bet your in PETA as well
damn commies

[Mr Mojo Risin]

That is retarded. By your logic casinos are evil too because they have a long run advantage? Is that stealing? No. Neither is poker. In both situations people volentarily put their money on the line. Now, forcing someone to play in a game that they have a long run disadvantage would be stealing in my mind, but these people are there playing by their own voltion. So untill people are forced to put up ther own money and sit at a table with the likes of Mr. Brunson, please, kindly STFU. Just because you lose money doesn't make the game evil.

what kind of thread is this? do you agree poker is evil or are you just making a thread for the hell of it?

poker to many is entertainment. we all pay for the movies, amusement parks and etc so most pay to "play" poker

[Zetack]

[ QUOTE ]
Poker is Evil. Once you know how to maximize your expectation you will be in the long run a winner. That means there will be in the long run a loser that supplies you your winnings. These winnings come from somebody who did a job, a service, for the community. They provided something for somebody and thus were given pay. This pay was placed into a poker bank roll. The money was placed into a bank roll because the player (loser) had the hope, or rather the illusion that they would win. Otherwise they would not play. But this player is ignorant about poker and also ignorant that you (winner) have a long term edge over them. So you are winning (I don't know if it can be called winning anymore because you *can't* lose in the long term to a player who is ignorant) because this person is ignorant, playing off of their illusion that they may win, and taking (yes TAKING) their hard earned cash. In other words you are stealing money from a person.

[/ QUOTE ]

Woah! I was with you until right here.

[ QUOTE ]
This person is in the illusion that they have a chance to win, they don't. This person is ignorant that they can't win. Poker is a legal way to steal a person's hard earned cash.
You who know how to have that edge are playing off of somebody's ignorance, addiction, and illusion. Poker is Evil. You can't lose with your edge, that is theivery.

[/ QUOTE ]


Hmm, I start a business and turn it into a profitable little affair. Now comes a guy who wants to buy it from me. He has to pay a high price for the business because its doing so well. But that's ok because he's an even better business man than me and will make even more money that I could running the thing.

Except hes mistaken, he's a worse business man than me and runs the thing into the ground.

He's under an illusion that he's a good business man, he's ignorant that he can't be successful at this business. Good lord, I've stolen his money by allowing him to buy the business from me. It's theivery plain and simple!!!!

Ok, I see above that you did the fastest about face ever on these boards. I can see why.

--Zetack