POKER IS GAMBLING?

[slim]

i've read threads on 2+2 b4 about whether poker is gambling and a lot of people say "you're an idiot if u don't think poker is gambling".

I can't understand how poker in the long run is gambling. Here are my 2 analogies, ASSUMING YOU ARE AN EXCELLENT PLAYER:

1. if u are an excellent player (better than 99%) of your opponents, you will ALWAYS win in the long run. And the long run isn't even that long.....if you play everyday, you should be in the black every month. So what's the difference between poker and a casino with slot machines and table games? I don't see any difference. On a bad nite, the casino may lose $2million bc somebody hits a mega JP on slots or whatever but by the end of the month, they ALWAYS make money.

2) Poker is like a sports team. In any given game, the Chicago Blackhawks can beat the NHL Allstar team, maybe even over the course of 10 games......but if they played 100 games, the allstars will always show a winning record.(assuming no injuries etc).

So how can poker be gambling in the long run?? Maybe it depends if your definition of gambling is for 1 seesion, but certainly not if you are talking about a lifetime.