Are we any better than drug dealers?

[tboneman]

Im really amazed at all the responses to this question. It seems there are a lot of players out there with questions in their minds about the moral aspects of "taking" someones money when that someone is clearly not in control.
Well, before you go blowing this out of proportion, keep in mind that there is a BIG difference between someone going on tilt at the table (acting compulsively), and someone who is "addicted" to gambling. I was reading an article in the Arizona Republic earlier this week about minors (teens) getting caught up in the texas hold'em home tourney craze, and one of the stats they quoted from a "reliable" source was that a WHOPPING 1% of adults develope a real gambling addiction. Thats 1 in 100. So, are the chances of you playing against a REAL addict all that great? Or is it more likely that your just playing against a bad player who is full of a mixture of testosterone and alchohol, or perhaps a decent poker player who just happens to have gone on tilt? In the event you are up against that 1%, once his money goes in the pot it is NO LONGER HIS MONEY, its the pots money. And I will fight for that money regardless where it came from if I have the goods. If you feel quilty about that, by all means, find some other way of filling your financial needs. Just let me know which games youll be leaving an empty seat in. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Mike Gallo]

Are we any better than drug dealers?

Yes.

Not even the same game, not even the same sport. A poker player cannot spend his or life behind bars.

If you feel quilty taking other players money, then quit playing or give back their money.

I think you wrote this post just to let the forum know you earn $42 an hour.

[Diggslick]

I'll just add that most of the people I've know that had what I would consider a gambling problem(at least to a point where their wins and loses affeced their lifestyle) were not people who would typically illict(sp?) sympathy from anyone. They were gererally surly,edgy people.

I must say that I sometimes feel bad for older, fixed income crowd when they have a bad day.(An it seems mutual toward me as a young person.) But we both made the choice to be there. I also, however, rejoice when I bust some of the generally ill-tempered and mean spirited people that one tends to find in casinos.

[Hermlord]

[ QUOTE ]

"The violence in the drug trade is a direct consequence of the illegality of drugs."

...

Maybe I just need to see some cold stats on the trade off of who gets hurt pre and post legalization.

[/ QUOTE ]

Here's one:



Certainly does not prove anything, but it is a startling visual.

[toots]

Yeah, that's one of my personal favorites.

[rusellmj]

Here's one a little more up to date and a little less, oh, agenda heavy.



Homicide rates recently declined to levels last seen in the late 1960's

* The homicide rate nearly doubled from the mid 1960's to the late 1970's.

* In 1980, it peaked at 10.2 per 100,000 population and subsequently fell off to 8.0 per 100,000 in 1984.

* It rose again in the late 1980's and early 1990's to another peak in 1991 of 9.8 per 100,000.

* From 1992 to 2000, the rate declined sharply. Since then, the rate has been stable.

And yet another:


Note: Arguments include brawls due to the influence of narcotics or alcohol,
disagreements about money or property and other arguments.

Felony types include homicides committed during a rape, robbery, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, and violations of prostitution and commercial vice laws, other sex offenses, NARCOTIC DRUG LAWS, and gambling laws.

Sources is the Bureau of Justice Statistics website.

Russ

[Kenrick]

Would you feel any different if you played chess for money against people who you know are worse than you and who know you are better than them?

I feel bad for slots players, but half of that is probably because I personally am incapable of getting much if any enjoyment from playing them. In that regard, degenerate slots players should feel sorry for me because I lack the ability to have fun while playing.

[Gramps]

I'm better than a drug dealer. I don't lie to the FDA about the risks in some new pain medication that I'm creating because my patents on old pain medications are up and I can't jack the price way up on those anymore, so I have to create some new (even if not better and with worse side effects) drug that I can peddle to mark way up and make billions off of. You were talking about some pharmaceutical compaines when you said "drug dealer," right?

But that's a "respectful" profession so long as the true logical elements underlying it are kept hidden/are rationalized. I think there's lots of examples of that out in our society. Because we have decided that capitalism is good, and that one can chase a buck at the expense of others and it's okay, I choose to take that standard and put playing poker in the context of it. When you break down the logical elements of a lot of professions, they're not so "high and mighty."

Which doesn't mean it's not depressing as hell/shouldn't make one with respect/sympathy for people feel somewhat crappy when you see degenerates peeing their money away at poker. But honestly, if you left the game and never played again, would they stop playing poker? Have you ever convinced a degenerate to stop gambling/playing poker? They are who they are and will continue to be who they are whether or not you're there.

I have enough ethics so that I'd never try and talk a known degenerate into playing in my game where they'd otherwise not play at all (or would otherwise play in a more "affordable" game) - for some that's good game selection/creation skills, to me that's crossing the line beyond where I want to go. But if they're playing, and there's a spot, I have no ethical qualms with jumping in and "skimming off the top" while the house collects their rake.

But I don't play live much, in part because the people are kind of depressing. Even though I know I can't change those people, I have sympathy and it makes me feel not so hot after a while. That's part of the appeal of playing online, you don't have to see the people you're playing against. If I had to slaughter my own cows and chickens, I might become a vegetarian (because of the depressing process, not the underlying ethics). Because I don't, I enjoy teriyaki chicken and a good steak on a regular basis.

[Gotta Jibboo]

the difference between a professional poker player and and a gambling addict is the EV in the plays they make. Thats all.

jb

[BadBoyBenny]

Most of the drug dealers and poker players I know are good people IMO.