If you could ... would you?

[Pocket Trips]

[ QUOTE ]

In a sense I meant for this post to be about Opportunisim as well as the smaller question about playing against the mentally handicapped.

If you found a $50 and a drivers license in a money clip on the ground would you take the $50? What if there was no chance of being caught? If there was no drivers licence but there was a note with a phone number attached would you? What if it was $1 million instead?

I have started to question my motives about the ethics of playing poker. I dont mind playing against people who are mentally sound, but taking a handicapped persons money seems wrong, and yet I would do it.

Greg

[/ QUOTE ]

There is HUGE difference between returning found money to its rightfull owner and taking someone's money by beating them at poker (if the person ismentally handicapped or not.) I would normally return money or a wallet that was lost or dropped somewhere because in all likely hood the person did not purposely leave the money there for someone else to find. However, if someone makes a conscious choice to play poker knowing they could easily lose whatever money they put at risk, then I have no problem taking their money as long as it was won honestly

[Hellmouth]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

In a sense I meant for this post to be about Opportunisim as well as the smaller question about playing against the mentally handicapped.

If you found a $50 and a drivers license in a money clip on the ground would you take the $50? What if there was no chance of being caught? If there was no drivers licence but there was a note with a phone number attached would you? What if it was $1 million instead?

I have started to question my motives about the ethics of playing poker. I dont mind playing against people who are mentally sound, but taking a handicapped persons money seems wrong, and yet I would do it.

Greg

[/ QUOTE ]

There is HUGE difference between returning found money to its rightfull owner and taking someone's money by beating them at poker (if the person ismentally handicapped or not.) I would normally return money or a wallet that was lost or dropped somewhere because in all likely hood the person did not purposely leave the money there for someone else to find. However, if someone makes a conscious choice to play poker knowing they could easily lose whatever money they put at risk, then I have no problem taking their money as long as it was won honestly

[/ QUOTE ]

I would submit that playing against someone with a mental handicap is not so different from someone who accidently loses money on the street. If you forget that you left your wallet somewhere it is a mental mistake that resulted in you losing money. If a mentally handicapped person does not understand poker and makes an unintentional error by playing when they should not it is similar. I realize that the differnce is in the choice of to play or not. However a mentally handicapped person might not be of sound enough mind to make that choice. If that is the case then they might as well have forgotten their wallet on the street.

Again, I dont mean to make this a discussion of any one situation. More about the issue of Opportunisim in general, and where you personally draw the line.

I too would give back found money. However, there was a point in my life where I had less and probably would not have if the sum was large enough.

Greg

[Pocket Trips]

[ QUOTE ]
However a mentally handicapped person might not be of sound enough mind to make that choice. If that is the case then they might as well have forgotten their wallet on the street.



[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think you give mentally handicapped people enough credit. Many of them can fully understand the basic concepts of the game. As I said previously it comes down to if the person is aware of whether or not they are gambling. If the person has no clue that those clay disks they are putting on the table represent real money then no, they shouldn't be able to play. But if that person does realize that. Even if they had to have it explained to them, then I don't feel there is much difference between a mentally handicapped person who doesn't know the difference between a fullhouse and a flush and the normal fish who doesn't realize 83o is a bad hand to cold call a raise with. I don't think mentally handicapped people should or would even want to be treated any differently than anyone else at the table.

So if you feel it is morally wrong to play poker against someone who you have such a large competitive advantage over than you shouldn't play poker against them. Regardless of what it is that gives you the advantage.

[Hellmouth]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
However a mentally handicapped person might not be of sound enough mind to make that choice. If that is the case then they might as well have forgotten their wallet on the street.



[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think you give mentally handicapped people enough credit. Many of them can fully understand the basic concepts of the game. As I said previously it comes down to if the person is aware of whether or not they are gambling. If the person has no clue that those clay disks they are putting on the table represent real money then no, they shouldn't be able to play. But if that person does realize that. Even if they had to have it explained to them, then I don't feel there is much difference between a mentally handicapped person who doesn't know the difference between a fullhouse and a flush and the normal fish who doesn't realize 83o is a bad hand to cold call a raise with. I don't think mentally handicapped people should or would even want to be treated any differently than anyone else at the table.

So if you feel it is morally wrong to play poker against someone who you have such a large competitive advantage over than you shouldn't play poker against them. Regardless of what it is that gives you the advantage.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe that is true. I would probably ask for a table change, if it were me. However, I would have to evaluate the situation once in it to be sure.

Greg

[Stuey]

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I don't think you give mentally handicapped people enough credit.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with this and it is why I would stay long enough to judge him/her fairly. The same way I and everyone else judges each person they meet.

[valenzuela]

I think its just taking advanatge of him, I wouldnt feel confortable playing with him.

[purnell]

I voted no, reasoning that it would be no fun (kinda like playing madden set on rookie level). But I don't think it would be "wrong" to do.

Let's say our retarded guy has an IQ of 80, and a person whose IQ is slightly higher than average, say 110, decides to take advantage. How is this any more "wrong" than a highly gifted person, whose IQ is, say, 150, choosing to play with the average guy?