On people who play poker for a living

[flyingmoose]

[ QUOTE ]
Assuming a poker player pays taxes.... isn't poker good for the economy? Please explain how the economy is hurt in the least bit by poker?

Suppose a 100 changes hands from you to me, opposed to you spending this money on goods.

If money changes hands from you to me, I pay 30% of that to the government, who in return spends that money for goods or services (that people get paid to either provide or produce) Then I proceed to spend the rest of the 70% on other goods or services. So all of it gets spent on goods and services.

I fail to see any way in which poker playing hurts the economy. If anything, it just adds an extra layer of taxation (taxed when I win, and when I spend), which just helps our country and economy even more. Since most losers can't claim gambling losses, but pay taxes on gambling winnings, the government loves it when people play poker. It's a no lose situation for them. They collect revenue that doesn't waste any resources.

[/ QUOTE ]

If money changes hands without a good or service being provided, that money gets taxed (removed from the marketplace) while skipping a step in the multiplier. If you don't know what the multiplier is, I'm not going to debate economics with you.

[paperboyNC]

[ QUOTE ]
I fail to see any way in which poker playing hurts the economy. If anything, it just adds an extra layer of taxation (taxed when I win, and when I spend), which just helps our country and economy even more. Since most losers can't claim gambling losses, but pay taxes on gambling winnings, the government loves it when people play poker. It's a no lose situation for them. They collect revenue that doesn't waste any resources.

[/ QUOTE ]

The wasted resource is the time of the professional poker player. Us professional poker players could instead make a product like cell phones or flat screen TVs. It's our brains and time that is the wasted resource.

[LinusKS]

[ QUOTE ]
Am I the only one who sees validity to what the OP is saying?

Economic models are based on the assumption that all participants in the economy are rational. Countless psychological studies prove that losing gamblers are not rational. Essentially, we're getting money without providing a service to anyone.

I'm trying to think of a profession that provides less to society than poker, and I can't.

Of course, that doesn't mean poker players are bad people in other aspects of their lives -- and anyone who took the OPs post to mean that needs to grow some skin.

[/ QUOTE ]

People tend to believe what makes them comfortable.

Some people DO have jobs where they make a contribution, though it's also true those jobs tend not to be among the most highly paid.

[DonCaspero]

I can only speak for myself as a resident of Scandinavia.

I bring huge benefits to my country as an importer of green american poker dollars to spend in Ikea, drive a big Volvo and buy 10.000 pounds of Lego for my kids, maybe even invest some of it in a Swedish meatball factory or a Danish pastry bakery and create 1000s of jobs [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Voltron87]

[ QUOTE ]
I can only speak for myself as a resident of Scandinavia.

I bring huge benefits to my country as an importer of green american poker dollars to spend in Ikea, drive a big Volvo and buy 10.000 pounds of Lego for my kids, maybe even invest some of it in a Swedish meatball factory or a Danish pastry bakery and create 1000s of jobs [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

hilarious [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Brock Landers]

I agree with the initial poster. I also think that anyone in the food industry is contributing to the major problem of obesity in the U.S.. (note:sarcasm)

Just because a small percentage of people have a problem with poker/gambling, that doesn't make it wrong. To the overwhelming majority, it is a form of ENTERTAINMENT; in my opinion, a necessary human experience.

[flyingmoose]

[ QUOTE ]

Just because a small percentage of people have a problem with poker/gambling, that doesn't make it wrong. To the overwhelming majority, it is a form of ENTERTAINMENT; in my opinion, a necessary human experience.

[/ QUOTE ]

The OP directed his question to professionals. Sure a lot of 2/4 and 3/6 players play for entertainment, but how many 30/60 players intentionally cough up a few grand for a night of fun?

[Brock Landers]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Just because a small percentage of people have a problem with poker/gambling, that doesn't make it wrong. To the overwhelming majority, it is a form of ENTERTAINMENT; in my opinion, a necessary human experience.

[/ QUOTE ]

The OP directed his question to professionals. Sure a lot of 2/4 and 3/6 players play for entertainment, but how many 30/60 players intentionally cough up a few grand for a night of fun?

[/ QUOTE ]


So, then all of the 30/60 players are either pros or addicted gamblers? Not likely. Plus averaging a loss of a "few grand" at the 30/60 would make you one of the worst 30/60 players in the world. That would be a loss of about 10 to 15 bb/hr.
I have heard studies that say about 4-6% of the population has the possibility to be addicted gamblers. While significant, this statistic shows that an overwhelming part of gamblers are recreational.

[TomCollins]

If you want to contribute to society, that's your business. But some of us honestly dont care one bit about "giving back to society."

[dogmeat]

Poker is my job.

I play to earn money for my family.

They are the ones that benefit from my hard work.

I have no problem with this.

Dogmeat [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]