passing comment: Professional poker player

[Carl_William]

"I am not making a moral comment here and I agree with what the initial poster said.

We need police, soldiers, car salesmen, divorce lawyers, spiritual guidance, judges, tax collectors and entertainers for our society to function. All of these have been around for millennia in one form or another.

What do professional poker players contribute to society?"



I can’t think of very much that professional poker players contribute to society other than forms of entertainment. But – there must be something?

I originally stated this thread to bring out the fact that a good honest person can at some point in his/her life say “without too much shame:” I am a professional poker player. Of course this person may be eating hamburgers and sleeping in his car – it is all a matter of degree.

Like you said; Of course in our society we need police, soldiers, car salesmen, divorce lawyers, spiritual guidance, judges, tax collectors, entertainers, news people, salesmen, bean counters and so on. And of course there are a few bad eggs in every type of job; so we should not judge a profession because a small percentage are crooks.

My gripe was with the whole life insurance industry. Whole life is some kind of a risk insurance program that is a very poor instrument from an investment view point. It is usually bought by people that really don’t understand what the heck is going on. The whole life salesman are either young guys who don’t know what they are doing (they are just taught to sell – not lookout for the future of the buyer), or older master salesmen who know how to close a deal. I would liken whole life insurance to the load shark business. Getting back to the current thread: what professional poker players do for society….

(1) They provide entertainment via the World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel, and the World Series of Poker Holdem championship on ESPN.
(2) They write poker books and poker magazine articles so the rest of us can understand poker and maybe improve our game.
(3) They provide jobs for card club casino employees: poker dealers, props, floor persons, etc.
(4) The world class professional poker players at the top of the poker food pyramid chain presently have a strong influence in promoting many other businesses such as: Internet poker sites, poker tournaments, travel, and poker ocean cruises.

For me, poker is just a form of entertainment, where a small percentage (very small -- Im sure) of the top players can make a living at it.

[eastbay]

[ QUOTE ]
I am not making a moral comment here and I agree with what the initial poster said.

We need police, soldiers, car salesmen, divorce lawyers, spiritual guidance, judges, tax collectors and entertainers for our society to function. All of these have been around for millennia in one form or another.

What do professional poker players contribute to society?

T.

[/ QUOTE ]

Precisely nothing. However, this is certainly better than being a negative influence on society like some professions.

eastbay

[stripsqueez]

[ QUOTE ]
Poker player is a fine profession.

The ones that really make me sick (other than insurance salesman) are ...

Police officer (the police syndicate is really just state sanctioned organized crime. why would someone take a mediocre paying job where you can get shot if they weren't corrupt?).

Judge (i.e. backdoor $$ taker)

District attorney / prosecutor (i.e. they should all be shot)

catholic priest / southern baptist preacher (i.e. child molestors / employers of hookers)

car salesman / auto dealer service manager (i.e. crooks)

[/ QUOTE ]

this is a short sighted ignorant post

the same mis-guided stereotypes that cause someone to assume that gambling for a living is something to be shunned are well demonstrated by your mindless bashing of several highly skillful, dedicated professions that are essential for a civilised society to operate

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[BusterStacks]

I don't know why car salesmen have to be in the list. My dad is has been a auto wholesaler for 30+ years and the only reason he is still in business is because of the money he consistantly makes for others. In my opinion, it's the idiot customer's fault for not researching their potential purchase that leads to the negative stigma attached to used car salespeople. I'm sure you all picture sleezy guys in bad suits, but the actual guys in charge of big lots, as well as wholesalers, are some of the best people you will ever meet.

[SittingBull]

Your sampling size in each group is probablly too small to make an inductive conclusion.
Happy pokering, [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
SittingBull

[Al Schoonmaker]

Sitting Bull,
So nice to see you back here.
Where have you been?
Hope to see you again very soon.
Regards,
Al