poker ethics: do you wonder about who you're taking money from?

[EjnarPik]

Taxes a not a contribution, it's a rearrengement.

Ejnar Pik, Southern-Docks.

[EjnarPik]

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Not a leach? What service of any value do we provide to society? I take many things of value, both materially and in labor, when i spend the many thousands i have made. However, i have contributed nothing.

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Lots of people who work, aren't really contributing anything either. But since they have a "job" that is ok.

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Right on the spot. it's not ok, but it ain't nescesarily their fault. You have to make a living.

Ejnar Pik, Southern-Docks.

[bigalt]

These are some fantastic responses. Thanks, guys.

Does anyone have any buddhist monk friends to ask the opinion of, too? The priest makes the point (as did many people in the thread) that it is in essence a fair competition and we just look for ways to keep it in our favour. Perhaps like a basketball team who keeps attacking the guy with the injury? Or more like a pool hall hustler?

On the one hand, having faceless opponents makes it easier to feed upon that one whale for weeks on end but I guess most people don't see it that way, which is why there is such an outcry against cheating/botting.

[David04]

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If you feel like you are picking money up off the streets, I envy your game selection skills.

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What, you don't play at Party?

[Ginso]

"If you're game is going to appear on the Travel Channel, then maybe you could claim to be an entertainer. Otherwise, no."

I've thought alot about this entertainment question. The reason I disagree is your above statement can be said about virtually any pro sport. Its only the BIG, final tournaments that bring in lots of viewers. Relatively speaking, how many people go see the local AA ball team, comapred to watch the World Series?

Or a better example might be, how many people go watch the local pro-bowling tournament.

While only 10 people are being "entertained" at any one given table, at least right now millions of people are being entertained watching the WSOP or the weekly WPT games.

Its like any sport - those at the top are being watched, and the rest of us are slugging it out hoping to make it to the majors one day.

my thoughts, anyway.

[FlFishOn]

"poker players provide the same service that any entertainer provides. "

Bullsh+t.

Your are quickening the death spiral of many compulsive gambling addicts...and that's a good thing [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Seriously, 1/3 of your winnings come from the most desperate cases you can imagine. And if you don't pick their bones I will.

[thwang99]

Ok, what if you think of it this way?

Say you live on an island, 10 people live on this island, and there is a money system. 3 work the farms, 3 cook and clean and make clothes, 2 perform tricks and entertain the others, and 2 hunt for animals. This works, and everyone contributes to the needs of everyone else (food, clothes, entertainment). Everyone splits everything.

Same island, except 2 people work the farms, 1 cooks and cleans and makes clothes, 1 entertainer, and 1 hunts for animals. 5 play poker with each other and with the other 5 that work. The 5 that play poker only are better than the other 5, and take their money. Now you would have a lot less food/clothes, etc, but a lot more poker entertainment.

Now, admittedly half the world isn't pro poker players, but say poker becomes super popular, that half the world population does it for a living. Would you say poker players are putting something into society, and taking something out equivalent to what they put in?

- Tony

[FlFishOn]

"does walmart take money directly from the pockets of "mom & pop" businesses? of course they do."

What disingenuous liberal garbage!

Mom & Pop lose out thanks to the free choice of thousands of individual consumers, not Walmart. Mom & Pop survive if their goods are correctly priced for the retail environment in which they exist.

No one owes Mom & Pop a protected retail niche. No consumer should be forced to support the price such protection would cost.

[KKbluff]

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That population obviously consists of many different types of people, some of which one might feel bad about taking from (pathological gamblers, bored housewives) ,and some not (frat boys the guy on TILT).


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[Willy]

Yes, I worry a lot, about to the same degree as McDonalds