Playing poker is a gambling activity?

[bbc.reporter]

I actually mean playing poker professionally,like taking part in tournament's,etc.
Do you think that it is considered all across the world as gambling?

No. Poker is a skill game. But it can be gambling if you want it to be. Just go all in every hand.

[SyGambler]

when you don't know what you are doing then everything will turn to gambling , so poker for newbies is gambling but those newbies will have better results and they will start making money when they understand the game
it's possible to make money constantly in poker but you need to have the skills for that , and those skills require experience
so basically in poker every player start as a loser when he just starts playing , but with time and if you study the game you will start making money

[Phildo]

I actually mean playing poker professionally,like taking part in tournament's,etc.
Do you think that it is considered all across the world as gambling?

No. Poker is a skill game. But it can be gambling if you want it to be. Just go all in every hand.

It's is both. You cannot be sure of the outcome (except in rare situations when you know you can't lose) so it is gambling.

The skill part is knowing when the right times to put your money in the pot, but you still need the cards to come out the way you want them to.

[JasonXG]

I actually mean playing poker professionally,like taking part in tournament's,etc.
Do you think that it is considered all across the world as gambling?

No because poker is more skill based and is a sport and just like any other sport its not gambling but rather skill. You wouldn't pay money to watch someone play the slots would you ?

[talkbitcoin]

I actually mean playing poker professionally,like taking part in tournament's,etc.
Do you think that it is considered all across the world as gambling?

gambling has a clear definition so i think playing poker even professionally falls under the category of gambling. because there are two most important factors of gambling involved in it: Money and Risk even if they are winning.

if anybody is playing poker without involvement of these two then no that is not gambling anymore.

[PeRo]

Of course, it is considered gambling. Everything which has betting an amount of money for an unknown outcome is gambling. Professional gambling as well is gambling. Some consider poker as a job if you are doing it professionaly, but it is gambling even though it may be your job. You can count cards, be a professional in poker but you can still lose money in it because you can't 100% know the outcome of the hands.

[wavespump]

Definitely is a gambling, it is player vs player gambling game, not a player vs house game, and the house takes rake as the fee, therefore it is a gambling activity.   

[razdva]

I actually mean playing poker professionally,like taking part in tournament's,etc.
Do you think that it is considered all across the world as gambling?

For online poker yes, very fast and also quickly I enter on tilt. Very skilled players.
Offline poker it like job for me not gamble like online. Most time easy money, real people and slow game do not allow rage a gambling

[iv4n]

Poker is gambling, gambling is poker. I don`t know why did you even asked something like this, its common sense. When you say professional poker players that means that people that  play poker live from that, and they don't have any other work.
For me poker is no. 1 gambling activity cause involve more then just clicking and waiting for results. In poker you can take everything with one big lie, or to lose all cause you didn't predict someone else cards. Its not just cards, you need to know how to play the game, you need to have more then one skill, and you can always count on luck like something that happens more or less to anyone of us.
Anytime you put a bet you are gambling, in poker you gambling on your cards. There is no much discussing about this matter.

[maxhor]

Even poker is skill based game but it used for gambling, a lot of skilled people making very huge money by playing poker, some are losing with poker there so that we can say this poker is gambling, I am also pretty sure about poker is no more than just gambling.

[minime0105]

I actually mean playing poker professionally,like taking part in tournament's,etc.
Do you think that it is considered all across the world as gambling?

Of course it is, that's why there is a buy in, and even if its free, there is prize and you are competing with other people as time as your investment.

[bithasher]

Poker is one branch or game of gambling like any other. Poker when you are playing with intention of making money then it is pure form of gambling. If you are just playing risk free then this is a simple source of fun. Poker is straight gambling which is skill based and for real players with strategies and tricks to win.

[Junko]

Yes, poker is gambling. Some people have developed more skill and are better at this form of gambling than others.

[Bitinity]

I actually mean playing poker professionally,like taking part in tournament's,etc.
Do you think that it is considered all across the world as gambling?

No. Poker is a skill game. But it can be gambling if you want it to be. Just go all in every hand.

So do you think that a skill-based game that involves money is not a gambling, and gambling is only about all in? If so, you are wrong. Gambling is something that make us to risk our money in order to get some profit imho, so playing poker is also a gambling activity unless you play it without money.

[minime0105]

I actually mean playing poker professionally,like taking part in tournament's,etc.
Do you think that it is considered all across the world as gambling?

No. Poker is a skill game. But it can be gambling if you want it to be. Just go all in every hand.

yeah it is definitely a skill game, but it is like that in real world, but not in online poker i guess.

[neochiny]

I actually mean playing poker professionally,like taking part in tournament's,etc.
Do you think that it is considered all across the world as gambling?

professional poker players treat it more of a sport than a gambling, but technically it is a gambling in its
basic form. the reason why professional poker player don't treat it as gambling is because it has a ranking
system of 1st-3rd place and have the same rules as any other sports and even if you won the game the total
chips that you earn is not the actual prize they have a different prize for every spot from 1st-3rd place just like
any other sports.

[sishendaoye]

Playing poker is a gambling activity but if you are playing at a professional level then you can also see it as a sport, with poker you can make much money.
Poker is one of the only gambling games that will allow you to make some serious money with it.

[Nitroshock]

Yes it is gambling and no it is not gambling... it depends on your definition and the rules/entry into the activities.

To me, gambling means risking something of value in exchange for a possible payout of a higher value.  The "thing" you risk doesn't have to be btc or money... If you spend time on a new altcoin or website project, aren't you gambling that the time you spent (risked) will produce a higher payout in the future?  It is not casino gambling, but I think there are lots of ways to "gamble".

Back to the original post and technical definition... if the poker players are risking something of value in order to play, and there is something of value being offered as a reward for playing, then yes, it is gambling.  If it doesn't cost anything to play (players do not have to risk something of value), then they are only gambling with time, and to many, this is not gambling at all.

So, yes and no.  There are always multiple sides and viewpoints and the only way to decide if it is gambling or not is to define what gambling means to you.

Good Luck All!

[ethereumhunter]

poker if no money, then its only a game. but poker with money then its called gambling game. its just my opinion because in my neighborhood, my friend do card game, but with no money, just playing for fun. and sometimes, even if i do not know, they do with the money.

[hermanhs09]

Partially yes.

For example, bluffing is taking a huge gamble. The main difference between professional poker and poker on the internet would probably be reading the cards of the opponents, doing the right betting strategy, et cetera. It it also a psychological game, which takes a lot of time and effort to master.

As long as you cannot predict the outcome, it's a gamble.

Well poker is not just a game based purely on luck. That is why if you can master how to bluff and expose people, you will be able to win a lot in poker. There is already a lot of famous world examples that lives purely on pokers.

I was asking this question in this topic,because i wanted to know what do people involed in bitcoin think about playing poker for money.
I think it is a job also,because if you a successful player who can really play good poker,then it is possible to make a decent income out of it.
I also think that it is very hard to play poker for a living,you need to be pretty much insane in this game,at least that is my theory