Joined: Apr '11
Location: Romania
Age: 58 (M)
Posts: 2432
After the surprise announcement that Vicky Coren has left PokerStars because they are introducing casino games, the site's other big ambassador, Daniel Negreanu, has joined the debate. Speaking on his blog, Negreanu discussed whether it was unethical to make a living as a poker player, because just like a casino, the professionals often win against problem gamblers: "I would personally feel like a hypocrite if I justified that it’s OK for me to take money from problem gamblers, but it's not OK for the casino to do the same. If it’s wrong it’s wrong, no matter who profits. As much as we’d like to separate poker from gambling, poker played for money IS gambling. There will be some winners, and a vast majority of losers."
Joined: Mar '12
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 45 (F)
Posts: 2261
A few years ago I saw a top poker firm executive talking about how they wanted poker to be viewed as an exciting skill game and to take away the image of shady blokes in scummy clubs gambling away proceeds of ill gotten gains or seeing people gamble away their rent money or their kids college fund and start to be seen as a more respectable game/hobby and it seems it was going in that direction.Now it seems the poker rooms have to have a quick fix for gamblers like slots,table games or the twister/all in tournaments in order to make more and more profit. There have always been casinos with poker rooms but does a poker site have to have a casino in order to survive? Personally I don't mind if the poker room has a casino feature as long as it doesn't treat the main poker customer base as potential casino profit and poker then becomes a second thought and reverts back to a shady minority part of gambling.
Joined: May '08
Location: Lithuania
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 10090
i am already saving money by eating less and mobbing people so i can afford myself such pleasure as pokerstars casino!!! dreaming day and night about my five minutes of fame, and exccesive moments of pain that will last for ages and a few years more. ahhh what the hell as long as i am getting a 1% deposit bonus with 1000x playthrough requirements i am a happy bunny
Joined: Aug '14
Location: Germany
Age: 43 (M)
Posts: 766
Well what I like about the story is that at least someone is publicly stating that he is not completely against the decision of Pokerstars introducing casino games. Most of these guys are gamblers. So why should they be against it.
Joined: Mar '09
Location: Greece
Age: 47 (F)
Posts: 14136
I wanna see what some people will comment here, now that Negreanu says that poker is gambling. Cause I have seen many so far defending the idea that it is not. But right on the subject, I also agree with the comments about the paycheck.
Joined: Feb '14
Location: Portugal
Age: 43 (M)
Posts: 126
Posted by Mober: I wanna see what some people will comment here, now that Negreanu says that poker is gambling. Cause I have seen many so far defending the idea that it is not. But right on the subject, I also agree with the comments about the paycheck.
Earlier I was against the idea of Pokerstars having these casino games. But then I realized all the other main poker sites have casinos games.
Joined: Feb '12
Location: Canada
Age: 64 (M)
Posts: 6036
Posted by Mober: I wanna see what some people will comment here, now that Negreanu says that poker is gambling. Cause I have seen many so far defending the idea that it is not. But right on the subject, I also agree with the comments about the paycheck.
I think what you mean Mober is folks say poker is 'chance' rather than skill...
If you are 'betting' on it in one form or another,....you are gambling,...that's what gambling is...!
That being said,...poker is a 'Game of Chance' ...that people can choose to gamble on...!
Joined: Jun '13
Location: Canada
Age: 80 (M)
Posts: 3700
Any game played or bet for money is for sure gambling. However in poker there is a part of skill and part of luck. Now what is the portion of skill and luck.
Some say that its 80% skill and 20% luck where is the truth
