Poker News

George Epstein

In a recent column by Fresh Young Face of Poker, Jennifer Matiran (Poker Player; November 29, 2004), the point was made that the outcome in a game of poker is never certain. Gambling, she explained, means to bet on an uncertain outcome. Her cautions struck achord for me because I have been reprimanded by several people for teaching my now 9-y.o. granddaughter, Esther, to play poker - thereby encouraging her to gamble. I admit to that; but is it wrong for a youngster to learn to gamble?

What is Gambling? Anytime you risk something of value, you are gambling. Taking a chance on a result is gambling. The fact is we gamble to some extent ever day. Walk across a street; you are risking your life (that’s of real value): What if a motorist suddenly turns the corner and hits you in the crosswalk? When you eat a meal, you take a risk: What if the food is contaminated and you get ill?

A few years ago, I wrote a column in a poker magazine, comparing poker with other endeavors that we readily accept. For example, so-called “investing” in the stock market certainly involves risk; and what about “investing” in commodities? How Does It Apply to Poker? I regard poker as less of a gamble than “investing” in the stock market. Why? It’s a matter of control. The more control you have over a result, the less of a gamble it is. That’s why we accept the risks inherent in many of our daily activities. We have control when we can make the decisions that affect the result. Decisions - that’s the key! When we “invest” in a stock, the only decision we make is whether or not to buy(or sell) that stock and how many shares to purchase (sell). Once we own the stock, a group of people we don’t even know, sitting perhaps thousands of miles away, are making all the key decisions that determine how well the company will do - and hence whether the stock goes up or down. Since we are not making the key decisions, we are not in control.

On the other hand, playing poker, we MUST make lots of decisions: Should I stay in or fold? Should I raise? Should I try to bluff? A seat is becoming available to the left of an aggressive player; should I move there? I have reached my goal for winning; should I call it a night, or should I continue playing (using money management, of course)? I’ve been doing well playing at middle stakes; should I move up to the next level? Lots of decisions to be made. . .

Playing poker, you can analyze your mistakes and make concomitant decisions. What could I have done to avoid losing that hand? Should I have bet into him with my two-pair, knowing that he is a deceptive player and there were a number of possible hands that would beat mine? I just won a good pot; should I have tried for a check-raise so I could have won even more. The Bottom Line. Yes, poker is gambling; but it is less so than many things we often do and accept as part of our lives.

Besides, by studying the game and learning to become more skilled, we can reduce the level of “gamble.” In the final analysis, in the long run, skill is bound to make the difference.

Getting back, to my original query: No, it’s not wrong to teach a youngster to gamble but you do take a risk that he/she might become addicted to gambling. Do you want to take that gamble? (That was the way Robert M., a retired psychologist, put it to me.) . . . So readers, what’s YOUR opinion?

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