The debate about is bitcoin poker a sport or a gambling game, has been going on since these classifications were invented. So far, the bottom line is that poker players are sure they are sportsmen, while officials in different parts of the world are convinced that they are not. The online poker boom has made things more difficult, and the advent of bitcoin poker has made things even more difficult.
Poker is a sport
This is exactly the answer that any professional poker player will give you. In gambling, success depends solely on luck. It’s impossible to come up useful and at the same time fair strategy in bitcoin roulette or bitcoin dice (although many have tried). In poker wins, not only the most successful but also the most skillful. Within one game or one hand, luck is really important, but at a distance — only lack won’t be enough.
Another proof can also be the fact that, if bitcoin poker is a game of chance, then the winners in it must always be different from case to case. How many two-time bitcoin lottery winners do you know? However, professional bitcoin poker players take first place consistently in different tournaments or at least enter the top ten winners. With random luck, they couldn’t receive cash prizes so many times.
Phil Hellmuth is a well-known professional player in the history of the World Poker Series. He won the world tournament 13 times against different players. Admit it, only luck couldn’t affect this. The player wins in poker because of his knowledge and skills.
This is not the only example. Many professionals, while taking a part in tournaments, consistently enter the prize zone and receive cash prizes. And non-sweaty beginners who believe in luck most often fly out of the tournament in the first hour and are left without money. Yes, of course, situational randomness is present, and name at least one sport where luck is not important. But are all these factors answer the question: is poker a gambling game? After all, a game can be considered gambling but at the same time be a game of skill.
Poker is a gambling game
On the other “side of the barricades”, the answer to the question “Is poker a sport?” will be unambiguously negative. And these people have two main arguments to support this:
- First, poker is played for money, and the only meaningful indicator of success is the amount of money won. In poker, you can win a lot and lose a lot – and this is a sign of gambling.
- Second, poker is played in casinos, that is, where gambling games are usually played.
Though, these comments cannot be attributed directly to poker. It must be obvious that each person playing bitcoin poker doesn’t play against the casino, he/she plays against another gambler at the table. The casino only takes a small percentage of the winnings for organizing and providing its services. This is completely different from roulette and slot machines where anybody plays against the casino. Moreover, in our time there is a unique opportunity to play without visiting the casino. There are many separate sites devoted exclusively to poker games and tournaments.
As for money, don’t forget that we live in the era of capitalism and any success is measured by money, whether is it winnings at bitcoin poker or salary at the regular work.
About the luck and chance in a bitcoin poker game
However, the position of the people from the “second camp” is not without meaning. The gambling part in the game really is. The main idea of sport is victory and self-realization. Those who are eager for titles and recognition go to sports, and those who play cards hope of hitting the jackpot. The winner of the match for the chess crown (world championship) receives just over $1,000,000, and the path to the trophy takes many years. And in bitcoin poker, there are examples of relatively quick enrichment in the cards.
The boom in online poker happened after the winning of Chris Moneymaker at the WSOP. His triumph was replicated in the media not as the achievement of a professional, but as the story of the incredible enrichment of a simple accountant. Conclusion: the inhabitants rushed to poker sites in the hope of luck and fabulous profits.
In addition, the popularity of bitcoin poker tournaments directly depends on the theoretical earnings (more winnings more participants). On the other side, real sports disciplines have attracted people for hundreds of years, regardless of fees.
Conclusions
So, is poker gambling or a game of skill? Well, we can say that poker is a gambling game of skill. Sounds a little crazy but that’s the way it is. You can’t argue with the fact that bitcoin poker has all the hallmarks of gambling. The same as with the fact that you need to have skills, knowledge, and experience to be successful in this game. And as for the question: is poker a sport? In this case, the word sport can be equated with the term “legalization”. In those countries where poker is allowed it’s called a sport, and in those where it is prohibited it is not.
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