What is a gambler

[kinboshi]

Yes, you're a gambler - but it's unfortunate that the word has a negative connotation in this context.  There's a big difference between having a gamble on a regular occasion (and therefore by definition you're a 'gambler') and being a degenerate gambler who loses and risks far more than they can afford.

Speculation in stocks and shares is gambling - but is seen as legitimate by many/most people - whereas far fewer would consider poker a legitimate pastime/job. 

This might be changing though as poker becomes more mainstream.

[cia260895]

LOL @ + £20k just wait til the lawyers get in on the act

my divorce cost me £260k after the house was sold and all fees to the legal team...

won it...spent..then told her...........

phew

[steeveg]

yeah ,anyone who risks money must be a gambler, maybe a good gambler who chooses wisely when to risk his money but a gambler just the same, but a  bookmaker is also a gambler, nobody calls him a  degenerate gambler because he wins, so yeah if someone looses his wagepacket everyweek he could be called a degenerate gambler, someone who wins regular cant be looked at in the same light  he is like the bookmaker only takes bets when the odds favour him

[the sicilian]

LOL @ + £20k just wait til the lawyers get in on the act

my divorce cost me £260k after the house was sold and all fees to the legal team...

won it...spent..then told her...........

phew

I KNOW...HEH HEH

[the sicilian]

Ok...So officially I am a gambler.....but one that is not degenerate and does not deserve villification ( is there a spell check on here , cant believe i got a B English O'Level ) ....

Bet if i came home with a WPT or WSOP for £500K  tunes would be changed eh ??

[bobAlike]

I work in environments where security clearance is needed. Last year working for a certain government dept I endured a 3 hour interview where no rocks were left unturned. The whole process took over 8 months from start to finish. A colleague was put through the same clearance but was dealt with in 5 months. The difference being was i played poker and he did not.
I had to prove that i was not an addicted gambler and only indulged as a hobby.
I managed to prove the latter by means of bank statements and letters from the casinos i frequent. Fortunately the records i produced showed that in the last couple of years i was up by approx 20K and i was granted the clearance.
If i had shown that i was a losing player would they have still cleared me? doubt it very much!

So to answer the original question according to the uk government if you play poker and you lose you're a gambler. If you play and win a certain G Brown could do with borrowing some.

Joking aside I know why they were concerned about the poker but what a bloody game.

[Colchester Kev]

I work in environments where security clearance is needed. Last year working for a certain government dept I endured a 3 hour interview where no rocks were left unturned. The whole process took over 8 months from start to finish. A colleague was put through the same clearance but was dealt with in 5 months. The difference being was i played poker and he did not.
I had to prove that i was not an addicted gambler and only indulged as a hobby.
I managed to prove the latter by means of bank statements and letters from the casinos i frequent. Fortunately the records i produced showed that in the last couple of years i was up by approx 20K and i was granted the clearance.
If i had shown that i was a losing player would they have still cleared me? doubt it very much!

So to answer the original question according to the uk government if you play poker and you lose you're a gambler. If you play and win a certain G Brown could do with borrowing some.

Joking aside I know why they were concerned about the poker but what a bloody game.

You a spy ??

[bobAlike]

You a spy ??
[/quote]

I could tell you but then Id have to kill you.

[Colchester Kev]

You a spy ??

I could tell you but then Id have to kill you.
[/quote]

Cue several posts from people begging you to tell me

[ShatnerPants]

Fortunately the records i produced showed that in the last couple of years i was up by approx 20K and i was granted the clearance.
If i had shown that i was a losing player would they have still cleared me? doubt it very much!

That's a fairly simple one.  If you're a crap gambler, you open yourself up to bribery, blackmail, corruption etc.

In which case they'd have recommended you become an mp, maybe.

 

Back on topic.

I'm a gambler.  I rarely gamble on the geegees.  I don't do footy gambling.  I do the lottery, coz of that 1 in 14 million chance - Well if Yang can win the WSOP, there's always hope.

But I gamble at poker.  Mainly coz I'm too crap to be consistantly good at it.  But I don't play poker to gamble.

I play poker coz I'm an egotist.

I like to play microstakes, partly because I can afford to lose.  But mainly so I can bully the useless twonks I play with.  Being a big fish in a small pool I fancy my chances as much as anyone, in any tourney up to, and including, $5.

I can feel everyone shaking in fear as I speak.

Gambling is down to luck.  But bluffing a mad Scandie out of $5 - that's power !!

 

[kinboshi]

and welcome to blonde.  Love the username

[ShatnerPants]

and welcome to blonde.  Love the username

I can claim no originality, I'm afraid.

Pinched totally and completely from a radio 1 brakfast show with the great man himself.

But I'm going to be the one marketing them 

[Grier78]

Its funny that even though I don't gamble outside of poker I always seem to side with the interests of people who do. The whole idea of sticking money into something when I can't even convince myself that I am getting better than average odds abhors me.

Watching a program like "Louis does Las Vegas" shocked me as to how quickly and how much money people can lose.

So is gambling bad? Is poker any better than any other form of gambling or does it just take longer for (90% of) players to lose their money? Do I care as long as I am winning?

[Chompy]

Gambling gets a bad rap imo. Stick to what you know and, if you can make a profit out of it, then what's the harm?
Although most people do lose, that's true.
Whether these statistics are right I don't know but I've heard that on Betfair...only 0.7% of customers make a profit of £40k per year. That ain't many.

[the sicilian]

Gambling gets a bad rap imo. Stick to what you know and, if you can make a profit out of it, then what's the harm?
Although most people do lose, that's true.
Whether these statistics are right I don't know but I've heard that on Betfair...only 0.7% of customers make a profit of £40k per year. That ain't many.

Mild brag imo