This might seem to be a silly question. Most people would answer that of course poker is gambling. You bet money and you might win or you might lose. But in fact the answer is not that simple as we shall see.
Although in the UK we can philosophise as to whether or not poker is gambling, but in the USA it is a very serious issue. As long as poker is considered as gambling, in the US it is not permissible to play it at an online casino; if it so happens to be a game of skill, then that would be an entirely different matter. Online games of skill are allowed.
Not surprisingly, there are huge arguments going on both sides of the fence. To say they are vested interests would be to make a gross understatement. And these vested interests are bitterly divided. On the one hand there are people with heavy leanings towards the right side of the political spectrum and who cultivate deeply felt religious beliefs who are totally apposed to gambling. On the other side there are the more liberal members of the community who are quite willing to listen to arguments that maybe poker is a game of skill. Then there are the people who would like to play it, and the people who would like it to be played because that is how they make a living.
A recent report published by Cigital, a consultancy firm that specialises in software on Texas Hold’em, claims to have proven that poker is a game of skill. What they did was to examine over one hundred million poker hands played at an online casino. What they discovered was that in 75% of games the winning player only saw his own cards and the community cards. The games did not progress as far as a showdown. Possibly even more interesting is that in the games that did progress to a showdown, only half were won by the player who could make the best hand. The other half had folded before the showdown.
Will this end the debate? Will online poker in the US be legalised finally? Watch this space.
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