Is poker a "fun" game, or is it just for gambling?

[Sebastian Francis]

My dad used to say, "There are card games, and then there is poker." What he meant by this I do not know, except perhaps that poker is somehow in a league of its own. My dad was a long-time recreational gambler, and never played cards for fun.

Lately I've been curious about a number of games that I've never played; among them, poker, bridge, go, and cribbage. These are huge games, loved around the world (or at least in large parts of the world). There must be a reason for this, I figure. Perhaps, like chess and checkers (both of which I am very fond of) they are famous and timeless because they are incredibly fun.

Poker, however, has always seemed to be more of a "gambling" game than a "fun" game. My impression (based on nothing, I must add ) is that people don't play poker for the same reason they play bridge or chess or, for that matter, D&D. They don't play it to have fun. They play it to gamble.

My dad says this of blackjack, his casino game of choice. He once told me that blackjack is dreadfully boring, unless you have money wagered. Then it becomes fascinating.

Is this true of poker as well? Do people ever play poker for fun, with no money on the line? Or is it just a game for gambling?

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Thanks to the World Poker Tour, I've discovered Texas Hold'em Poker recently, and I'm hooked. I really like watching the tournaments, and I really like playing (although I can't find many partners - offline that is).

Betting is a part of poker. It's a big part of the strategy involved in winning. If you don't bet, you can't bluff your opponents.

Betting does not necessarily mean betting money. When I play online (ultimatebet.com), I play with play money, and I'll never consider playing with real money (not online, anyways) but I still have as much fun. When (If?) I play with friends, I'll play with play money, but wouldn't mind playing for real money (in very small amounts).

Edit: Betting is just a way of keeping score. Would you play cribbage if you didn't tally points?

AR

 

[d20Dwarf]

Edit: Betting is just a way of keeping score. Would you play cribbage if you didn't tally points?

This is it, right there. And I have a lot of fun playing poker down at the bar twice a week, even though we're playing for pool coupons and appetizers. The game is challenging, exciting, and fun. In fact, to me, it's the ultimate game because it involves mathematics, creativity, and competition.

 

[ghettognome]

Poker is a fun game. I can see why people call it a gambling game, but if you are playing for fun, the chips don't mean as much. You don't need to play for money.
I personally love cribbage, it is mostly a math game, but there is some strategy involved to maximize your points. I can't get anyone to play with me here because I always win.
Never played go.
Tried Bridge for the first time last week and decided it wasn't for me, there is a CRAZY scoring system, and the whole trick thing gets old after a while. But that is just my opinion.
Of all the ones you mentioned, I would recommend poker (texas hold 'em), but then I would recommend cribbage as a secondary game to learn.

 

[Daalbar]

Poker is not a card game. As all the professonals say, you play the man, not the cards. Without the betting/risk element it is just a statistical exercise because the most crucial element is the ability to bluff. No other card game I can think of has this same element (except, perhaps, for the bidding phase of bridge -- the difference being that you hope to induce your opponents to overreach, and hope like hell they don't let you have it )

 

[LeapingShark]

"Betting" is an important part of poker. Without bets, the game becomes boring.

But betting doesn't necessarily mean "gambling for money". You can still play with chips and chip shares, and never involve any money at all.

And of course even with money, I think alot of people gamble for the "fun" involved with gambling, because the game has an increased sense of excitement and tension when using money. In other words, people don't necessarily gamble for the purpose of "gaining more money", some people gamble for the "danger, risk, and fun" involved as you're essentially losing small bits your money at a time.

 

[DMScott]

My dad used to say, "There are card games, and then there is poker." What he meant by this I do not know, except perhaps that poker is somehow in a league of its own.

That would be it. Poker in all incarnations is about the people more than the cards. Some poker games emphasize this more than others, but all put a premium on your play against a particular opponent. There are very few situations where a particular hand will always be played the same way.

Is this true of poker as well? Do people ever play poker for fun, with no money on the line? Or is it just a game for gambling?

I don't really see the implied dichotomy between fun and gambling; gambling is supposed to part of the fun of poker, just like scoring goals is part of the fun of hockey. I'm sure there are people who remove gambling from poker and have fun with what's left (the simple card game "War" is essentially poker with no real gambling and a one-card hand, and lots of kids love it), just as people can remove scoring from hockey and have fun with what's left, but in both cases I think the audience is different from the "mainstream" game.

 

[Knoxgamer]

It really depends on who you're playing Poker with. Choose the people you play with carefully.

 

[Sebastian Francis]

I'm sure there are people who remove gambling from poker and have fun with what's left (the simple card game "War" is essentially poker with no real gambling and a one-card hand, and lots of kids love it), just as people can remove scoring from hockey and have fun with what's left, but in both cases I think the audience is different from the "mainstream" game.

That's what I'm asking about. Is the gambling the fun part of poker? Or is the game just fun all by itself, with or without gambling?

For example, it might be fun to play chess for money (as many do), and might be fun to bet $100.00 on the outcome of a chess game, but chess is a fun game with or without gambling.

Is poker the same way? Or is it a vehicle to gamble?

 

[Sebastian Francis]

It really depends on who you're playing Poker with. Choose the people you play with carefully.

Uh...thanks.