Poker is a highly entertaining card game played both at casinos and privately at home, drawing players of all kinds with its high stakes and big rewards. While poker may appear risky at first glance, taking an all-in bluff for questionable reasons or overestimating his skills level could prove very costly to any player’s bankroll.

Understanding that poker is not gambling is paramount to its enjoyment, yet some still view it as such. While luck plays a part, skilled players can generally overcome it over the long haul. So how can we explain that it should not be seen as gambling to those unfamiliar with the game? This article will look at ways this can be accomplished.

There are various arguments available to us when trying to convince others that poker isn’t gambling, such as comparing it to other forms of chance. Unfortunately, this argument ignores the fact that poker is more than a mere game of chance and requires skill as well as chance for its success.

Problematic with this argument is its assumption that all games of chance are the same; in reality, poker shares many similarities with games which require skill.

Thirdly, this argument presumes that playing poker indicates some kind of mental illness. This assumption is simply not accurate – many professional poker players struggle with many of the same issues as anyone else; depressive feelings and difficulty managing high-stakes gaming pressure are common problems among poker professionals as well as anyone else.

The ultimate weakness in this argument is that it neglects the House Edge. This refers to how much money the casino makes from charging players fees when they participate, leading many people to lose money over time and necessitating greater understanding when trying to argue that poker is not gambling.

Even with all of these arguments presented above, convincing non-poker players that poker is not gambling remains difficult. People unfamiliar with the game tend to conflate gambling with games requiring little skill but lots of luck; in contrast, poker involves much more complex skill and strategy. Unfortunately, it can be challenging explaining this difference to those unfamiliar with it; hopefully this article can make explaining that poker is not gambling simpler for some of you!