Donkeys Always Draw

 

Meaning, most poker players also gamble on other things -  dice, sports betting, blackjack, etc. The love the gambling action as much as the skill involved in playing poker.

 

I rarely gamble, bet, or engage in any gaming other than poker. When I'm in a casino, I don't stop by the table games, sportsbook, or the gaming floor unless I'm killing time and dropping a dollar in the nickel slots. In a nutshell, practically all gambling has a inherent house edge that's extremely hard, if not mathematically impossible, to beat over the long term.

 

In poker, that edge comes from the other players at the table, and their varying skill levels. You aren't playing against the house or casino, so they doesn't care who wins, so long as the game keeps moving.

 

You can win long-term and minimize the effects of luck and variance by, among other things

1) playing within your bankroll (if you only have $500, play a 1/2 NL game, not a 2/5) and

2) trying to play most of your pots against the worst players at the table, not the better players.

 

Now, I have no delusions - There's a huge element of chance in poker. Sometimes you just get cold-decked, or the cards just play themselves and there's nothing you can do about it. Two-outers hit on the river when you're 95% to win. Sometimes you have to make a big bet or raise with just a draw, not a made hand. All you can do is make good decisions, try to get your money in the pot with the best of it, and hope the cards fall your way.

 

So poker is gambling - but it's also skill, and at least you can apply your skill and ability to create your own "luck", to seek out and take advantage of profitable situations, instead of hoping someone rolls a 7, or a little marble falls on black.

 

The action is interesting enough - but consistently booking a win, and knowing it's because you played well, is much more rewarding.

 

 

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