At what point are you just a gambler?

[Aequitas58]

I'm reading the posts in this thread and I'm back and forth. YES, poker *is* gambling - for the simple reason that you're betting money on a game of chance.

BUUUUT... there's more to it than to just consider it gambling. Right? Blackjack is gambling. Just like roulette, the slots, everything else in the casino, as well as proposition bets, and betting on the flip of a coin. (Which I have done.)

Something just tells me that while each hand is a gamble, over the long haul, there are situations you can identify, circumstances you can capitalize on, and other variables to make this less of a gamble and more of an investment.

-game selection
-good bankroll management - dealing w/ variance
-pre-flop selection
-check-calling the river instead of betting - when you should...
-shit: pokertracker

etc.

[Talking Poker]

This is a great thread. And props to Kurn for those fantastic posts. I see and agree with what you are saying. I think our difference lies withing the definition of "gambling." Specifically, I disagree with this statement that Aeq made:

Poker is NOT a game of chance. A game of chance is a game where you have no control over the outcome and are relying 100% on luck. I am not saying there is no luck in poker - there is PLENTY of it in the short term. And yes, examining a single poker hand, you can make an arguement that you are gambling. But if you play 1,000,000 hands of poker, I believe you have reached the long run and your skill has taken over. Looking at the 1 million hands you played, luck is gone from the equation (it washes out - everyone has effectively gotten the same cards once you rach the long run) and the amount of money you have won or lost is based entirely on your level of skill.

So I stand by this statement:
In the long run, poker is a game of skill and not a game of chance.

Therefore, using this definition for the word gambling: "To play a game of chance for stakes" ... Poker (again, in the long term) is not gambling.

[Aequitas58]

I was typing too quick. Don't forget I posted this in the same post:

Something just tells me that while each hand is a gamble, over the long haul, there are situations you can identify, circumstances you can capitalize on, and other variables to make this less of a gamble and more of an investment.