Poker and Prejudice

Bloggers / Matthew Pitt / 17 December 2008 / 1 Comments

Often portrayed in films and soap operas as under-hand characters gambling ill-gotten gains in a dingy, smoke-filled warehouse, poker players have a poor reputation in the eyes of the non-playing public.

I myself have been victim to this prejudice whilst working in my previous office job when some colleagues noticed the many poker magazines and books I brought into work on a daily basis, mainly to pass the time on my lunch hour. Trying to explain that I would not lose my house if I lost a crucial hand, or a couple of fingers if I beat some Russian Mafioso was an arduous process.

If I told them I was going to the casino for a poker tournament, I would be met by a barrage of questions about blackjack, roulette and informed that only certain types of people frequent casinos. Heaven forbid if I happened to mention I was short of cash as the reply would always be, "well you can afford to gamble!" There was no point trying to explain my bankroll is separate from my bank balance!

This prejudice is totally unjust for the vast majority of poker players. Whilst the images they have seen on TV may have run true in the Wild West or even when Doyle Brunson first started out in the 1950's and 60's, poker in modern times could not be any more different if it tried.
Casinos are no longer the smoke-filled dens of desperation they were once perceived to be, in fact most now offer entertainment and facilities so visitors do not have to gamble when on their premises and their security and comfort is always catered for and top of the agenda.

Poker tournaments now take place every day of the week, ranging from £5 entry fees up to £1,000 if your money can stretch that far and all are played in a friendly environment under the watchful eye of the casino manager and floor team. Where in the past poker was almost a 100% male pastime, most tournaments have a dozens of female players taking part, and some, like Annette Obrestad, have the skills to dominate proceedings.

The great game that is poker is still evolving, becoming more mainstream and generally accepted by the masses but there will still be some people who will always see poker players in a bad light. The next time somebody looks at you like you have leprosy when you tell them you play poker for real money, have a wry smile to yourself you bad, bad person!

Related Readings

The Myths Of Poker - Chris Edwards
So is poker really gambling? - Poker: Risk or Reward?
Volume and variance - Marcus Bateman
Bert and Ernie play the Sunday Million - Cloud Poker
Tuff Fish vs Jim Moran - Betfair Poker
Stu Ungar - Poker Web Watch
Pud's Poker Progress - Matthew Pitt

Comments (1)

1. emma | 18 December 2008

   I completely agree, as an author of many poker blogs and poker strategy articles I often get angry when then content is blocked by many article sites simply becasue it's about "gambling"

   Excuse me if you are going to allow someone to post an article about spaming on the internet to make money why not allow legitimate strategy guides for playing a skill game!

   Anyway now I'm off my soap box - Good Luck on the tables!

   P.S Just loved John's 888 Blog - V.Funny