Is poker a form of gambling? By some definitions, it may be, and those who don’t really know much about it may draw that conclusion. Yet in fact, poker has much more in common with sports betting, as it involves a high degree of skill and strategy.
Poker Versus Casino
On the surface, there is little difference between poker and casino gaming. Both are traditionally considered part of the gambling world. The factors that you should consider when choosing a poker site are similar to those that apply with betting platforms – betting sites’ fast withdrawal and deposits, mobile compatibility, ease of use and other factors are equally important for choosing a casino website too.
Yet there is a fundamental difference between the two. It is extremely difficult to make a long-term profit playing poker, just as with sports betting. Yet it is absolutely impossible to do so when you play casino games. Casino games are all about random chance. Poker, like sports betting, contains a large element of luck, but it is not impossible to profit if a player is a very skilled strategist.
Why is Probability the Key to Poker and Sports Betting
The key to this difference, and the main reason why poker is more like sports betting than casino gaming, is in the role of probability.
A typical casino game such as roulette or video slots is immune to skill or strategy. The games are designed in such a way that it is impossible to profit in the long term because the return that you can potentially receive is slightly less than the probability of winning. This is the effect of the house edge.
There is also a house edge in sports betting, and of course, there’s the ante or the blinds in poker, which you pay into a pot regardless of whether you are going to play the hand. Yet it is still possible for skilled play to succeed. With standard casino gaming, skill makes no difference.
The only way to win at sports betting and poker long term is to use probability to your advantage. Betting when the odds are in your favor, whether that is on a horse that is 2/1 when you think it should be 6/4 or calling a bet on the flop, is the key to both.
Strategy in Poker and Sports Betting
To win at poker, you need a strategy, and the same goes for sports betting. Players who just sit down to a hand of poker with no plan and those who pick up the sports pages and place a few random bets will lose in the long term. Of course, since most people will not make money betting on sports or playing poker, there is nothing wrong with this approach, as long as you stay in control.
Successful poker players and sports bettors, however, always have a strategy. It may be to play tight early and lose later in a poker tournament or to focus on betting Under in the Total Goals markets in the Bundesliga, but having a strategy in poker or sports betting is as important as having a map when you’re going on a long walk. Without one, you will surely get lost.
Taking on the Crowd and the Table
Sports bettors often talk as though they are competing against the bookmakers and the sportsbooks when they bet. In fact, this is not really true. The bookmaker is not pitting their opinion on a sports event against yours, with the winner being the most accurate. They are manipulating the prices that their customers take to ensure that they make a profit, whatever happens. They don’t necessarily care if you win as long as enough of your fellow bettors lose.
To succeed at sports betting, therefore, it is more important to focus on betting against the crowd than on ‘beating’ the bookmaker. You are, ultimately, competing against others who have wagered on an event, as the betting exchange model makes clear. In poker, this is even clearer since you are directly competing with others around a real or virtual table. The principle remains the same, however. Whether poker or sports betting, you are on your own against the crowd.
In Conclusion
As we can see, betting on sports and playing poker have a lot in common, most notably the element of skill that can determine the long-term outcome. Both also, however, can potentially lead to addiction. You should never do either using money you can’t afford to lose and you should never regard these pastimes as a shortcut to riches.