Poker: The Game of Immorality

Whether you like playing Texas Hold Em, Omaha, or simply watching the World Series of Poker on television, there is no denying the fact that poker is becoming more and more popular across the globe. Thousands of participants, representing many different countries, make the trip to Reno, Nevada in order to take part in the World Series of Poker, which is the sport's biggest tournament. These participants consist of top professionals, amateurs, and even celebrities, all vying for those coveted W.S.O.P bracelets, along with the large prize funds that accompany them. It is quite astonishing to see so many poker enthusiasts come together in one room, and they all have one thing in common: They are all going to act as immorally as possible in order to gain success in the tournament.

Think about it. Yes, poker is a fun game to play, but have you ever sat back and realized all of the negative things that it promotes? Things such as lying, being deceptive, and stealing, are all things that we are encouraged not to do in life, but are what makes one thrive at the poker table. In a sense, the winner in a poker tournament is essentially the player who acted the most immoral. It may not be as evident when you are actually playing the game, but there are quite a number of acts that go hand in hand with poker, that are things you might not approve of in your own social life.

Let's take for example, lying. How can you lie in poker? You have cards, you play the cards, and if they beat all of your opponents' hands, you win. Simple enough, but what if you bluff? Bluffing is the art of lying; trying to make your opponent believe you have a hand that you really don't have. Are we encouraged to lie to people? No, we're not, but in poker, lying will benefit you, even though it is wrong to do. With bluffing comes deception. You are tricking your opponent into playing a hand a certain way, or even to fold their hand, when it actually might be better than yours. This means that you basically stole that pot from them, since you really didn't deserve it in the first place. Yes, you won the hand fair and square, but you did it by tricking your opponent into giving up theirs, which isn't really right.

Despite poker promoting these types of immoral acts, it doesn't pose a problem because every participant in every poker tournament volunteers to enter, which means they know what they are getting themselves into. It is understandable to make the claim that these acts are simply part of the game, as fighting is a part of hockey, but do you do the same things you do at a poker table in your own social life? Probably not. This shows that while poker is a game enjoyed by many, it is actually promoting you to act in a different way than you would outside of the casino.