Morality is usually associated with some faith-based dilemma. You alway seem to be a sympathetic ear around here to most threads. You always bring in the responses aimed towards family wellness and gambling addiction causes and/or treatment. Your like Poker's PEDA or some shit. You make me want to hug a tree or more like needing to hug my kids every time I touch a deck of cards. There is nothing wrong with this, as I like having your Dr. Phil ass around Mel. So when I bring up a topic around here you can coax me into pulling some money from my bankroll and buying my wife something nice.
Poker isn't inherently good or evil. Poker is what you make of it. I make the decisions I feel are right in my life. You can't save the world, you can barely save yourself. I try to do what's right by my family, my friends, and myself and everything else falls into place. Does this mean that I take advantage of everyone I interact with. If you what to get all philosophical, then maybe yes is the answer. My dog loves me, wags his tail, fetches, ands is all around companionable. Does he do this because he actually loves me or some sick symbiotic need for me to nurture him and keep him alive. I would say love. You?
Your morality problem with poker doesn't seem to stem from the competitive nature of poker but more to do with you personally taking money from the people that rightly shouldn't be playing, due to not mentally or monetarily have the necessary requirements to play.
Remedies - get thicker skin and stop sympathizing with everyones plight, play online, and don't be fooled by appearances.
1 - Stop worrying about everyone else. Your there to either make money or have fun. Decide which and stop feeling bad about it. Your personally or morally doing nothing wrong. Your not cheating. They are taking the food from their own mouths. You are just playing your game. That's it Mel.
2 - Online you can't look at someone and empathize with them or their problems as easily. They are just a chip and a chair online. This is rather impersonal, and that is the way you appear to need it.
3 - Don't be so quick to believe what you see or hear at the casino. Poker is about disillusion. What you see is quite often the opposite of reality in poker. Just think tells - strong/weak - weak/strong. People tell you sob stories to get you off guard. People talk tough to intimidate you . You wouldn't believe the rounders that play for a living which show up looking like a fish or in poor clothing to throw you off. When I go to the casino you don't think I show up in poker regalia, (Poker Stars shirts and hats.) No I show up in my "White Men Can't Jump Gear," so they think who's this chump - probably just got done watching WSOP on ESPN and figured he'd bring me money. They're there for one reason and that's to take your money. It's a game - play it better than they do.
Like I said before, I like your posts and how you empathize with everyone, just don't try to make us feel bad about something we like to do.
All my money online is all earnings, having long ago taken my starter moneys off. I don't want to take money off and buy my wife flowers, that's what my paycheck is for. This is My pastime and I want to see just how far this bankroll can swell. And of course I have some illusions of grandeur, (rounding, WSOP, slapping Helmuth around and making him say Uncle.) Those are my pipe dreams, which I hold dear, so don't bring me down with questions of morality. 'Cause, If playin' poker's wrong - I don't want to be right.
