for no one in particular...

[Kurn]

I agree. The best poker theorist there is - Sklansky - stresses that poker *is* gambling. To say this doesn't mean that poker is pure luck, we all know it isn't. It is, in fact, one of the most perfect blends of skill and luck (also known as short-term variance)that exists.

There is a skill to being a good gambler. The skill in recognizing when the odds offered on a given wager exceed the probability that the wager will be successful, and the awareness to recognize when your opponents are missing the point.

My experience has always been that the people who become the most frustrated with short-term variance in poker are the "poker isn't gambling" crowd.

I'm sure Daniel understands all of this implicitly. The fact that he doesn't put money at risk in games where he doesn't have an edge doesn't mean he isn't a gambler, it just means he's a smart gambler.