What Do Experienced UK Poker Gamblers Say about Gambling? An Exploratory Study

Gaming has long been a part of the world’s culture, and we can’t seem to get enough of them. Some much so that the industry has even established itself online. Commonly known as the iGaming industry, it’s currently valued at close to $100 billion! When it comes to the game, the variety of bonuses is huge including no deposit casino bonus uk. There is probably a game for every single theme you can think of. There’s enough to keep you occupied with those games. The UK has always been a hub for gambling, and it became even more prominent when the internet got involved.

Among all the games, there is one that creates a lot of debate. The topic of the debate is whether that particular game is considered “gambling” or not. Can you guess what it is? Yes, we’re referring to nothing else than poker, the infamous casino game that lives in its shell. There are hundreds of professional poker players around the world who make a living out of this by paying income taxes on the winnings!

What do you believe? Is poker gambling? Or is it a “display of skills” you make real money from? In this piece, we will try to dig up the answers to these questions. Form professional poker players’ perspectives, of course.

What Is Gambling?

Before we go into the vibrant discussion of what experienced poker gamblers think of gambling at a casino, we first have to understand what gambling is.

In the simplest of words, gambling can be defined as an activity where you risk something of value in the hope of getting something even more valuable in return. If you think about all the games, it makes sense. You’re getting no deposit bonus, putting in real money, and getting it in return if you win. The common forms of gambling known to man are:

1. Casino Games
2. Sports Betting
3. Poker Rooms
4. Bingo Halls

However, if you’re a critical thinker and let your thoughts go beyond the surface level, everything you do daily can start like gambling. It’s true not only for the UK but also for the rest of the world. Dollar deposit casinos follow the same approach. And it goes for online and offline casino establishments.

What Casino Games Are Games of Chance?

The debate always starts with whether a game is a game of chance. When we say “game of chance”, it means the outcomes of whatever you do in that game must depend on luck. In that realm, the first type of game to pop up is online slots. Now, you may already know about slot machines and mobile slots. These games are available in massive quantities in every best online casino. You also get plenty of free spins and casino bonuses to try these games.

By the way, if you’re interested, you should check www.slotozilla.com/uk. It’s a site with a huge collection of slot games in demo modes. Practically all free slot games available in the UK are there!

Back to the point, slots are the absolute example of a “game of chance”. Think about it. When you’re on a machine, what can you choose? The best value. That’s about it. And if you’re playing an adjustable paylines game, you may choose the number of coins per line, the number of active lines, and the coin value.

Top Slot Games You Can Play at the UK Online Casino

The online casino industry is growing rapidly, and there are plenty of top slot games you can play at the UK online casino. Below we will take a look at some of the most popular online slots games that you can play at an online casino in the UK:

• Starburst by NetEnt
• Book of Dead by Play’n Go
• Gonzo’s Quest by NetEnt
• Big Bass Bonanza by Pragmatic Play
• White Rabbit Megaways by BTG

Once you pull the lever or press the “spin” button on your screen playing at the best online casino, there’s nothing you can do to change the outcome. This fact is controlled with an RNG (Random Number Generator). It’s an algorithm that keeps creating random strings of numbers even when the game is not played. So, there’s no way, even for the developers, to predict what the following outcome is going to be.

Are Table Games in Casino Gambling Too?

After slots, you have table games. Poker is a table game because the cards are dealt on a table. But we’ll get to it eventually. Apart from poker, the other popular table games include Roulette, Baccarat, Craps, Blackjack, Dragon Tiger, Sic Bo, and whatnot.

With slots, you get a little more control over these table games even when you play with a no deposit bonus. You get to choose what combination of numbers to choose in Roulette. You get to choose what to do with your hand in Blackjack. For example, you get to pick between Banker and Player in Baccarat.

And that’s where it stops. You still have no control over where the ball on the Roulette wheel will land or what the dealer’s hole card is in Blackjack. Hence, they’re a “game of chance” too! The same can be said for all the live dealer counters of the same games in an online casino.

Top 5 Table Games

Casino table games are usually the most popular games in a casino. So, if you’re looking for a new game to try your luck at, check out our list of the top 5 table games in a casino:

• European Roulette by NetEnt
• French Roulette by Playtech
• Atlantic City Blackjack
• Texas Hold’em Poker
• Baccarat Banquet

So, Is Poker a Game of Chance?

The interesting thing with this debate is that even the experienced poker players themselves don’t seem to agree on the same thing. For example, Doyle Brunson, one of the most esteemed professional casino poker players in America, believes poker is gambling. But, at the same time, he also believes that players can do better than the competition with practice.

Gus Hensen, a new-age poker player from Denmark, has reportedly said that the element of luck in the game goes down as you keep playing more hands. However, another player, Jonathan Little, seems to believe that any skillful player can triumph over bad players in the long run, and there’s doubt about it.

Every single saying you read here is a paraphrased version of their quotes. And you can see that none of these statements have an intersection from which we can generate a solid answer.

However, there is one thing we can say with certainty, none of these players are problem gamblers. As all the players we’ve mentioned are professional poker players, and they’ve visited, who knows how many casino establishments in their time have managed to keep themselves grounded? Even at the best payout online casino brands!

What Does Science Say about Poker at a Casino?

Of course, when we can only find speculation instead of an answer, the only remaining path is science. As science has ventured into every possible realm, it’s no shock that there are multiple studies regarding poker analysis. According to the report by Cigital Group, out of all the hands, 75% never make it to the showdown. It’s a fascinating find, no matter how you look at it. The other exciting find in the same report says that only 12% of the hands win as the best hand. It shows that luck has little to do with what the experienced players are doing on the table.

The other study by Jan-Philipp Rock and Ingo Fiedler of Hamburg University uses the Critical Repetition Frequency (CRF) for the analysis. Before they started the experiment on over 50,000 online poker players at casino sites.

The CRF value stands for “the number of hands needed before a player can be confident their results reflect their skill level”. The more experienced a player is, the higher the CRF value they project. It means the more hands one plays, the longer it takes for the player to rely on the results.

Running Good vs Running Bad

Winning streaks in poker are commonly known as running good among players. Many believe that when you’re winning, you should keep playing in a rush because you’re “running good”. However, the game’s odds suggest that each hand is independent of the previous one.

It comes down to psychology. It makes sense when you consider the results of the studies we covered a little ago. When you’re winning, it boosts your confidence and makes you a force to reckon with on the table.

And when you’re “running bad”, it’s a good idea to stop because losing makes you aggressive. And aggression never lets you make the right decision at the right time.

Online Poker, Responsible Gambling, and the Online Casino Industry

If you’re not aware, gambling is entirely legal and regulated in the UK. The UK Gambling Commission oversees all the best online casino brands, online sportsbook operators, and poker rooms. It’s great because you can hope to get quick assistance in case of problem gambling.

However, experienced poker players always relied on self-control over anything. When you fail to do so, that’s when you fall victim to problem gambling. It’s crucial that you don’t fall for every no deposit bonus you come across. Pick your cuisine as Count Dracula did.

And when you come across a bonus worth claiming, keep in mind the below terms.

Bonus term	Explanation
Wagering requirement	A term you can’t escape from. The wagering requirement is the amount you must spend in real money to withdraw a bonus.
Max bet	During the wagering period, you can only bet up to a certain amount. £5, for example.
Selected games	You can’t wager a bonus on all the games. For the most part, the operator will select what games apply to a bonus.
Expiry date	Like everything else in the world, a casino bonus expires too. Read the T&C section to know exactly when your bonus will expire.

Organisations to Help with Responsible Gambling

There are many responsible gambling organisations that can help problem gamblers. These organisations offer support and resources to help people overcome their gambling addiction.

Some of the most popular responsible gambling organisations include:

• Gamblers Anonymous
• The National Gambling Helpline (operated by GamCare)
• Samaritans
• Debt Support Trust
• BeGambleAware

Wrapping Up

Poker players are often held at the top of the “gambling chain”. This is because they’re professional, and should have great insight into this industry. Poker is a great game, and it can be very lucrative if you play your cards right. Just make sure that you understand the risks involved before you sit down at the table. And remember to have fun! Poker is supposed to be enjoyable. If it stops being fun, it’s time to take a break.