Quote:
Originally Posted by Spork
Every poker player hates casinos and thinks they are 'unethical' for offering -EV games.
Every winning poker player represents a -EV game for their average opponent.
Cognitive dissonance mandates a resolution to this situation, usually in the most comfortable way for winning poker players: ignore, minimize, and blame the victim as well. Like chemical companies deal with what's called 'externalities', even though it really should be called 'immediate consequences' by now.
If you would have moral qualms running a casino, you should not be a +EV player in poker. Plenty of people don't have moral qualms running casinos, which is why - to some people's astonishment - the realization that it is at least slightly immoral will not change the behavior of 99% of players who either are unwilling to realize this, or don't care.
I agree w all this..
However I can’t help rationalize my own play by knowing that in other fields that I’ve worked in I’ve had even worse experiences of having to sue partners for stealing and colluding against me.
Trading is very similar to poker as well and I’ve often rationalized arbitrage as part of poker.
But these are cop outs of “whataboutism” and the truth is I know the right thing to do is devout my life to being a vegan munk living off the land and off grid and giving all my time to helping others by coming up with free renewable hydrogen energy and curing world hunger by turning it vegan and using all the food that feeds livestock to feed humans instead. Creating a utopian world of barter system w no late stage capitalism winning out.
Sometimes it’s just easier if I just shut up and play the pokes.