Casino Professional GAMBLERS.......really?

Before talking too much about a professional, first lets understand who exactly is a professional.
In layman's language: a person engaged in a specified activity as one's main paid occupation rather than as an amateur. For example,
"a professional boxer"
By this definition, even a beggar can be a professional beggar

Now, if we look at the stricter definition of it, we need to understand the difference between a profession and an occupation first.
Occupation vs Profession

The words occupation and profession are interchangeable. Profession and occupation are almost the same, with only minor differences between them.

The difference between occupation and profession can be stated with a simple example: Designing a building would be called a profession, whereas, constructing a building is an occupation.

A profession needs extensive training and specialized knowledge. On the other hand, an occupation does not need any extensive training. A person with an occupation need not have specialized knowledge of his trade.

A profession can be called an occupation when a person is paid for his particular skills, and his deep knowledge. Doctors, engineers, advocates, journalists, scientists, and many others, fall under the professional category. On the other hand, persons engaged in an occupation are not paid for their knowledge, but only for what they produce. Drivers, clerks and technicians fall under the category of occupation.

Unlike a person engaged in an occupation, a professional has to undergo higher education. It is noticeable that a profession tends to be autonomous. When considering responsibilities, a profession demands that the responsibility lies with the individual. Moreover, only a professional will be able to assess fellow professionals. In regards to an occupation, no one has autonomous power; he or she is supervised by another person. Moreover, any person can make assessments, as this type of work does not require high degrees of knowledge and skill.

Well, professionals enjoy a higher social status than a person engaged in an occupation. Another difference that can be seen between profession and occupation, is that the former is guided through certain ethical codes, and is regulated by a certain statute.

Summary:




1. A profession needs extensive training and specialized knowledge. On the other hand, an occupation does not need any extensive training.

2. A profession can be called an occupation when a person is paid for his particular skills, and his deep knowledge. Persons engaged in an occupation are not paid for their knowledge, but only for what they produce.

3. Unlike a person engaged in an occupation, a professional has to undergo higher education.

4. A profession tends to be autonomous, whereas, for an occupation, no one has autonomous power; he or she is supervised by another person.

5. Unlike occupation, a profession demands that the responsibility lies with the individual.

6. A profession is guided through certain ethical codes, and regulated by certain statute.

Since gambling, even at its best, doesn't have many of the stricter norms required to be called a profession, I would personally use the term, "occupational gambler" for myself.

 

Pro gambler is an oxymoron. It doesn't mean anything because it has no official meaning. If something is unregulated, you can claim it for yourself all day long. You can get 10% of your income from gambling and consider yourself a pro. Who can argue with you.

 

Wrong. If an artist sells just one painting, he's now a professional artist. Quantity has nothing to do with it. It's not regulated, there are no licenses or degrees involved. No laws, no restrictions. Sell one work of art makes you a pro.

 

In layman's language even a beggar is a pro beggar but not by strict definition. A profession is regulated by a regulating authority and it requires very high standards of education and training. Best examples are, doctor, advocates, CPA, architect etc. Similarly there can be no professional player by strict definition, other wise names will include these occupations, like Dr Xavier, there will be Gambler Xavier and Painter Xavier and Prostitute Alice. lol.

 

There are two types of Professions:

A State Licensed Profession is an occupation regulated by the State. As Albalaha suggest: Doctors, CPA's, and Prostitutes are all Professions regulated by the State.

Non State Licensed Professions in that in some fields such as Professional NASCAR driving and Professional Football there is no State regulations of such individuals who engage in this activity. Do we call football players 'Occupational Football' ??? No we call the Professionals, just as we call NASCAR drivers Professionals. This is because there is an spectator and peer recognition as to the skills involved that only a few attained and displayed. Not everyone can be a NASCAR Driver just as not everyone can be on a NFL team.

An occupation is something that requires no specialized skills though may only require training to perform.

Gambling in my view comes in both the recreational and the professional levels. Just as there are recreational bowling players there are professional bowlers as well. The difference is the level of skill achieved and the dedication to perfecting ones skill.

Casinos however do recognize a person as either an recreational gambler or as a pro gambler. This is an industry as much as the NLF or a college is an industry, it is regulated by State Laws and internal rules that are often shared and agreed upon by other casino groups. If the NLF can proclaim a person to be a Professional gambler so can the casinos then. This proclamation need not be formal at all, and often is just an informal recognition of a persons skills.

 

Without a professional qualification or professional affiliation to a body recognising any special skill or expertise, professional can only be used loosely, be it a professional killer to professional prostitute. It may not be from Govt or any statutory body but any organisation that is widely accepted and recognized as of having such standards by masses. "Microsoft certified Professionals",IFBB, World Boxing Organization are some of the finest examples of non statutory professional bodies that are recognized world over.
A prostitute is not a professional by any manner or definition. License to work or drive a car for commercial gains doesn't make someone professional in the stricter sense. Even a butcher running a slaughter house with license will be a professional by that definition. I agree to Mark V for most of the points which I did not contradict.

 

So far as casinos recognising as "professional" is very rare. They prefer to break their kneecaps or sue the bigger ones like Phil Ivey and get them banned. A few, however, got lucky to be in "hall of fame" of some casinos. Most so-called "pro gamblers" find their references in the black books of casinos.
Again one can be professional poker player if he has the consistency and recognition both. Casinos are least bothered about poker winners because bigger poker tournaments mean bigger commission to the house, irrespective of who wins the pot.

 

I dont agree at all. A painter is more of a "trade". There is no governing authority saying that someone qualifies. Just like a cake decorator. Both require some talent if done well. Rubbing your feces on a piece of paper inthe shape of a house and finding someone who feels sorry for you to purchase it doesnt make you a "professional". Just as building a nice looking display of pampers on the floor of a walmart doesnt make you a "professional". Just having talent at what you do does not qualift you as a "professional".
A state doesnt need to administer a license . In the NBA for example there are standards You have to meet to be accepted and codes of conduct as well as a dress code. No state oversight. There is production as measured by stats that determine your acceptance and continued acceptance.

I agree with albalaha....there are professions and occupations. I will add the word "trade" as well
A writer, gambler,poet, a cake decorator, prostitute are in occupations or trades.

In a society where kids are growing into adults who were pampered and told "everyone is a winner", and there are no losers, everyone gets a trophy....they grow up thinking everyone is a professional.

Although the term,"professional gambler" far precedes the current generations of young workers......the term "professional" creeps into our language as we see the term "professional" associated with House sitters, dog walkers, baby sitters.

Everyone is a winner(gets a trophy), .....everyone is a professional....just by declaration

 

Everyone is a pro gambler just by declaring. You might not agree with him, so what. And yes, if you sell just one painting, you're a pro. And if you write 10 bad books and a publisher buys the 11th, you are now a professional writer.

 

Again, who the hell said there has to be a "governing authority"? Quit making stuff up. Don't you have something to complain about on Gamblers Glen about WoV?

 

the best way to lose a debate is to expose yourself as having no cogent argument by attacking the person. If this conversation vexes you, i would suggest you go play elsewhere. If u have a cogent debate...you are certainly welcome.

you can prop yourself up as being a "professional" bagger at the supermarket......and I dont really care. As I said before it makes me laugh. It doesnt cause any angst or "worry". It just points to the dumbing down of society.

 

so according to you
if i sell my car....I am a professional car saleman
if i get my first paycheck from walmart.....I am a professional greeter
if i self publish a book and sell 2 copies on amazon.....for the rest of my life I can call myself a professional writer
if I check on my neighbors house while they are away on vacation and they pay me 20 dollars....I am a professional house sitter
if I get my first paycheck busing tables....I am a professional busboy
If I make a structure from popsicle sticks and sell it at a crafts fair....I am a professional artist

According to you all it takes is the sale of one car, one book, one week of greeting customers, one check in of an apartment and water some plants....and presto....you are a "professional",,,,you are a member of a profession

Its all the dumbing down of america, anyone and everyone is now a professional

There was a time when a parent would tell a daughter to be selective and marry a professional. Now you can work at mcdonalds and call yourself a professions fry cook.
And people like you will nod their heads and say.....if he feels he is a professional, and my daughter feels he is a professional....then by george...he must be a professional.

I can imagine a parent glowing about there married daughter. My Janet is a professional..she is a greeter at walmart, and her husband is also a professional, he cooks fires at mcdonalds.

or

My johnny is a professional writer, he self published a book and sold 3 copies on amazon last year, and his wife is also a professional, she house sits when the neighbors need her.

 

Of course, how else. Where is the board that governs such things. Where is the committee that decides. Where is the ruling body that you apply to for the designation. For most things if you call yourself a pro, you are. If nobody else agrees, what does it matter. Everyone has their own rules as to what it should mean.

 

and if your child comes in last place in a bowling tournament you can tell him there are no such thing as winners and losers, and as long as he participated..he is a winner. Give him a trophy, and like you said...no one cares. The real winners get a trophy too and as long as it means something to them.....they shouldnt care if last place people get a trophy as well.

There are make believe "winners" and make believe "professionals" in this world

phoney self proclaimed winners, phoney self proclaimed professionals.

If your argument is that it doesnt hurt anyone to provide yourself with a phoney moniker.....I would tend to agree. I laugh at those folks, they amuse me, but it doesnt hurt me or "worry" me.

I just pose this topic for good [removed, pay to advertise] debate reasons, I couldnt care less if you were the dude that gets paid to put leaflets on my car windshield, and you called yourself a professional. Its ok to be a professional in your mind. Pretty sad, but you do what you need to do to get through your days.

Except there are people of my generation and see the phoney" professionals", the self proclaimed "professionals" and point out that the king has no clothes

People can bestow the title of DUKE on themselves, I doubt the real Dukes of the world will be mad....they will just laugh inwardly...just as I do at the phoney "professionals".

If gamblers or the windshield leaflet placers want to be called "professional"..that cool.

Just as it was noted by another posted......I could present my dog as a "professional" just because I said so. He does things that amuse me and in turn I give him shelter and food instead of money. My dog is a professional entertainer. Just like DiNiro....both professional entertainers.

 

Not as good as mine. I pay him with grilled
chicken breasts.

 

he is a well paid professional entertainer, for dog payments that on par with what Denzel Washington makes.

your dog and denzel......2 professional entertainers.

 

Anytime anyone uses the word gambler, I want a piece of the action. I play poker mostly and I love "gamblers," (who are not poker players by trade but like to play the game), at my table. They create action missing from a grinders game and are welcomed by all.

Yes, they win, but usually it's a roller coaster type ride for them, with many "ups and downs of their stack, with multiple buyins, and occasional hot streaks," BUT, they usually go away with an empty rack as "reverse tilt" occurs and the euphoria of winning allows them to wager "improperly," creating huge pots and eventual losses.

 

unless the game is fixed, ALL poker players are gambling.

You could play perfectly and have pristine reads...and still have your ace high flush beaten by a straight flush. You can still have your full house beaten by quads.

there are full time poker players and part time poker players....and within those categories are profitable and non profitable

 

I think casinos do want to show off the big winners like Phil Ivey. Such players bring in a lot of new people and promoting them only fills the casinos with hopeful aspirations.

However, what Phil Ivey did in the UK, and from my own reading of the accounts of the situation, was cheating at baccarat and it looks like the dealer was in on it. However, Phil's star is descending and other Poker players stars are rising.

When Blackjack was really popular, casinos would bring out celebrity blackjack players to teach people how to play. Prior to blackjack, Craps was the king of casino games and you had a lot of local legions who would teach people who to play.

Casinos are always looking for a way to draw people to play, to come back, to play even more.

 

Don't forget that Phil Ivey plays baccarat too, not only poker. And he cheats casinos at baccarat.