Poker players are supposed to understand EV, so why do so many love casino games?

monkeytilter said:

Something I've been wondering since the casino section was added.

Poker players spend endless amounts of time talking about EV, variance, bankroll management, exploiting edges, avoiding -EV spots etc.

Yet plenty of poker players also seem to enjoy casino games where the house has a mathematical edge and, over a large enough sample, you're pretty much guaranteed to lose.

So what is it that makes casino gambling appealing to poker players?

Click to expand...

Maybe the entertainment factor could be considered.
Why to go to the movies if you have to pay the ticket, spend time, spend money in popcorn and a soda, and there's for sure no winnings involved.
It can be just for fun, and if there's a winning result, then great.

I was surprised when I found out that Cardschat was getting into the casino game realm. Yes, poker games occur in casinos, but that's pretty much where the similarity ends.

In its simplest form poker is a competitive game played by people against other people where nobody has a guaranteed advantage. A casino game, on the other hand, is a game of chance played by people against computers. The computer has a strict win-lose ratio that it must and always will achieve. The computer runs the game. People are simply manipulated pawns. People can never win in that type of matchup.

That said, many recreational poker players have no interest in actually learning the game, hence to many it is pure gambling, just like the slots. I would suggest you will find very few serious poker players tapping the bet button at the VLTs.

monkeytilter said:

Something I've been wondering since the casino section was added.

Poker players spend endless amounts of time talking about EV, variance, bankroll management, exploiting edges, avoiding -EV spots etc.

Yet plenty of poker players also seem to enjoy casino games where the house has a mathematical edge and, over a large enough sample, you're pretty much guaranteed to lose.

So what is it that makes casino gambling appealing to poker players?

Click to expand...

#1 It was added to a poker forum we are part of.
#2 Players spend endless time talking about everything you said but throw it out the window at the tables, lol.
#3 Poker is about a perceived skill advantage, but casino games are about gambling and having fun while expecting to lose your money. 😍

monkeytilter said:

Something I've been wondering since the casino section was added.

Poker players spend endless amounts of time talking about EV, variance, bankroll management, exploiting edges, avoiding -EV spots etc.

Yet plenty of poker players also seem to enjoy casino games where the house has a mathematical edge and, over a large enough sample, you're pretty much guaranteed to lose.

So what is it that makes casino gambling appealing to poker players?

Click to expand...

Trying to recover poker losses in a quicker way!
This is not highly impossible in a short span but the house always wins in the long run as we all agree! And no casino player says I’m done playing when it’s just a click away or the next door!
At that given point, their brain has already developed that mindset of forgetting all the poker values they’ve been preaching!
They eventually lose everything and then regret doing it as well!

These poker sites that push you towards the casino, you go in there just to play poker but they fill you with links, promotions, and incentives to stay in the casino, playing little tiger games and stuff. At least in Brazil, poker rooms can no longer have a casino license. But some people complain about GG’s variance, when the worst thing is focusing there watching that fat Tiger with a goofy face making you lose everything, but he’s cute, wants to be your friend.

For me, it's a kind of interactive lottery. I understand that I probably won't win, but I'm willing to try.

For me, slots are like a lottery

Poker players understand EV, but casino games can still be appealing because they offer excitement, simplicity, and entertainment. Knowing the odds doesn’t mean someone won’t enjoy taking a negative-EV gamble for fun.