The United States government should stay out of my online poker business.

Again, I fail to see the connection in the definition of the word "Gambling" and how it relates to poker. It says in the definition itself that it is, "the wagering of money or something of material value (referred to as "the stakes") on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods. " (. http://en.wikipedia.org......) Again, when poker is played, the skilled aficionados are usually the victors of said sport. Therefore, the literal meaning that it is a game or event with an uncertain outcome does not allow for poker to fall into the category. My opponent seems to be suggesting that luck is a major contributing factor when the references he gave, (I. E. -Hellmuth and Ungar) would have had to have been extremely LUCKY, (Astronomically in fact. ) to amass the accomplishments that they have acquired. His second definition given, which I will accept, is that it is "An activity characterized by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by a mixture of skill and chance". -en. wiktionary. org/wiki/gambling. I don't see a balance of skill and chance presented in poker as it is mainly a game of SKILL with SOME chance involved just like any other sport. I find irony in the fact that my opponent would quote two of the best at the game who also happen to be two of the most eccentric. Phil Hellmuth is a legend in the sport of poker and is also known as "The Poker Brat". A moniker that he has earned and accepts whole heartedly. Mr. Hellmuth is renowned for saying things that are presented just to get under the skin of his opponents whether he's playing in the game or not. The quote that my opponent has used was obviously after Hellmuth had been beaten by someone, a reality that he never seems to accept and usually blames on the luck of his opponents as opposed to the skill he shows when he wins. "No matter how much you may want to think of Hold'em as a card game played by people, in many respects it is even more valid to think of it as a game about people that happens to be played with cards. " - Phil Hellmuth (. http://www.viewonpoker.com...) Stu Ungar was also one of the best poker players in the world amassing a total of $1,945,000 between 1980 and 1997. Unfortunately, Stu Ungar was also addicted to cocaine which eventually led to his death in November of 1998. Can I refute the fact that he used the word "gambling" in one quote? No. .. . However, I'm willing to assess that people on said narcotic will say lots of things that they don't mean and again the quotation was probably taken after one of his losses. In poker you have much control over the action through hand selection, bet sizing, the choice to call or fold. Just about the only thing you have no control over? The deal of the cards. In most casino games, you have very little control over anything except the size of the wager (and increasing this wager does nothing to affect your winning chances, unlike in poker you can bet big to deny proper odds, or to bluff out an opponent). An expert on casino gambling once said the house never offers you a bet it doesn't have and edge on. In Poker, the house is almost completely uninvolved, and is essentially renting you its tables and dealers for your personal use. In poker, your making decisions in a skill game against others who may be more or less skilled than you. The luck factor does nothing to change this in the long term. So, In poker, if you are a winning player, the long term is your friend in that you will profit in the long run despite short-term swings. (As proven time and time again by top superstar players. ) In gambling, should you make a large score, you should probably quit and never play again, because if you keep playing, you will lose it all back. You can't beat the math, essentially, in both cases. In conclusion, I fail to see the connection, as most fail to do also, with gambling and poker. As I said in round two, seven states have already decided by their courts that poker is a game based more on skill than luck with more states lining up to follow suit. I will leave my opponent and voters with one more quote from renowned author and poker player, Anthony Holden. "Poker may be a branch of psychological warfare, an art form or indeed a way of life – but it is also merely a game, in which money is simply the means of keeping score. " . http://en.wikipedia.org...