Short answer: Sometimes! The long answer is complex. But since sin is the only thing that can separate us from God, it is worth addressing, especially if you are interested in poker, or are close to someone who is. Many will be tempted to give an overly brief answer to the question. "Poker is only a sin if you are waging money that you need to provide for your family. As long as you are playing within your means, playing poker is not a sin for you." This brief answer is false. It is false because there are other factors which can make playing poker a sin, even if someone is only playing with money they can afford to lose. One of these factors involves your neighbor whom you are playing against. $200 might not affect your family's needs, but if losing $200 would negatively affect the needs of your opponent's family, then playing a poker game wherein said neighbor could lose $200 might be a sin. Traditional Catholic Catechisms teach us that there are nine ways to ...