Is Playing Poker a Sin? Part I

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 be an accessory to another's sin. And if you are an accessory to another's sin, then you are guilty of said sin. 

One of the nine ways is by partaking. If you know your neighbor is an alcoholic who spends his family's money on drinks before going home to beat his wife, then you would be an accessory to his sin if you were to partake in drinking at the same table as him. The responsible, charitable thing to do in such a case would be to leave the table in which your alcoholic neighbor is drinking, lest by remaining you were to give him the impression that you find nothing wrong with what he is doing.

Similarly, if your neighbor is risking in a poker game an amount of money that his family needs for its welfare, then you would be sinning if you were to play in the game with him, even if the relative amount being wagered had no impact on your family's needs. No one would excuse a man who was drinking with an alcoholic at the same table. People who play poker with degenerates partake in their sins, and are hence guilty of them. 

Given that there are many degenerate poker players out there, is it possible to ever play poker without committing a sin? Yes, it is. The best way to do this is to play in home games with friends, where everyone knows everyone. If you are playing with friends, then you know approximately how much money they make, and how much they can afford to lose. With this knowledge, you can decide upon stakes that would keep the game of poker what it should be - recreational. You can play in good conscience when you know that nobody at the table is going to lose more than they can afford. Under these circumstances, you can play the great strategical game for a relatively small amount without committing any sin. 

Poker rooms at casinos present a huge problem for a Christian in that you are likely going to be unfamiliar with some or many of the people you would be playing with. You likely would have no idea what your opponents' incomes are, or what their familial duties involve. Since even the smallest stakes offered at most casinos tend to involve what would be to many a considerable amount of money, it is safer for Christians to stay away entirely, lest they (knowingly or unknowingly) partake in the sins of someone who is wagering irresponsibly. 

Some online poker rooms offer micro stakes games, with buy-ins as low as $4. I occasionally play in these games, where it is incredibly unlikely that anyone is going to be wagering more than they can afford. 

Ultimately, the most secure way to play poker without sinning is to play in games, be they at home or otherwise, where there is no reasonable expectation that anyone is losing an amount of money that might be significant to him or his family.