Games v. Gambling

[Black Leviathan]

I think of the distinction in these terms:

Gaming - Is a skill of playing games. It involves understanding the rules, variations, history, and win strategy of games. If you're playing a game you're familiar with it gives you knowledge of ways to win, if you're playing an alien game it gives you ways to interpret it's strategy based on games you know. It is useful for peculiar challenges, impressing people in parlor settings, convincing wise men to remain at the Go board longer and share their knowledge.

Gambling - Is a skill of playing people in the context of a game. It involves understanding odds and variations, psychology and cash strategy of games. So long as you grasp the rules of the game you are able to assess the risk of a decision in the game and the pay-out for your wager. It can also within the context of the game allow you to understand if someone's behavior is inconsistent with their strategy or if their wins are inconsistent with the odds. It's useful for winning money, spotting a bluff or a cheater, getting into a private card game.