if you want to take it literally then he's probably correct as gambling is defined as doing something risky that might result in loss of money or failure. there's a guy at work who bets on dogs and horses and i've had this discussion with him before. my point is that in poker you have a lot more control over the outcome of the game than you do over a greyhound making it round 4 bends whilst chasing a mechanical hare without getting knocked over. strictly speaking tho it is gambling.