Correct. Poker is a game of skill aka gaming, gambling is where there is no skill involved just random chance. I would argue sports betting could also be considered skill based, except the bookies have supercomputers that you will never beat in the long run and fluctuating odds whereas if it were a simple 1/1 win/lose-say in Tennis there wouldn't be any bookies. The game is rigged.
The stock market falls into 3 categories:
1) Dividend paying stocks, these have intrinsic value aka the stock price is correlated to the dividend payout and it's value compared to macro-economic fluctuations such as interest rates.
2) Liquidation value, if a company is liquidated what are their assets divided by shares outstanding? GME is a good example of this at $4 it had a market cap of only $250m and yet $500m in assets minus debt. If it ceased trading you'd double your money as an investor, you literally couldn't lose. This is another form of instrinsic value like dividends.
3) Everything else. This is worth zero, nothing, zip on an instrinsic basis. It's value is based entirely on supply and demand, what you think you can sell it for to someone else at a future date. The only value comes from what someone else is willing to pay, you don't even get a stock certificate to wipe your arse anymore.
This is also where the skill comes in, determining what someone will pay at a future date/what you can buy it for at a future date. If you think the price will go up you buy it to sell later. If you think it will go down you short it to buy back later and pocket the difference. Now many people predict "value" based on revenue, profit or future earnings. This is somewhat important because if a stock get's too low another business can come in and do a takeover because it has intrinsic value to them. Otherwise this is just an easy correlation people use to predict supply/demand. Anothr valuation could be based on short interest like GME where people HAVE to buy the stock at any price. This gives it value.
Ultimately in the third case which is the majority of stocks, you as an individual investor will never get any money from your investment until you sell. This requires a buyer. So it is entirely a social game, at what price do you think someone will buy at a future date aka what do they personally value it at. Everything else is smoke and mirrors.
@Minusorange If you're gambling on the stock market then you're essentially playing every hand in a game of poker thinking it's roulette. You are the reason 97% of retail investors lose money if they directly trade in the stock market. Either learn the skills of the game or you will be taken to the cleaners. I would suggest only putting your money in Mutual funds and indexes until you adjust your veiwpoint and learn how to play the game.
