Is playing a card same as casting?

[Poof]

If an ability let's me play a card without paying it's mana cost is it the same as casting and can it be countered?  I'm assuming the answer is no

[JaCe BeLeReN]

I'm going to assume {Omniscience}. If not, it is a good example. It says cast cards without paying their mana cost. Yes, they can still be countered. (Unless you cast an Emrakul for {0} 😜)

[Deathstorm]

Can cards that are played with a {descendants path} be countered

[Ghebert]

Can cards that are played with a {descendants path} be countered

Yes bc it says "you may cast that card..." keyword is cast. If you cast something, it can be countered, unless otherwise stated.

[BlackJester]

Some older cards (pre-M10, maybe older) had wording like "you may play that spell." See the Mirrodin printing of {Isochron Scepter}.
That wording had been updated to replace play with cast to avoid confusion.

Spells that are cast and those that are just copied and put on the stack like with {Reverberate} can all be countered.

Copied spells are not cast and so will not add counters to {Quirion Dryad}, or add to your storm count.

[Kaleo42]

It's my understanding that the only times "play" is used now days is when a land might be the card that is in question. {djinn of wishes}.

[BlackJester]

It's my understanding that the only times "play" is used now days is when a land might be the card that is in question. {djinn of wishes}.

Yes, and I think he is the only recent example.  He's templated that way to allow players to play a land if the get one.  In the card rulings, you'll notice that he lets you cast spells.

[Poof]

It was djinn of wishes which says play.  It was against werewolves and were also wondering if u hit a non land card and played it with his wish ability would that count as a spell cast to keep wolves from flipping I guess it does then.

[BlackJester]

Correct.