Do you consider poker a sport?

I only pose this question out of an heated arguement with a poker buddy of mine.His position is that poker is like checkers or chess, although competitive it's still just considered a hobby.Another point that was made was that if it wasn't on espn there wouldn't even be a conversation about if it is a sport or not because most people would say no.I would love to know what the criteria is for something to be considered a sport because to me poker is as competitive as all things "considered" sports.

Something having a competitive element does not make it a sport. The national spelling bee is competitive and on ESPN. Spelling is not a sport. Poker is a wonderful game as are chess and even checkers but IMO none of them are sports.

As much of a sport as competitive sleeping is.

lol i will take that as a no but some folks(not me) consider the wwe as sports entertainment and that crap isn't even real!I suppose i asked a 2 part question because i get that most people don't consider poker to be a sport but what element if not competitiveness is missing from the game that disqualifies it from even being considered?

fitness to some degree.

physical fitness to be a little more specific.

I can kind of see where your going with that and i would argue that some activities such as nascar and hunting both are considered sports that aren't very physical and you don't have to be exactly fit to compete in any of them.Heck you can even be drunk and hunt!

i don't consider it a sport... though sometimes if you "like" a certain poker player they'll be in your favourite athlete section at a certain social site. having hellmuth beside the likes of a Jeter is weird

do u see overweight people in nascar?

no no i am not saying that at all i just dont see "physical in nascar

Nascar can be quite physical.

Better comparisons would be bowling or darts? Sports?

I've heard this debated quite a bit over the years and have come to the conclusion that I just don't care. More important things to argue about, tbh, and I don't think it can be accurately defined to make everyone happy.

I believe you can call poker a competition but not a sport.

Agreed, i had to think about that for a moment and bowling would be a better comparison.I also have come to accept the fact that their is no right or wrong way to answer this question.

For me it's a competition, but not a sport.

Though it has some sport-like qualities to it.

Chess would be in the same category for me.

you could call it a sport and have a bunch of homos debate about it.

or just call it a competition and everyone shuts up and agrees...lets jus call it a sport for some drama

From wikipedia:
Also, chess is considered an Olympic sport, and is definitely not something that can be just a "hobby". IMHO, it's all a matter of semantics. Also, poker fits the above description of what a "sport" should be.

I'd consider it a mind sport, in the same line as chess for example.

definition wars ftw.

\thread

To be honest what a previous poster said about it being a competition and not a sport seems to be right up me alley of belief

Do u consider lottery a sport? Come on!

the force is strong in this one
"Poker may be a branch of psychological warfare, an art form or indeed a way of life – but it is also merely a game, in which money is simply the means of keeping score." (Anthony Holden)

Do you consider poker a game of nothing but luck? If so are poker players just the luckiest people in the world? Were they born with a rabbits foot or something?

Poker is not a "sport" by definition, but it is a game that takes years of practice and training and skill to be good enough to be considered a pro. Poker takes a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master.

Don't think its a sport at all! It's a mind game, no physical challenge involved, not even a question in my mind!

What I usually tell my golfing and bowling friends. If you can smoke a cigarette and have a drink while playing it is not a sport.

LOL! So *that* is the problem with my game... I wasn't born with a rabbit's foot! Anyone have any ideas for a non-rabbit footed ex-poker player?

Check out the definition of Sport on Wikipedia. Taking that as the reference, it's definitely a sport imo. It does not have to make you sweat and breathe heavily to qualify as a sport - although poker sometimes also do that :-)
I approach poker as a sport, trying to improve and recognizing that skill beats luck, and that practice (training) makes the master. I train to get better, I compete, but still I enjoy the game. That's sport to me.
Whether other people consider it a sport or not doesn't bother me at all. If I can demonstrate solid winrates over long intervals, anyone claiming I'm just lucky will stand out as ignorant. That said, poker players who think it's all luck are very welcome at my table :-D

This has been discussed many times before.

Please use the search function

It depends on how you define sport I guess. Most people class sport as a physical exercising. There is actually no real definition on what sport is apart from competitive, skilful and strategy activity.. which poker falls into. There actually isn't any word on sport being physical, I think it's how we are all brought up and it's just stuck as "sport"

So I guess you can class it as a sport but I class sports as doing something physical,

ie: Football, Tennis etc.

That the crux.

Most definitions of sport involve physical contest.

Therefore poker is best described as a game rather than a sport as a game does not involve a physical competition.

TBH the more condensed the dictionary the more condense the definition.. so cheaper dictionaries tend to give a vaguer definition.

An example of the definition of sport would be the ruling given by the Olympic committee on the possible conclusion of body-building.

The ruling being that as the outcome is not decided based on a physical competition, bodybuiding is not regarded as a sport (even though it required an extreme amount of physical activity in its preparation). The outcome of a bodybuilding event is determined not by physical competition but but by a subjective decision made by the judges.

Weightlifting, however, which is very similar in terms of training, is a sport as the outcome is determined by the outcome of a physical competition i.e. who ever lifts the most on that day wins.

So a better way of determining if something is a sport or not s whether or not the Olympic committee would define it as a sport or not rather than finding a dictionary definition that suits the posters argument.

Incidentally the chess crowd are fighting the same battle. They want it included in the Olympics, but the committee rejects it because of the absence of physical competition.

Yeah go to the hospital and get your feet replaced by rabbitfeet.
To be sure get some horseshoes too and then give poker another try.
You sure will have problems running the NY marathon, but you'll be crushing the tables.

you can say poker a competitive sport where people who win can gain weight and who lose game can loss weight :P

Of course poker is sport, it is a sport of the mind, mental athletics. Physical fitness is essential for a sound mind and to excel at the highest level requires years of commitment, discipline, sacrifice and self control.

This one really is a no brainer IMO.

It occurred to me the other day the parallels between poker and golf.

Both are perfected from repetition of the correct movements until it almost becomes a part of muscle memory. But there's still room for creativity in the moment.

And with both, you can be going along fantastically, make one mistake and ruin all of your hard work.

I think the "Is poker a sport?" thread count is catching up to "Stars or FTP?"

The forum search function is your friend, folks.

Well people will debate about this for eternity, but the fact is that poker is a competitive game and not a sport. That's not an opinion.

http://www.dictionary.com

Sport - an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

While poker does require skill, along with mental stamina, and exercise may improve mental acuity (you can technically train for it) there is nothing, even remotely, athletic about competing when playing poker in the slightest. Sadly, fishing is more of a sport .

If poker is a sport, then professional poker players are athletes. Now that's some funny ****.


*blind date*

Chick: So, what do you do?

Leather ass: I'm an athlete.

Chick: Omg really, what sport?!

Leather ass: Poker.

*end blind date*

You weren't born with a rabbits foot? Thats weird. You should probably get that checked out lol