do you think poker is a sport?

there have been people saying that it is as isn't, what do you think?
It's on sports channels but there is no physical part to it

By definition it probably could be considered a "sport" due the "competetion" aspect of the game, but not if you consider the "physical" part of the definition. But I going to go with it being a "sport" because that all the activity I seem to be getting these days...lol.

(According to my definition of a sport)


Absolutely not.

A sport requires participation by athletes, Poker players are not athletes.
A sport requires physical talent. Sitting in a circle for long periods of time does not qualify as physical talent.

Poker is gambling.

I hate when people try to call everything under the sun a sport. Activities do not have to be sports to make them cool. Golf is not a sport but its very cool. Darts is not a sport. Billiards is not a sport. Poker is not a sport. They are all fun activities that require skill, but do not require athleticism. Thats why they are not sports.

This is the example I always use. If the world was having an international athletic competition, and they did not tell anyone what games the people would be competing in, would you send a poker player or a football player to represent your country? A golfer of a basketball player? Sports are played by athletes. Poker players and golfers are in no way athletes.

It doesn't take anything away from poker to not be called a sport. Lets just leave at a card game. There is nothing athletic about playing cards.

I think for thoses(poker pros) they play all live tournaments, ept, wpt etc.. it's a bit a sport, always in a plane, sometimes 4-5 days per tournament it's really hard i think.But for internet players, it's just a game, a game you can win money : D

Is chess considerated like a sport ?

These are very great arguments, I agree with your example especially

IMHO It is not a sport. The one argument for sport is that it is somewhat physically difficult to sit for long periods of time while playing a tournament. ie wsop main event. But digging ditches is also physically demanding and that is not a sport.

poker is the only "sport" you can play while sitting in your underwear, drinking beer.

:P

No, I dont think it is a sport. I think poker is a past time or a hobby. I would think for something to be a sport it would invlove something to get your body moving.

no...
golf is a sport because you have to walk and physically move the ball foward... video golf is not a sport..
but .... is auto racing a sport? you control the car like a person controls a joystick ?

No I don't think poker is a sport.
I think it is a gambling game.
When I used to play sport,(rugby,football)I was always knackered at the end of the game.That's why I stopped playing it.
I don't get knackered from playing poker.
I get tired,and back ache,from sitting on my arse for so many hours.

Lets give a little and call it a mental soprt. It can indeed be exhausting and drive your heart rate and Blood Pressure up. Or is that just a result of the way I play. LOL

i think it is a sport, there are competitors all playing a game on a table some better than others all with the urge to win. If they can call chess or backgammon a sport then wwhy not poker.

I have never heard chess or backgammon be called a sport. I would ridicule any person that does so. They may be competitive but there is absolutely nothing athletic about them.

A sport requires participation by whomever that enjoys it..Therefore, Poker players are athletes..And what you say about talent..If you say that poker does not require TALENT then wow..Your philosophy on sports is a little wrong in my opinion, but thats good to see that other people have suggestions..I feel that poker is a sport that involves using your head, not necessarily your body..Great Post
Take Care
Ray

Physically its not, but i think it is mentally...focus, concentration, skill

no physical activity means it is just a game....that simple.

Absolutely not. It does have competition and it is a game, but it is not a sport. It does not require any physical activity, even though some people say it is a sport because you have to sit through long tournaments or something. But there is no way it can be a sport. A competitive game yes. Sport, no.

poker is definatly not a sport how could it even be in the same category as sport lets see football players run as do baseball players and basketball and poker is nothing more then poker a great way to lose money with no physical activity.....good luck all poker players....and if you think its a sport you might want to call a shrink and have your head checked out..

The physical component of golf is striking the ball with the club; bowling its rolling the bowling ball down the alley. For a sport to be a sport there has to be some physical component to the event which helps to dictate the outcome. Whether NASCAR is a sport has been debated as the driver must use physical dexterity to maneuver the vehicle -- the car does not run on its own. But in poker there is no such outcome determinative physical component -- its all a mental exercise. Of course, the better rested you are and more relaxed you are things which may allow you to be a better decisionmaker when playing poker but the same holds true for chess and backgammon.

Not. Its a game. On the other hand, which I have had great debates about, Nascar is in my opion. Anyone that can drive a car 200mph for long periods of time in sometimes unbearable conditions, has to be in good physical health. Not only in mind, but in body. But that is my opinion. Gl all at the tables.

Buy yourself a better car, imo. Driving a sports car requires a hell of a lot of physical strength. Formula one drivers sweat nearly a gallon over the close to 2 hours of racing, mostly to resist the lateral acceleration in the fast curves.

No its not a sport , you are sitting in a chair pushing on a button , you don't get tired of that .
I think its just a game .

I disagree completely although I wouldn necesarily call it a sport either.

Sports do not require athletes contrary to what one might think (if you use the definition of physically talented). Think pitchers in baseball and punters and kickers in football. Granted there are exeptions but there are a lot of pitchers in the pros who will tell the press and media that they are not athletic. I went to high school with a guy who was drafted as a pitcher straight out of high school and he was definately not an athelete but he was very good at what he did. Same with card sharks.

COME ON PEOPLE THERE ARE PHYSICAL PARTS TO POKER. What about the poker face??? Chip tricks??? ROLMAO.

(Just incase you dont get it the physical part is just humor, Im not being serious)

(Sorry for the double post, please just count this as one, I dont know how to double quote)

Amen. If you actually keep up with the sport, look at the drivers at the end of the season as compared to the beginning of the season. The drivers experience a ton of physical strain and most lose a lot of weight. Im not a racing fan but I work at Atlanta Motor Speedway part time.

Sport implies some sort of physical ability. Poker is a card game like canasta or bridge. Darts is more a sport so is croquet.

why not! if fishing is considered a sport why not poker

Your are right, Definitively poker is a sport and we must consider it this way

in some country like russia the poker is a sport in other not.It's a sport becouse some people fight for something and it's a gambling game becouse it's not only skills you nead from luck sometime to win

It all defends on the definition. If you go with Wikipedia, it's a sport.

Sport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Sports commonly refer to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determiner of the outcome (winning or losing), but the term is also used to include activities such as mind sports (a common name for some card games and board games with little to no element of chance) and motor sports where mental acuity or equipment quality are major factors. Sport is commonly defined as an organized, competitive and skillful physical activity requiring commitment and fair play.

it si deffinatley not a sport there is no athletacism involved its all about the mind therefore how can you consider it a sport

Phil Lack "The Unabomber" works out in the middle of his hands and in a cheering crowd, so I think he is an athlete.... I would say it is a sport for him at least... lol

Poker is a game. Some games require more mental acuity then others such as, chess is more difficult than checkers. But both are mental activities. Both require some degree of intelligence.

Golf is a sport. Some sports require more physical activity than others such as, football is more physically demanding than golf. But both are physical activities requiring physical coordination.

You need logic help in your first part about participation = athlete.
You need reading comprehension help for the part about talent.


A lot of you are completely ignoring my example. Which helps hammer home my point about my (read:IMO) definition of a sport.

Lets pretend there was an international competition. Each country had to send 1 person. And the only thing that anyone was told was that the participants were going to be competing in several athletic sporting events. Not one country in the world would send a poker player. They would send football players, basketball players, soccer players, maybe even a sprinter.

Micheal Phelps would not be picked. Tiger woods would not be picked. Lance Armstrong would not be picked. Sorry ladies, but none of you would be picked.

You want to tell me that you would consider picking poker players? lol

Think about who is at the card table with you next time you go to a casino, and then tell me they are athletes. Maybe the 350lb man struggling to breathe sitting on your left. Or maybe the man that reeks of cigarettes to your right. Maybe the 50 year old woman thats 30lbs over weight, whos complaining about not having a napkin with her vodka martini. If poker players are athletes then my 6 year old kid's soccer team could win the Superbowl.

Poker's definitely not a sport. Go fish.. now there's a sport.