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myquickwit
Rock Star
Silver Level
It's not a sport. I don't understand why people keep trying to get it recognized as one. I have never sweated at the poker table because of physically exhaustion. My legs and lungs have never burned because I have run so much. We sit. It's not a sport. That doesn't make it any less of a great game. The game is good on its own. It doesn't have to be a sport. I have played sports which I'm sure 90% of us have. There is a big difference. But the reality that it's not a sport should not take away from what poker is. It doesn't have to be a sport. And it's not.
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myquickwit
Rock Star
Silver Level
Poker is mentally exhausting and sitting there for so many hours can be physically exhausting. But how is this different from sitting in class all day. Is school work not mentally exhausting? Is sitting there 6 hours a day waiting for the bell to finally ring not at times physically exhausting? I doubt anyone here is asking if school is a sport.
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Lisavandervelden12
Rock Star
Silver Level
Game? I like that. I totally am on board with that one. Poker is not gambling. Gambling is when the hosue has the advantage.
You are playing other players and if your good you have the advantage.
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YKCaiTLH1314
Rock Star
Silver Level
To you(thetzarofpoker) it is definitely Gambling because you need Luck to get good result.
As for me, it is exactly the same reason i had to convince my ex-wife(when we were still together back then) and my parents when i decided to go full-time and transit into pro.
I sat down with my parents and ex-wife with a deck of card and asked them to play 4 hours with me. Whatever amount they manage to win, i'll cash out to them but if i won, they don't have to pay me. As handicap, i will look into my hold card ONLY on the Turn which means i was playing blind until the Turn card was dealt.
During this session my father busted once, mum 4 times and ex-wife got frustrated(tilted) and stop in the middle of the session.
I demonstrated to them that i am capable of wining despite they are 3 vs me, against the odds of handicapping them and my ability to maximize to win most chips with a good hand. Of course, main reason i won is because i read all their tells which is something they never understand.
Their mentality is "Poker is gambling and it's all about Luck and more bankroll in order to win".
After this session, my parents has been supportive with me playing fulltime.
My ex-wife...she left.
At least for me, Poker is not Gambling, it's a job or Profession which i enjoy doing.
And no, Poker is not a Sport, it's more like a Chess game or Backgammon.
As for me, it is exactly the same reason i had to convince my ex-wife(when we were still together back then) and my parents when i decided to go full-time and transit into pro.
I sat down with my parents and ex-wife with a deck of card and asked them to play 4 hours with me. Whatever amount they manage to win, i'll cash out to them but if i won, they don't have to pay me. As handicap, i will look into my hold card ONLY on the Turn which means i was playing blind until the Turn card was dealt.
During this session my father busted once, mum 4 times and ex-wife got frustrated(tilted) and stop in the middle of the session.
I demonstrated to them that i am capable of wining despite they are 3 vs me, against the odds of handicapping them and my ability to maximize to win most chips with a good hand. Of course, main reason i won is because i read all their tells which is something they never understand.
Their mentality is "Poker is gambling and it's all about Luck and more bankroll in order to win".
After this session, my parents has been supportive with me playing fulltime.
My ex-wife...she left.
At least for me, Poker is not Gambling, it's a job or Profession which i enjoy doing.
And no, Poker is not a Sport, it's more like a Chess game or Backgammon.
vov4ik
Legend
Silver Level
I don’t think much for myself that poker and Hold'em games are other sports, I think for myself that cards and poker games are a game of chance, now in Ukraine the sports federation has recognized poker as an official sport and now they open poker cantors, I I understand that poker is a game of reason and tactics, but for me it is gambling which attracts many players
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Lisavandervelden12
Rock Star
Silver Level
I disagree with you saying poker is gambling.
Yes i know i am being technical, but the definition of gambling is when your at a disadvantage.
Good players have to get lucky, yes ..but they have an advantage.
XYZ2123
Visionary
Bronze Level
Neither. It's not a sport and neither is any other card or board game, or solving mathematical equations or crosswords. Sports are played with a ball or ball-like object the you use to score points by making some sort of goal, and/or take place on a field and involve running and other physical exertion. Something like billiards/pool falls somewhere in the middle.
Poker is a game of skill that involves chance and probabilities and percentages. It is only gambling when you play for real money, but you don't have to play for money, so technically it's not gambling. Same for blackjack. You can play for money but you don't have to. Plus, gambling further implies that you have no control over the outcome. Betting on sports, roulette, pulling a slots handle, etc. are gambling. This is not a complete answer, but just a few points.
The problem is that poker is wrongly thought of as gambling, and therefore a reckless activity just because it involves money, a deck of cards and is played at casinos. It is true that some players treat poker simply as gambling and play accordingly, but they're degens that will always find a way to throw away money. Can poker become an addiction and lead to financial ruin? Yes, but so can anything else. You can blow all your money buying shoes or CDs or whatever else you become obsessed with.
Poker is a game of skill that involves chance and probabilities and percentages. It is only gambling when you play for real money, but you don't have to play for money, so technically it's not gambling. Same for blackjack. You can play for money but you don't have to. Plus, gambling further implies that you have no control over the outcome. Betting on sports, roulette, pulling a slots handle, etc. are gambling. This is not a complete answer, but just a few points.
The problem is that poker is wrongly thought of as gambling, and therefore a reckless activity just because it involves money, a deck of cards and is played at casinos. It is true that some players treat poker simply as gambling and play accordingly, but they're degens that will always find a way to throw away money. Can poker become an addiction and lead to financial ruin? Yes, but so can anything else. You can blow all your money buying shoes or CDs or whatever else you become obsessed with.
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Richard Grant
Rock Star
Silver Level
Two men competing at a high level in chess. Utterly focused on the pieces and hungry for success are a far greater example of what "sport" is really about than two useless fat tennis players hitting balls over the fence and acting like they don't care.
And yet the first isn't a sport and the 2nd is. Competitive spirit is the key!
And yet the first isn't a sport and the 2nd is. Competitive spirit is the key!
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Lisavandervelden12
Rock Star
Silver Level
Thank you
0546474
Legend
Loyaler
maxivega
Rock Star
Bronze Level
So chess is not a sport? Because for me it is not a game. And don't perspire playing it
maxivega
Rock Star
Bronze Level
It has a lot of sport, because you need to practice to improve. You also need to study and calculate the odds for winning hands. Maybe you not perspire like physical sports, but if you force the fullest other skills like patience and drive many emotions that you have to know to control. It is not a simple game.
XYZ2123
Visionary
Bronze Level
I guess I have to point out the obvious. According to the Oxford English Dictionary:
sport
/spɔːt/
noun
1. an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
"team sports such as soccer and rugby"
sport
/spɔːt/
noun
1. an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
"team sports such as soccer and rugby"
maxivega
Rock Star
Bronze Level
You don't have to be guided by a dictionary. "Chess is considered sport-science because in addition to requiring a certain level of mental skill, it is based on a strategy and a tactic in the same way as other sports such as soccer and rugby. In this case it is also because the game is structured and regulated. Sep 25, 2017 "
This is just an example, poker is not considered a sport (for now), but you need strategy and tactics to win, as in any sport.
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myquickwit
Rock Star
Silver Level
No, chess is not a sport Dictionary.com defines "sport" as, "an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature. " As the basis of chess competition is not athletic, most persons do not define chess as a sport.Mar 22, 2018 "Chess.com article, is chess a sport?"
tehb1987
Rock Star
Silver Level
And who said that sport should be necessarily physical? Any competition that is carefully prepared and trained is a sport. Including intellectual. And Yes! Chess is a sport! And Yes! Poker is also a sport!
There's no need to argue with that. This must be taken for granted. Where there is a competitive spirit, the default - sport.
There's no need to argue with that. This must be taken for granted. Where there is a competitive spirit, the default - sport.
TheDude6622
Legend
Silver Level
To a lot of people, it's gambling. People think because it's played in a casino, it is just pure gambling. The thing is, you're not betting against the house, you're betting against other people. It's a game of wit, memory of player tendencies, betting styles and patterns, and mind trickery. It's an art to play.
The other day I watched Gonzalez Cannon from The Big Game, and watched in amazement of all the pros that could not read him for a second. When Viffer got knocked out at the end, he walked over to Cannon and shook his hand. He looked at him and said I've never seen a player, let alone an amateur, walk into the lions den and play as good as he did against Daniel Negreanu, Tony G, and Scott Seiver. That my friends, is skill.
The other day I watched Gonzalez Cannon from The Big Game, and watched in amazement of all the pros that could not read him for a second. When Viffer got knocked out at the end, he walked over to Cannon and shook his hand. He looked at him and said I've never seen a player, let alone an amateur, walk into the lions den and play as good as he did against Daniel Negreanu, Tony G, and Scott Seiver. That my friends, is skill.