Thoughts on Poker Possibly Being an Olympic Sport?

[trippin]

It is barely a sport, kinda like Canadian football, chess, ect.. silly for an Olympic sport. The U.S would dominate in another sport #unfair

 

[trippin]

Exactly, making a category for mind games could work. Huge difference from being an athlete vs having intellectual athleticism.

 

[godblessiraq]

I don't even think poker should be considered a sport in the first place. Competition yes, sport? No...

 

[Herkstwin]

The Olympics are filled with enough drugged athletes already. How many poker players will submit to drug testing in order to represent their country?

I just don't see it. Not enough "sporting" action to add any value to the Olympics.

 

[Empress]

I think that since Chess is recognized as an Olympic sport than Poker could definitely be right up there! Especially since both games require mental stamina!

 

[winston kay]

Poker a Olympic sport? That would be a lot of sweating.......

 

[neptun1914]

Our government commission responsible for gambling regulation describes poker as "sport game with elements of gambling". Exactly due to this element of gambling (or luck if you wish) poker can not become ever olympic sport. It is the same like adding 100m track athletics discipline in which every player have slightly different distance to run based on chance (for example between 90 and 110 meters).

 

[gabpoker]

While I love poker, I would not want to see it as an Olympic sport. I do think it would be interesting to see some country based team poker tournaments I don't think the Olympics is the place to hold them.

 

[Lupu Anatolie]

It seems to me a ridiculous idea but as a chance to get to the Olympic games together with the athletes who work to accept it)))

 

[palinho07]

Not possible. The 100% guarantee that this will never happen

But imagine that this is happening.
Select two representatives for the largest countries you would send to the Olympic Games.


So two representatives from USA, canada, france, Great Britain, germany, etc.


What is your choice?

 

[neptun1914]

What we do with Daniel Negreanu. How to share him between Canada and USA?

 

[Jockerist]

Poker will never be a sport.

 

[gabethegimp]

Not possible. The 100% guarantee that this will never happen

This is what they said about e-sports, look at it now. You can get professional athlete visa's for playing computer games now days - even university scholarships, yes, scholarships.. I personally think poker is more of real sport than something like league of legends.

But a part of the Olympics is a big call - I doubt that, at least not anytime soon. That is a physical sporting arena, not a mental one.

 

[palinho07]

This is what they said about e-sports, look at it now. You can get professional athlete visa's for playing computer games now days - even university scholarships, yes, scholarships.. I personally think poker is more of real sport than something like league of legends.

But a part of the Olympics is a big call - I doubt that, at least not anytime soon. That is a physical sporting arena, not a mental one.

You are right about it. But i wrote 100% about Olympic games.

 

[palinho07]

Better question is if poker will be recognized as a sport. Not if poker will be an Olympic discipline.

 

[8bod8]

1) Making poker an oplympic sport is easy: rewrite the greek history like in 1984
2) Getting support (votes) from OIC is also easy: lobby with free stay in vegas with wsop ticket. Not too difficult to find IOC members who are interested.
3) Democracy will do the rest.

 

[SaintNick1968]

1) Poker has far too much luck to actually find out who's the best from a single Olympic tourney.
2) It's very hard to definitively say who the strongest players are to know who should be a part of an Olympic game.
3) Poker is not physically exerting so allowing poker to be an Olympic sport would require a total rebranding of what the Olympics is.

I can think of a lot of other reasons as well but I don't think poker belongs as an Olympic sport. It might be good for the game if it did but honestly I can't see it ever happening and personally I wouldn't want it to.

 

[Stacker]

I just don't see this happening. If chess isn't in I don't see poker having a chance for a lot of reasons

 

[prozitu]

If the purpose is to totally marginalize the Olympics, then right on.