Do you think poker is a sport?

[Elizabeth26]

I notice that poker has become very popular on TV. People are making a profession out of poker so it really seem like a sport. Do you consider poker to be a sport?

[r8rpwr]

Well, I'm not sure what you consider a sport. I don't think that making one's living by something keeps it from being a sport (plenty of people earn their living playing football, baseball, etc).

It's pretty interesting to see the people who play professionally and have made poker a career. Since it involves a fair amount of skill, it makes sense that someone could make a living at it.

I don't think that would be for me; I'm too risk averse, but some do very well playing this sport for a living.

[mollila]

I took the liberty of adding a poll to this thread.

People call chess a sport, and as a skill based game I see it viable to call poker a sport as well.

[Elizabeth26]

Originally Posted by mollila I took the liberty of adding a poll to this thread. People call chess a sport, and as a skill based game I see it viable to call poker a sport as well.

Ok thanks for adding the poll. Yes, poker is a lot more exciting then chess so poker can be a sport.

[ExCal]

Originally Posted by mollila I took the liberty of adding a poll to this thread. People call chess a sport, and as a skill based game I see it viable to call poker a sport as well.

I agree, it takes a lot of thought to win a poker game. Not everyone can win a poker game, so I guess it could be called a sport at the very least.

[emoneypitt]

I don't really think you can consider it a sport as there's no real physical activity involved. It's all a mental game of skill with luck involved at times. I would consider billiards as more of a sport since you have to physically shoot the balls into the pockets, just as an example.

[CHIZELD]

If it's on ESPN.........then yes, lol

[philjj]

I don't see how poker can be called a sport, its a card game. It sometimes feels like a sport when I'm running backwards and forwards to the computer whilst making coffee but I also use a stepping machine when playing; does that make it a hybrid exercise programme?

[slowpoke]

Gaming on the pc should be called a sport if poker is to be considered a sport...And chess lol

[mollila]

Originally Posted by slowpoke Gaming on the pc should be called a sport if poker is to be considered a sport...And chess lol

That is of course debatable, and can one day change.

From Wikipedia:

Most countries have a national chess organization as well (such as the US Chess Federation and English Chess Federation), which in turn is a member of FIDE. FIDE is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), but the game of chess has never been part of the Olympic Games; chess does have its own Olympiad, held every two years as a team event.

AFP: World chess king hopes sport makes Olympic debut

PC gaming also has its own leagues, and I hear especially in Asia they have professional gamers.

[jcrei]

Originally Posted by mollila PC gaming also has its own leagues, and I hear especially in Asia they have professional gamers.

Specially in South Korea, they have teams of gamers, with sponsors and tournaments and even cheerleaders!!!

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | South Korea's professional gamers

Maybe one day we'll see HALO 3 in the Olympics...

[dmtrav77]

most of the time it helps if ur a good sport playing the game.. lol..ok ok .i'm being quite now

[limbi8888]

Originally Posted by mollila That is of course debatable, and can one day change. From Wikipedia: AFP: World chess king hopes sport makes Olympic debut PC gaming also has its own leagues, and I hear especially in Asia they have professional gamers.

of course it´s sport ..

[slowpoke]

I don't think Greg Raymer can run 100m without nearly dieing.

[sk8rfrmvicecity]

poker in my mind is a sport , people have been playing poker for a very long time . i find it to be a game of skill , you have to use alot of your natural senses . and be able to just be an all around good player .

[grndizzle]

It's a sport that requires you to use your mental skills instead of physical. I'm all for poker in the olympics.

[grndizzle]

it has to be a sport it's on ESPN all the time.......

[PointerJake]

If Bowling is a sport so is poker

[hpplaya]

I have played evey physical sport there is from Ice hockey, football, basketball, baseball to track and field , tennis and the list goes on.. lol... I believe a sport is qualified by competition, mental/physical talent,skill and those intangibles that can't really be measured.. That being said.. The only thing I can compare poker to is chess... in both cases they both lack the basic component of a sport.. physical ability.. unless you call sitting upright for more than a few hours a physical talent....lol But really poker takes an extraordinary amount of calculating all the while lying, acting, decieving and down right trickery.. with that I might believe it to be a sport.. because how many of us have the patience to perform those feats of daring for hours on end?....lol It's a mental sport in that regard... thats my two cents... ahh heck.... .. I'm all in ....LOL

I have very little patience .. thats why I am barely an amature I guess.

[hojediade]

Depends on which poker you talking about. Cash game is not a sport, but a way to earn money. MTT is a sport, with trophy winnings. That's why i didn't answer the poll.