Is Poker A Sport?

[eaglezoners]

I have seen some contend that it is but this seems to stretch credulity. The physical component of golf is striking the ball with the club; with 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 may help you to be a better decisionmaker but this is true of all mental exercises and other game such as chess and backgammon. What's your view?

[Razello]

...a sport? It's a Sport, It also is Obsession, its a Game

But I think the best way, to think about Poker is the sport...

like the EA Games you know "It's in the Game"

[Fireball84]

According to the definition on wikipedia what "sport" actually is...

Sport is 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. Sports differ from games based on levels of organization and profit (not always monetary). Accurate records are kept and updated, while failures and accomplishments are widely announced in sport news.

...I would say yes, Poker is a sport...at least a mind sport.

[SASSY36]

to me poker is an addiction lol
but yes i would say it is a sport

[xxBFsweet-69xx]

Alot of ppl feel poker is a sport,i do,i love it

[sito777]

Poker is defintly a sport cause it grows every year... With the wsop player numbers going up just imagine in 5 more years...

[Z DAY]

I think I'm going to stick to calling poker a game. To me a sport is not something you can do while drinking and smoking.

[zeist2]

Bridge is a sport, why not poker? I want to go also to the olympics....

[hotish21]

Poker is undoubtedly a sport. Anything that takes time and skill to play and that one can never truly "master" has to be a sport. There is practice involved in any sport same as this.

[gav79]

Yes I will have to agree here with most of you, I do think that poker is a sport as there is alot of complextity to it and it takes a lot of time to master the game and other people playing it, of course there is a very large element of luck to the game as well, if you dont get the cards you simply dont get them, but this can be the same for motor racing where if your car isnt running properly it doesnt matter how good you are you wont win, and if you are injured in football, tennis a most other physical sprts the same goes.

So yes its a sport, and should be recognised as won, and should be included in alot more things, except the only thing with poker is all poker players are gamblers so it is a money game....

Gavin