There has been widespread confusion and query regarding whether poker should be treated as just a gambling game or a sport. The answers we still get are a combination of the two. Some think poker is better called a game, while others want to believe it is a sport. This is our take on the subject:
Is Poker a Sport or a Game?
According to Oxford’s definition of sports, Poker has the qualities such as being competitive and entertaining. And undoubtedly, it requires a certain level of skills to excel in it.
What about stamina or physical exertion? The players who play one or rounds of poker won’t require it. But in world poker tournaments such as the World Series of Poker, players need general fitness to make the final stages of the lengthy tournament.
Why Poker Is a Sport?
There are a few arguments to ascertain that poker is just a game. But on the other hand, some serious arguments strengthen the notion of poker being a full-fledged sport. The four main arguments to indicate that poker is a sport are: poker requires skill, poker is played for entertainment, poker is highly competitive, and poker requires physical abilities. We have discussed these four arguments below:
1. Poker Requires Skill
Like in every sport, luck plays a factor, and sometimes one can win only by luck. But in the professional field, what really matters the most is the set of skills that a player has to outsmart the opponent. This is precisely the same with poker as well. A few poker games can be won by luck, but in the professional arena, the best skills and the best texas holdem strategies make it big.
2. Poker Is Played for Entertainment
Entertainment is also a significant part of something being considered a sport, according to the definition of it in Oxford’s dictionary.
Players primarily play poker for the sake of entertainment. It is incredibly engaging and interesting. It just requires a miraculous river card to get a player hooked on it. The constant requirement of predicting and decision-making is what adds the entertaining factor to it.
3. Poker Is Competitive
How can something be even close to a sport without competitiveness? Forget about such things, but poker is certainly entertaining, where a player gets the opportunity to strive against millions of worldwide poker players. Grand world-famous tournaments are organized, such as the World Series of Poker, where the best players of the world lock horns against each other. The best players are the ones who can easily detect their opponent’s next possible move.
4. Poker Requires Physical Ability
This is a grey area where poker may have become a bit short of qualifying as a sport. But in this area as well, poker has shown some vigor. The hours of grinding at the poker tables are certainly physically demanding for the players. The marathon sessions can drain out mental strength too. In conclusion, we can say that players with general fitness enjoy an advantage at the poker tables.
But Poker Can’t Be a Sport Because It Has Gambling?
Poker might be closely related to gambling, but every sport in the world has some elements of it in some way or another. The world-famous cricket or football leagues boosts up online sportsbooks. No sport can be free from some sort of betting, in or around it. Therefore, poker should not be treated in an exceedingly unpleasant way for gambling liaisons.
What about Other Casino Games?
We can straightaway nullify other casino games as sports. The definition of sport does not go well with them. They are not competing against each other but have to outsmart the house. They almost require no physical ability. Most of them are based on a massive share of luck. And finally, they can be entertaining but not exactly how a sport should be.
Are All Forms of Gambling a Sport?
Not at all. Poker is the only game that can be regarded as a sport among games directly related to gambling. In poker only, players or teams compete against each other to win. According to Oxford’s definition of sport, competition among individuals or teams is a significant criterion for something considered a sport. All the other casino games involve competing against the respective house and not against each other.
F.A.Q.s
Is poker a mental sport?
Yes. The IMSA, or International Mental Sports Association, deemed poker a mental sport in 2010. Even by the nature of the game, it is evident that it requires good brain power.
Is card playing considered a sport?
As the Supreme Court guidelines of India say, card playing was considered a legit “physical sport.”
It largely depends on an individual’s perspective toward card games. Some may consider it a sport, while some won’t.
When did poker become a sport?
Poker was officially accepted and registered as a mental sport by the IMSA or International Mental Sports Association in 2010. Dubai, UAE, was the host of this congress. So, Poker became a sport in 2010.