Is poker a sport?

We all know that Poker is a game of chance and skill but can it really be considered as a sport? Moreover, is gambling a kind of sport? Well, whether or not Poker is a sport is fairly debatable isn’t it ? Let us hear the different agument presented by a british guy if playing Pokercan be considered as a valid sport or not.

I have stumbled across many dictionary type definitions of sport, some of which I could have used because they would clearly define Poker as a sport, however the following is from our good friends at the Oxford English Dictionary, not only are Oxford probably the most reputable but their definition highlights the problem people have with thinking of Poker as a sport:

An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others.

The competition we have no problem with here, Poker is of course a competitive game against other people instead of the house. The skill element I hope nobody disagrees with because if you are a Poker player and you don’t accept the skill element involved then you probably are a very weak player and are welcome to my home game any time.

The clear difference between Poker and other commonly agreed upon sports is the physical aspect, most impartial observers employ a no sweat, no sport system of judging whether something is a sport or not. Poker is far from a physical game, however anyone who has participated in a live tournament that spans several days will tell you differently. Those things are physically exhausting and to be able to play your best game after days of Poker with little or no sleep is nothing short of actual physical ability. But using tournament poker as an advocate for the Poker is a sport argument, that would mean discounting cash games and internet tournaments because of the fact they can be relatively short pursuits.

Tournament Poker may be a test of endurance, but the dynamics of a single hand can hardly be considered anything but a mental activity. Doyle Brunson could hardly be considered an athlete, a senior citizen and rather on the portly side, yet he is still to this day one of the best players in the world.

Based on the arguments presented by Barry Carter, I sadly conclude that Poker cannot be considered a sport if we are going to follow the technical definition of the word sport. Sports though is not all about physical exertion. Just think about other endeavors which are considered sports even in the absence of physical exertion. Barry Carter mentioned darts and snooker. Chess, apparently, does not require any physical toughness since chess players just rely on the sharpness of their minds. So why is chess included in sporting events even though it is not about physical exertion? Hmmm. Want to share your thoughts about this one before I share mine?

By the way there are some comprehensive Poker Reviews about this topic as well as the best Poker Rooms in this site.