When it comes to the question of whether poker is a sport, opinions are divided. On the one hand, some argue that poker is not a sport because it does not involve physicality like traditional sports. On the other hand, others claim that poker takes skill and strategy and should be considered a sport.
Let’s take a closer look at what poker is, how to play, and whether or not it should be considered a sport.
Definition of a Sport
To classify poker as a sport, we must first define what makes something a ‘sport.’ A sport is an activity that involves physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment, exercise, or both.
The word “sport” comes from the Old French desport meaning “leisure,” with the oldest definition in English from around 1300 being “anything humans find amusing or entertaining.”
The Basics of Poker
At its most basic level, poker is a card game played between two or more people. The goal of the game is to make the best hand possible by combining five cards from your hand with those from the community cards placed in the middle of the table. The player who has the strongest hand wins.
Depending on which type you are playing, each player may receive either two (in Texas Holdem or Omaha) or four (in Seven Card Stud) hole cards that only they can see.
These hole cards are combined with five community cards to form their final hand. It’s up to each player to decide which cards they want to use and which ones they want to discard when making their final hands.
Betting in Poker
Betting is an integral part of any poker game. Before any cards are dealt, players must place a bet called the “ante” into the pot (the amount collected by all players). After all players have received their hole cards, there will be a round of betting where players can raise, call, fold (give up), or even check (not bet).
This process continues until all remaining players have placed an equal amount into the pot and folded their hands. At this point, three community cards, known as “the flop,” will be revealed, and another round of betting takes place before two more community cards, known as “the turn” and “the river,” are revealed one at a time with additional rounds of betting after each card is revealed.
After all five community cards have been revealed, it is time for what is known as “the showdown,” where all remaining players reveal their hands and make their best five-card combination using any combination of their hole cards plus any combination of community cards that they choose. The player with the highest-ranking hand wins.
The Argument For Poker as a Sport
Those who argue in favor of poker is classified as a sport point out that it takes just as much skill and strategy to win at poker as it does to win in any other type of sport. It also requires intense concentration, focus, and stamina—all skills necessary for success in any traditional sport. As such, they believe it should be considered an official sport.
The Skill Element in Poker
Poker involves luck and skill, but the skill element cannot be denied. Professional poker players are well-versed in strategy and risk management. They know when to bet big and when to back down—when to bluff and when to fold—all based on their experience playing the game, their knowledge of probabilities, and their ability to read their opponents. This requires mental agility, emotional control, focus, patience, discipline, and resilience—all qualities that are integral to any major sport like golf or tennis.
The Social Aspect of Poker
Another factor in determining whether something is a sport is whether there is social interaction involved; sports often bring people together for friendly competition and camaraderie. The social aspect of poker allows players from different backgrounds to come together in the spirit of friendly competition while still being able to interact with each other in real time. Just like they would if they were playing face-to-face at a casino table.
Conclusion
Poker has all the key elements necessary for classification as a sport: physical exertion (mental agility), skill (strategy & risk management), and sociability (friendly competition & camaraderie). All these factors combine to make poker an excitingly competitive game that more than deserves its place among traditional sports.