Poker: Sport or not a sport?

Professional poker must be considered a sport becasue there are millions of players all over the world playing various forms. Professional players actually earn a living by playing poker, much like other athletes.

Although it can be debated that the game may be played by anyone in almost any situation, one could argue that given the materials, any sport could be played by anyone at any place and time. There is also the argument that sports require an athletic activity such as running or jumping, and in most cases this is true. However, there are exceptions. The length of poker matches, which can last for days, is comparable to the length of most sporting events.

The game of poker, when played professionally, is very challenging for a person because of the intense mental strain they must undergo in order to be successfulPoker players engage in true competition, much like other sports the biggest, strongest fastest athletes don't always win nor do the players with the best hand always win. Another aspect of poker is that it is one of the fairest sports imaginable; everyone at the table is equal, no matter their size, beliefs or ethnicity.

There is also the strategy of using a "poker face" or reading your opponents that is implemented. These skills are similar to a base runner in baseball reading the pitcher to see when he can steal a base or in basketball, when a defender reads a passer's eyes to make a steal.

The mental aspect is even greater in poker than in other sports. I would compare the intense mentality of professional poker to coaching in professional sports. In most sports, the athletes are discouraged to think and are occasionally punished for over-thinking. The plays athletes make are often those they have practiced, so the act of simple execution is all that is necessary.

Another aspect of poker to examine is the management of luck, but every sport has a facet of fortune. For example, in baseball a hit ball can hit a patch of bad dirt in the infield and bounce oddly. In other sports such as basketball, shots are frequently made because of lucky bounces or rolls. In fact, most long shots made (i.e. past half court) are because of luck.

The bottom line is when players are gambling with such large amounts of money, equivalent to the salaries of professional athletes, and are competing against thousands of players, they must be viewed as professionals competing in a sport. The entertainment aspect of poker must also be examined, except for the counterargument that all sports serve or can serve as a form of entertainment. Therefore, poker, which is not subjectively judged, falls into the field of sport.

Poker is not a sport because its players are not athletes. If anything, they are rewarded for being lazy. Here's an idea: let's sit around for four days straight, drinking beer and playing cards for millions of dollars.

Poker is, without a doubt, entertaining and a fun activity for a night-in, but it is not a sport. An activity in which a group of friends can sit at their kitchen table, watching ESPN, drinking their favorite alcoholic beverage and playing for measly pots of monetary prizes is not a sport.

Then again, it must be physically strenuous to sit around for hours a day; that's why they have massage therapists at the ready to tend to sore backs. That's roughing it.

Poker players put hours of "practice" into their craft, playing in their casino of choice, but it involves no skill. It used to be about skill, but once thousands of people join, it becomes a lottery rather than a competition. Look at Greg Raymer, probably one of the luckiest poker players ever. Sure, he won the World Series of Poker, but his ability level is that of a basketball player who throws up nothing but full-court shots. When it goes in, it's miraculous, but it's not a skill shot. It takes a fraction of skill to aim the ball in the right direction and put enough force behind it, but there is still a lot of luck involved. If Raymer is an athlete, the stray neighborhood cat is a wild, ferocious lion.

There are plenty of examples of skilled poker players, Daniel Negreanu for example, but anybody with enough money and cajones to gamble with that money can become a poker superstar.

Raymer became more famous for his goofy glasses than his poker prowess. The world series went from being a competition for the most elite players in the world to a freak show where anybody with a loaded bank account can partake in the glory. The world series is becoming just another excuse, along with Halloween, for people to dress up in outrageous outfits.

"These events are all competitions that are entertaining, much like dog shows or the state fair," Round Up sports reporter Anthony Reyes said in a previous debate. This statement is true for poker.

The world series has all the makings of a great event: entertainment, suspense and relatable characters. Poker is fun to play with a group of friends on a lazy Friday night, but it is not a sport.

News Added: 01 May, 2008

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