1. Why Is Poker Not Considered A Sport Agent
2. Why Is Poker Not A Sport
3. Why Is Poker Not Considered A Sport Trainer

A while back, a buddy and I had a friendly argument over whether poker should be considered a sport or a game. I have been a professional poker player and poker author for years but, until now, have never given the subject much thought. After some research and contemplation, here is my argument in favor of poker players being athletes.

Is poker a sport or a game? Poker is a sport because it is played for entertainment, is competitive, and almost always requires both physical and mental prowess in order to consistently play and win at the highest levels. Online multi-tabling players are required to have acute hand-eye coordination and both live and online players need physical endurance to play long sessions.

Still not convinced? Let’s break down the definition of a sport into individual elements and see if each can be applied to poker.

Why Poker Is a Sport and Its Players Are Athletes

The Oxford Dictionary defines a sport as “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”

Put another way, a sport is defined as a competitive activity done for entertainment that requires both physical ability and skill in order to excel.

Let’s start with the easy stuff and work our way backwards.

Video games are a sport, like poker and competitive eating are sports: all three take minimal physical exertion, and, oh yeah, they aren't sports. If all you do is sit down with a controller, it's probably not a sport. Gambling is a game. A 'sport' is an investment of your time and energy and skill and not monetaryory' goal. Gambling does involve skill to a degree, but that skill is offset by odds that are more dictated by 'Chance', whereas a 'sport' (in the classical sense) depends far less on chance and more upon one's skill.

1. Poker Requires Skill

This is an important distinction that a large portion of the population doesn’t get. There is a reason that the same poker players win again and again over the long term.

Making Profitable Decisions Requires Skill

In poker, everything you do requires a decision. There are multiple of these small decisions in every poker hand you decide to play. In fact, deciding to play a hand is one of the biggest decisions.

Every action you take in poker takes the skill to realize whether it has a positive expectation and will win money over the long term. This is the part that most people have trouble grasping. Is that short term luck can see a winning decision lose money and a losing decision make money.

But if you play hundreds of instances of the winning decision you will almost certainly profit. Whereas, the more iterations of a bad decision you make, the likelihood of being a net loser increases as well.

A Basketball Gambling Analogy

Take basketball for example. If a point guard makes a difficult pass across the lane during a breakaway, sometimes the pass will succeed and end in a lay-up. Other times the ball will be stolen by an opponent or go out of bounds.

No matter what happens, the player has made a calculated “gamble” based on the situation at hand. At the root of his decision on whether to pass or not was what action would score the most points in the long run. If the risk of passing was too great, then perhaps he might take the slightly more difficult 16 foot shot.

The experience and knowledge gained through practice and experience allow a basketball player to make better and better decisions throughout an entire game. Playing poker is exactly the same thing. Experience, knowledge, and practice allow a poker player to make more profitable decisions while avoiding losing ones as much as possible.

This is how skill works for every single sport in the world, including poker.

2. Poker Is Played for Entertainment

This one is easy. Anyone who has played poker for a matter of minutes understands how entertaining it is. The first time that you get all-in versus another player and hit that miracle river card, you will probably be hooked.

For many people, the fun part of poker comes in deciphering the many puzzles which must be solved. What hands could my opponent have? Is he bluffing? Can I pull off a bluff? Those are but a few of the thousands of possible decisions points that could happen at any time during a poker hand.

What If the Definition of “Entertainment” Only Means Fun to Watch?

Why Is Poker Not Considered A Sport Agent

Even if you get a bit nit-picky with the definition of a sport, poker does really well by this iteration of the word “entertainment” as well. The World Series of Poker (WSOP) continues to get good rating year in and year out. People love to watch the game because they want to be the people winning that huge amount of money.

I think that’s the reason people watch a lot of sports on TV. They like to see a pro golfer win because they aspire to be a champion golfer themselves. Or they love to watch the 3-point contest in the NBA because they want to be a great shooter (or think they already are one).

I would call this phenomenon entertainment by proxy, due to the vicarious enjoyment achieved by watching a sport. Put simply, it’s fun to watch because it’s fun to imagine being the one doing it.

3. Poker Is Competitive

Competitiveness is another area that poker obviously qualifies as a sport. In fact, the entire definition of poker is built around being competitive. At the root of the game is having one poker hand compete against another poker hand to find out which one is the winner.

Beyond the obvious, the best poker players in the world are not the ones who are geniuses at playing their cards well. The biggest winners are the players who most efficiently recognize what their opponents are doing and build a winner counter-strategy.

In other words, being good at competitiveness is what defines who the best players are.

4. Poker Requires Physical Ability

I am sure I will get plenty of push-back on this one. But please, hear me out.

At face value, it seems like little physical ability would be needed to sit at a poker table for hours upon hours playing a mentally challenging “game”. However, if you reread what I just said, you will gain a clue as to what I am talking about here.

Poker Is Physically Demanding

In order for a poker player to make money, they must put in the hours “grinding” at the table. They also have to play at the times when the weaker competition is at the tables, whether it fits into their ideal schedule or not. These sometimes marathon sessions are both mentally and physically draining. The fact is, that the better shape a player is in, the better he or she will perform.

Case-in-point. Take a look at the average age on the World Series of Poker final table every year. It’s really rare to see any player above 30, much less 40 make it all the way to the end. Why is this? Are younger people just smarter? No way.

Younger people just happen to be in better physical shape more often and thus have the mental and physical fortitude to play 7 or 8 twelve hour days straight. Those in poor physical condition tend to eventually break down mentally as well and make a huge mistake that costs them their tournament life.

Online Poker Takes Physical Dexterity

Let’s not forget about online poker players. There’s more to the game than just sitting in front of a computer and clicking buttons with a couple of fingers.

In order to succeed as an online player, it is almost imperative that you play multiple tables in order to maximize your hourly win-rate. This requires acute hand-eye coordination and physical dexterity, as well as a strong mind-body connection in order to minimize errors while playing 600, 1000, sometimes 1500 hands an hour or more.

Over the long term, players with better physical fitness will simply outperform others with similar abilities. In fact, I had a section in my book back in 2012 about the importance of a workout regimen for poker players.

I believe that, as parody becomes more prevalent between the top pros, the players will look for an edge anywhere they can get it. Don’t be surprised if the WSOP final table is mostly made up of players with 6-packs by 2030.

Some Well-Known Sports Require Little or No Physical Exertion

If you have ever watched American baseball then you have seen some of the seemingly out of shape players involved in every game. In fact, there was a former major league ballplayer who was asked by a reporter, “you don’t look like an athlete.” The player responded, “I’m not an athlete, I’m a baseball player”.

Yet, do you ever seen anyone asking the question, “is baseball a sport?” Of course not, since there are some physical elements to the game.

What about golf? Sure, it takes physical ability to hit the ball. Even so, I have seen so pretty large men win plenty of pro golf tournaments. Think Craig Stadler or John Daly. It’s because they have great hand-eye coordination and timing, like good online poker players.

I’m sure if you take a moment, you can think of a few other sports where there are players or positions where great physical ability is not manditory.

But Poker Can’t Be a Sport Because It Has Gambling?!?!

I would argue that all sports have elements of gambling or just flat out bald-faced gambling.

We already discussed how decisions made during a game is akin to poker decisions. That’s not what I am talking about here. I am referring to any sport that has leagues where there is a buy-in.

Most Sports Require Up-Front Costs

We have already established that sports are games of skill. What I think is the biggest travesty of how people view poker is that they are okay with people putting up hundreds, or thousands, of hard-earned cash each year to play in golf tournaments, bowling tournaments, billiards tournaments, football/soccer leagues, etc. while they turn their nose up at people who buy into poker tournaments.

Aren’t you really just placing a bet on yourself no matter what sport you are putting your money into to play? Isn’t there a prize for winning these leagues or tournaments, no matter the sport? I think you can see where I am going with this.

What About Other Casino Games?

If the game is played against the house or doesn’t have a way of being beaten, no matter how skilled someone is, then it is not a sport. If the game is played against other players and skill is involved and not just luck, it is a sport.

Why Does All This Even Matter?

There is a negative connotation in poker due to the gambling elements found within the sport. People believe that just because you usually play it in a casino, and it is played with cards, it must be gambling.

My hope is that this article will help shed some light on the true nature of poker. That it is a fun, skill-based sport, that deserves to be in the light of day and not looked down upon.

Related Questions

Is online poker illegal? The legality of online poker all depends on where you reside. In the United States, it is legal to play in all states except for Kentucky and Washington State. Please be sure to do some research on the legality in your local jurisdiction before playing.

Where is the best place to practice poker? The best place to practice poker is either at home with family or friends, or on a poker site that has play money. For US players and a few other countries, Ignition Poker is a great option. For the rest of the world, I recommend 888 Poker as a fun place to play.

What is the World Series of Poker? The World Series of Poker, or WSOP is a live poker tournament series that occurs annually from late May to the middle of July. Currently, the event is held at the Rio in Las Vegas, Nevada. Anyone who can afford the buy-in can play in the events.

The subject of gambling is multi-faceted and something that can divide Christians. On one side of the fence, there are those who argue that it is only a game and, like anything else (eating, drinking, etc.), it is acceptable as long as it does not become controlling or addicting. On the other side are believers who argue that gambling on any level is morally wrong. Which side is correct?
Giving an adequate answer to the dilemma first requires a biblical review of money in general, after which gambling itself can be examined.
Where money is concerned, the Bible certainly is not silent. To begin with, Scripture makes it clear that everything belongs to God. Paul simply asks his readers, 'What do you have that you did not receive?' (1 Corinthians 4:7). Even though individuals work and earn money, the Bible says that it is God who is the ultimate source of their income: 'You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth' (Deuteronomy 8:18).
The Bible also says that we should ultimately trust in God and not get-rich-quick schemes that promise wealth: 'And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus' (Philippians 4:19).
Scripture also makes it clear that money is to be gained through work and labor: 'In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty' (Proverbs 14:23), and 'Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty' (Proverbs 28:19).
Further, the Bible warns against debt and owing any creditor large amounts of money: 'The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender' (Proverbs 22:7), and 'Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law' (Romans 13:8).
In fact, Scripture promotes the opposite of debt– saving money vs. becoming a debtor: 'Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest' (Proverbs 6:6-8).
Finally, the Bible promotes a generous and willing heart to share what financial resources a person has gained through his labor: 'Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered' (Proverbs 11:25). Jesus simply said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive' (Acts 20:35).
These principles explain the core truths in God's Word. Money itself is not evil, but the passion for it is, according to Paul: 'But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs' (1 Timothy 6:9-10).
Like Paul, Jesus – in His parable about the sower – also warned how the desire for money can thwart the pursuit of true riches: 'And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature' (Luke 8:14).
Once we understand the above biblical truths on money , a position on gambling is much easier to reach. Today, gambling takes a variety of forms: lotteries, casinos, sports betting, quick-stop gaming stands (video poker, etc.), and perhaps the most prevalent type today, online or internet gambling.
Gambling itself has been around for a very long time, and universally, the Church has taken a dim view of it. For example, an early second century sermon preached in a North African church contained the following description of gambling: 'The game of dice is an obvious snare of the devil. He presides over the game in person, bringing to it the deadly venom of the serpent and even inducing ruin which when it is seen to be nothing, a great let down is brought about in the players.'
Down through history, key figures in Christianity have also held an unfavorable view of gambling. Augustine said, 'The devil invented gambling.' Martin Luther proclaimed, 'Money won by gambling is not won without sin and self-seeking sin.' John Calvin outlawed gambling in the city of Geneva.
But why did these men and others in the Church reject gambling – why did they believe gambling to be sinful? First, gambling betrays the following internal attitudes:
• Materialism
• Greed
• Discontent
• Reliance on chance vs. reliance on God's providence
• Exploitation
• Laziness vs. working
• Thwarting of charity
• Seeking to gain from the loss of others
Second, from a philosophical perspective, gambling shows itself to be devoid of value and worth. Philosophically speaking, the nature of any 'thing' can be known by the effects it produces. From an internal, personal standpoint, the attributes above show that gambling results in very poor personal effects. Externally, gambling shows itself to be no better, producing the following effects:
• Addiction
• Poverty
• Crime

Why Is Poker Not A Sport

Why Is Poker Not Considered A Sport Trainer

• Dishonesty
• Family strife and divorce
• Escape into alcoholism
• Exploitation of the poor
When both its external and internal effects are examined, it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that gambling demonstrates itself to be spiritually bankrupt.
In the Old Testament, God specifically warned about the spirit behind gambling when He said, 'But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny, I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in ' (Isaiah 65:11-12).
The phrase 'set a table' means 'to bring food to an idol.' The Hebrew word for 'Destiny' comes from the Hebrew word Meni, and it means 'luck.' Israel was literally worshipping the gods of luck and fortune and trusting them for their needs, rather than worshipping and trusting God.
This is what people do today who immerse themselves in gambling. And because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, it is foolish thinking to believe His views on the matter have changed.