Is Poker a Sport?

[Walter L.]

ESPN is again showing poker. Did I miss the day when poker was officially declared a sport?
Come on ESPN, stop the poker crap and get some real sports. I rather watch re-runs of real sports than poker.

 

[Kentstater72]

Same category as NASCAR

 

[HeavyC]

According to the definition of the word...yes it is a sport. I absolutely love watching the poker shows on TV. It got me hooked on Texas Holdem.

 

[squicken]

Poker is a sport, but its competitors are not athletes. It is the opposite of gymnastics, which is not a sport but whose competitors are indeed athletes.

 

[Walter L.]

According to the definition of the word...yes it is a sport.

From dictionary.com:
Sport=Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively
Yes, according to this definition, poker is a sport. Also, if we simpy use this definition we must conclude that "Playboy Hot HD" is a sport channel

 

[sampatterson]

That is about the only thing I watch on ESPN.

 

[riffjim4069]

Next thing ya know someone will be telling us that bowling is a sport and bowlers are world class athletes.

 

[tdillon]

The rule of thumb that I use is that in a true sport if you have massive amounts of alcohol your ability to play the sport is impaired. I play better poker and bowl better when I am totally toasted, therefore those two activities must not be sports.

 

[DarrellP]

Did I miss the day when poker was officially declared a sport?

Depends who she is.

 

[Sean Mota]

It is funny that ESPN gives so much publicity to Poker yet to Chess, an international Sport, (and yes you find it in US after Bobby Fisher), there is no mention. Not even a second on TV!!! I rather see Chess than Poker.

 

[Bilodeaumj]

When is Extreme Dodgball (a Sport) going to ESPN

Speaking of the lesser sports... Yes! Finally! Extreme Dodge ball on the GAME network. Too bad it's not in hi-def. I'm surprised that ESPN hasn't picked this one up yet! It has as much relevance as Poker. Better yet, VOOM could get the exclusive on Worldsport. Laugh if you will but I bet if one starts watching (if one can tear oneself away from the HD stations) you won't be able to change the channel. Hopefully they'll change the nights to Wed's so one can flick to both poker and Dodge ball Extreme. Who says SD can't be entertaining...

 

[ComcastOgre]

So, according to the definition, WWE is a sport? LOL. Those who argue that point have no right to claim poker or NASCAR are sports either.

 

[vurbano]

ESPN is again showing poker. Did I miss the day when poker was officially declared a sport?
Come on ESPN, stop the poker crap and get some real sports. I rather watch re-runs of real sports than poker.

Poker is not a sport it is a card game. But I was set straight over at AVS on this issue after I criticized ESPNHD for showing it. ESPNHD is not a sports netwrok only, its also an entertainment network and I guess poker qualifies as entertainment. LMAO. Id rather watch paint dry myself.

 

[vurbano]

It is funny that ESPN gives so much publicity to Poker yet to Chess, an international Sport, (and yes you find it in US after Bobby Fisher), there is no mention. Not even a second on TV!!! I rather see Chess than Poker.

Chess is not a sport, it is a board game.

 

[Sean Mota]

Chess is not a sport, it is a board game.

It is more than a board game. Tell that to Capablanca and Fisher...

 

[Walter L.]

ESPNHD is not a sports netwrok only, its also an entertainment network and I guess poker qualifies as entertainment.

What about some women mud fighting? I guess that would qualify as both sport and entertainment

 

[riffjim4069]

I'm sorry, but chess IS a BORED game...great to play, but torturous to watch. Full contact chess would be quite another story!

Sorry, but I couldn't resist that play on words.

 

[Walter L.]

Chess is not a sport, it is a board game.

I don't see how poker can be more of a sport than chess. I guess the only difference is that you can play poker drunk but not chess

 

[Sean Mota]

I'm sorry, but chess IS a BORED game...great to play, but torturous to watch. Full contact chess would be quite another story!

Sorry, but I couldn't resist that play on words.

Of course, if you speak to chess players (including myself), we know your experience of Chess comes from a non-player and one who has not study the game at a high level. I used to watch on public television Chess matches. Especially Kasparov and they were quite intense. Yes, not your cup of tea if one does not understand what is going on. If you have not ever participated in a Chess tournament at a national or regional level, you would not categorize it as "boring". Chess is more than a game. I played when I was 13 at a national regional level and participated at various tournament competitions. Chess is not simple a "board game". You need to study like a subject in school. When I was 13, in my school it was a subject and we had to study it like it was math. It was quite a mental challenge but more than a mental challenge there is also the psychological impact that it has on players. The mental challenge is beyond one move. Most Chess masters can calculate up to 15-20 moves ahead of time with every single combination possible. That's what Chess is all about planning your stragety ahead of your opponent with mathetical combinations. I do not know if you ever played Chess but you know that there is an algebraic notation to Chess (that was cool). Again, Chess is not the same as Checkers or any other board game. Most Board games are finite in combinations of move. Chess has infinite amount of combination moves.

 

[squicken]

Sean, I like chess. But it is competition, not sport. The best chess player in the world is a computer. Computer's can't play sports, imo.

BTW The ultimate tests of brain-power are Risk and Axis and Allies.

And poker is cool (like darrell said it does depend on lady). The game is cool also.