Is poker a sport?

Adjusting poker to some sort of classification is an occupation either for those who have nothing to do or for idiots. With the existing variety of activities that are on the verge of sports, and with a great variety of sports idols, it is impossible to judge for sure about anything. It all depends only on the point of view. Poker is firmly established on numerous television channels that claim to be exclusively sporting. But this is not about the scale of the spread of poker. It is clear that almost everyone is playing poker these days, and they all have at least a rudimentary knowledge of Hold'em. But can poker be considered a full-fledged sport? Let's turn to books to find out what the essence of sport is.

Definition of sport:

1. Organized according to the rules of the activity of people, including physical stress and skills, often of a competitive nature.
2. Active pastime; entertainment.

It follows from this that sport must meet some basic requirements. Physical activity, skills, rules and the competitive element are what any sport consists of. And since the main stumbling block in our question is likely to be physical activity, we turn to it last.

Any sport is governed by a set of rules, are there poker rules?

Undoubtedly! To determine the winner, poker is guided by very clear rules and ranking. Betting rules determine the correct course of the game, and some actions are prohibited. Breaking the rules can have dire consequences. I don’t think that in any other game an attempt at deception was punishable by a secret cold-blooded firing squad. Yes, we do not yet know what sanctions will be applied in the United States for doping in mainstream sports, but for sure, no one will be subject to the death penalty for steroids. Public censure and disqualification are the only penalties applied by sports management. I must point out some fairness of such a lynching trial, although anything like that would have been used in hockey. But the NHL clearly has its own penalties for breaking unspoken rules.

In sports, tactics and strategy help achieve an edge. What about poker?

Similar. Different hands are played in different ways, not to mention the tactics of behavior with the opponent. We've already seen enough of poker on TV to get a rough idea of the odds of winning certain hands. Armed with the ability to read opponents and the skills of competent trading, we choose the right path to victory. Books about poker, such as David Sklansky's Theory of Poker, clearly set out the mathematical methods to calculate the odds of winning any hand. And therefore, we can say that having in your arsenal the ability to assess the pot odds, the skills of playing in certain positions is very valuable.

Sport is a competition of skills, and poker is also a competition of skills?

Partially, yes. The ability to understand what constitutes a good hand and when to get out of the game determines a worthy player. But such decisions can be made through knowledge of probabilities or the right strategy, and not through a particular skill or skill. Poker prowess is manifested in the way good players adapt to their opponents' play. A great poker player is a player who can intuitively sense a bluff, who can analyze and organize the tendencies of other players, who can convincingly bluff with a hopeless combination on hand. The ability to hide your strengths and weaknesses and then choose the best way to use them to the detriment of your opponents is very valuable in any sport. Poker is a contest of cunning, deception and intuition, which, in my opinion, are the same skills as agility, strength and accuracy. It can be said that just like a football player has the skill of reading a football field, so a poker player can read his opponent. Other poker skills include bullying, distracted chatter, chip shuffling, and the ability to cut off the top of a banana with a playing card thrown from across the room.

In sports, luck doesn't determine a winner, and isn't poker just luck?

This is the question I hear most often when it comes to the true nature of poker. It is also the most popular argument that poker is not a sport. The best I can say about this is t
oh, that after some time, luck becomes less and less important for a knowledgeable and capable player. When playing one particular hand, luck is undoubtedly important, but over time, smart decisions will allow you to rely less on luck, while making your opponents rely only on it. Look at a particular life span of two poker players. For an experienced player, a player who is well versed in poker, luck is far from the most important factor in winning, for a reckless player, a player who does not understand that his card is beaten, luck is much more important. A player striving to collect the most incredible combination will receive the desired card from time to time, but not so often as to take everything from the game.

Also, isn't there an element of luck in one way or another in any sport? Wouldn't it be unfair to say that since there is a luck factor in poker, it is no longer a sporting event? Strong winds and bad weather can seriously disrupt any team attending the UK Open in December. Fans can get in the way, too, as when, during Steve Bartman's lap, caught by spectators from the cheap sector, the ball ruined the whole day for the Chicago fans. Besides, how can you forget the unfortunate birds that were shot down by a ball served by a baseball player. Here, of course, the feathered fans were no longer lucky, but the pitcher cannot be envied either. Whatever we do, the wheel of fortune never stops spinning, but when it comes to sports, luck is not the determining factor.

Does he have a competitive spirit?

In any of its forms, poker brings to the surface the worst of people. Why? The answer is simple - money. There are always people who simply cannot lose, but when, along with dignity, they also lose money, they can completely lose their composure. You must strive to win, because in a sense, your goal is to lighten your opponent's pockets. This is not the time to think about why he will buy himself food or a glass of scotch if you defeat him. If you have a chance to win the money this guy has set aside for college, you need to forget about morality, because your goal is to win. Poker requires a very strong sense of competition.

Is physical strength involved in poker competition?

While poker requires a certain amount of mental strain, the physical component is the Achilles' heel in defining it as a sport. Of course, players have to contract all of their back and dorsal muscles to sit in a soft chair sometimes for more than 10 hours at a time, but I still doubt the American Medical Association would define this condition as "active." Keeping track of your game and at the same time calculating the tendencies of opponents requires a significant concentration of attention. It is very difficult for a whole day, let alone weekly tournaments, to constantly monitor the ongoing trade, the players' stacks, and at the same time keep a calm look. That said, you can't say that this is real physical activity, right? Of course, making a difficult decision or buying a strong hand is accompanied by a strong heartbeat. It is even more stressful when your opponents bankrupt you by calling, folding, or raising without you being able to do anything. This stress is real, the pulse actually increases - no doubt, this is physical activity. But in general, these are not competitions of physical strength. All of these moments of tension last for hours. When you sweat at the poker table, without air conditioning, you lose a few pounds.

So is poker a sport?

Based on our definition of sport, poker includes a number of its components. Poker is a highly adversarial event with a variety of strategies and tactics that can be used by an experienced, skillful player on their way to success with far more efficiency than an inexperienced or inexperienced player. Poker is not a competition of physical strength and, in my opinion, this is sufficient justification for not considering poker as a full-fledged sport. This is a wonderful game that anyone, anywhere can enjoy. Poker is becoming more popular and can be a friendly competition that brings friends and family together as much as a dinner party. As players, we can delve deeper into poker and improve our knowledge of it
As much as we want, we can bargain with grace or with brutal force, each game is unique, each opponent is unique, but with all its merits, poker is not a sport. At best, it is only somewhat like a sport.

Are poker players athletes?

Based on the above, we cannot call poker players athletes, just as we cannot call Kasparov or Fischer athletes. Connoisseurs and masters of their craft, poker players are just poker players. Professional Poker Players - and there's no shame in that. It makes no sense to endow the poker players who are famous at all times with something unusual. From Wild Bill to Benny Binion to Slim Preston, the history of poker is so rich and underrated that being just a game is great.