I was going to write a blog on this after watching a poker tournament on ESPN. In that particular tournament, they were asking poker pros, if poker was a sport or a competition, surprisingly their answers were down the middle. I thought for sure they would say it was a sport. I asked a few people I know, who aren't into poker at all, and more surprisingly they thought it was a sport, with one woman saying, "Of course it is, otherwise it wouldn't be on all the sports channels."
Before I was thinking all people who play professionally or simply play alot would say it was a sport. While people not into poker would not. Now I'm not so sure.
I played in a poker tournament last week, and during a break, some players and I were talking while waiting to be called back to the table. One player asked another player if he played any other sports. The wife of the player being asked said, "Other sports? Poker isn't a sport." Some people around acted as if she was in Boston and said, she loved the New York Yankees. Then for good measure she said, " I'm the least athletic person in the world, and if I can play it's not a sport." It must've been like a slap in the face to them because they seemed stunned. Then all who disagreed became defensive. Very defensive.
So is poker a sport?
You don't need athletic ability to play poker, should that matter?
If chess, billiards, bowling or cheerleading are sports, should poker be?
Does poker being on ESPN or Fox Sports make it a sport?
Is it a sport if you can drink a beer while playing it?
My opinion? Poker is not a sport. I say that without malice towards poker or anyone because I love it. I love playing poker. I consider poker a competition, and who doesn't love competing. Poker is an easy game to learn. But like they say, "It takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master."
Poker involves luck, but if you play solely relying on it, you will definitely come up short. You need the ability to read people, the ability to not be read, and be able to mix up your game to keep other people guessing. You also need to know odds of playing certain cards, when pot odds require you to play cards you otherwise wouldn't play and when to rely on your gut.
I not only love playing, but I like watching it on television. I like to see the different playing styles from the pros. I like when a pro plays 2 cards not normally known as a "good starting hand". I like it 'cause I love playing aggressively.
Maybe I shouldn't have written this article, because my question doesn't really matter. Whether poker is a sport or not. it will not diminish my enthusiasm for it. What other "sport" could I enter and play with the best pros in the game, and not only play against but also beat.