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Is Poker a Sport ??







Dominoid

Albion fan in Devon
Jan 6, 2011
557
Plymouth, United Kingdom
To play poker well, it requires a reasonable amount of psychological skill. It's a game of skill based on a game of chance essentially. I dunno whether it really counts as a sport but then, neither does darts or snooker and they gets on Sky Sports. I suppose at the end of the day, I don't really care as long as I enjoy watching something, I'll let the dictionary definition of sport slide! On a related note, does anybody remember the world chess championships being broadcast on Channel 4 about 10 years ago? I enjoy chess to be fair so I watched bit of it but sport or not, it really isn't spectator friendly!
 


CheeseRolls

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 27, 2009
6,218
Shoreham Beach
I'm not generally one for slagging off the Argus, but make an exception for the TV pages. Poker by definition of the Argus TV pages is a sport because it is on Sky.

Sky provide the TV schedules for the Argus as a free of charge service, so yes the movie recommendation of the day will be Paint Dry 4 on Sky Movies 12 etc etc etc.

Not a biggie and easily ignored, but I thought I might as well have a mini rant about it anyway.
 


Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,377
Location Location
Darts and snooker most certainly ARE sports, because they require aspects of physical coordination to perform, within a set of rules.

Board games like Chess, and card games do not. As someone else mentioned, you could get someone to play those games on your behalf by directing their actions accordingly. Its purely a mental challenge, not a physical one, ergo it cannot be described as a sport.
 


Mackenzie

Old Brightonian
Nov 7, 2003
33,998
East Wales
No its a card game. Top Trumps isn't a sport either.
 




magoo

New member
Jul 8, 2003
6,682
United Kingdom
my personal opinion on whether something is a sport is whether it combines great physical and mental ability.

so not poker, darts, snooker, golf, cricket is borderline, shooting.
 




Tricky Dicky

New member
Jul 27, 2004
13,558
Sunny Shoreham
my personal opinion on whether something is a sport is whether it combines great physical and mental ability.

so not poker, darts, snooker, golf, cricket is borderline, shooting.

By that definition, football wouldn't be a sport - far less mental ability than cricket. Unless you mean Robbie Savage, but he's just mental.
 




Goodfella

North Stand Boy X320
Feb 9, 2004
4,964
Brighton
my personal opinion on whether something is a sport is whether it combines great physical and mental ability.

so not poker, darts, snooker, golf, cricket is borderline, shooting.

You have obviously never tried to pull a poker face then???
 


magoo

New member
Jul 8, 2003
6,682
United Kingdom
By that definition, football wouldn't be a sport - far less mental ability than cricket. Unless you mean Robbie Savage, but he's just mental.

You can include football because at the higher levels you need to see, predict and react quickly to things that many can't or wouldn't. Some spectators have a good footballing brain but not the physical ability and vice versa i expect.
 










Tricky Dicky

New member
Jul 27, 2004
13,558
Sunny Shoreham
You can include football because at the higher levels you need to see, predict and react quickly to things that many can't or wouldn't. Some spectators have a good footballing brain but not the physical ability and vice versa i expect.

I would say, directing your field for a cricket captain or bowler, and working out strategies to get specific people out, is far, more difficult than anything that goes on in footie.
 




Lord Bamber

Legendary Chairman
Feb 23, 2009
4,366
Heaven
I think a sport should be defined by whether you need to wear 'special shoes' to play it. This certainly rules out Poker & Darts.

So does this mean ten pin bowlin is now a sport as they are definately "special shoes" you need to wear whilst playing it?

It might not be though as you can drink alcohol when playing?
 


seagullsovergrimsby

#cpfctinpotclub
Aug 21, 2005
43,937
Crap Town
Poker is a pastime , TB isn't a sportsman , he plays for fun.
 




Helter

New member
Jan 4, 2010
1,143
How anyone can say golf isn’t a sport really hasn’t a clue about any sport. Golf is probably the hardest sport you can play.

Golf - Bet 90% of posters on here couldn’t even hit the ball with any club selection.

Football - Any mug can kick a ball.

Rugby - Any idiot can run with an Egg.

Won’t go on.

P.s, Poker is a sport, the only reason why people say it isn't is because they can't play it.
 




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