by Nicole Dias

Created on: June 29, 2009

No Poker is not a sport. A sport is something in which an individual or a team compete in a physical manner. In fact many have argued that even golf is more of a game than a sport so how is it that poker can be considered a sport? Golf is a physical activity played in the name of competition. Is Gin Rummy next? I play Gin Rummy with my 87 year old grandmother and while it requires strategy and skill it is also a game of luck. Luck very rarely is a factor in a sporting event. In fact, in sporting events the result is usually based on the play of the individual or the team. In Poker, even the most skilled player may lose due to a bad hand.

A sport requires a certain amount of physical training to prepare for the competition. No physical training is necessary to be Poker player and while the more play (practice in the case) the better one might become the lack of physical play eliminates Poker from being considered a sport. ESPN should not be showing poker. When I turn on ESPN I want to see a real sport. A sport that involves something other than sitting in a chair.

There is a difference between a game and a sport and it is my belief that Poker is a game. While it is competitive and many consider it to be fun and requiring skill, it is still a game. Like Scrabble and Monopoly and Gin Rummy. None of these games are ever mentioned in the same sentence as sport. Why is that? Is it because most people do not play Scrabble, Monopoly or Gin Rummy for money. Money should not come into play in determining whether or not Poker is a Sport.

Chess and Checkers are two more "games" that require skill and talent. Are they a sport? No. No one even makes that argument. Why not? Is it because we associate people who play these games as nerds. Do we give Poker players more clout because of the popularity of the game or because of the interest celebrities take in Poker? Popularity and "coolness" should contribute to considering Poker a sport.

What type of message are we sending to our children to imply that Poker of all things is a sport. It is gambling that yes does require an amount of skill and strategy but it is not something that we will have in the next Olympics.

To me a sport is a physical activity played in a competitive manner. For all of the reasons listed above, I truly believe that a game in which you sit at a table and gamble cannot be considered a sport. What's next? Blackjack? Slot machines? Video Games?

Learn more about this author, Nicole Dias.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.