Believe it or not, poker is quite on the fence when it comes to categorisation. Some say that it is a game, others say that it is a sport. Either way, it doesn’t matter what you classify it as because it has grown exponentially in the last few years, and it is also able to attract people of every experience level. If you have never played poker before then you don’t even need to risk your money at the poker table anymore. You can easily play online by using a demo account. When you do, you can use a fake currency to try and get into the throes of the game, while also being able to learn the rules.
The great thing about doing this is that it is a great way for you to practice some of your riskier strategies to see if they are going to pay off. With all of that in mind, it’s time to answer the question, is poker a sport or is it a game? What determines whether or not something is a sport? If you want to find out more then simply look below.
Is Poker A Sport?
If you look in the dictionary then you will soon see that sport is any activity that involves exertion or skill, in which a team competes against one another for entertainment. Poker involves a lot of competition and you will have to battle it off against other individuals too. Team competitions quite often happen in poker as well. If you have a team then this would usually classify the activity as being a sport, but that being said, there are other factors that you have to take into account as well.
If you look at Tag Team No-Limit Hold’Em for example, then this will involve multiple players who actually work together to try and give their team the edge, but that being said, it is still possible to compete as a single person in other rounds. If you have never played poker before then you will be glad to know that it is now possible for you to visit the best new online poker sites, so you can make the most out of your experience and so you can learn the ropes before you dive in with the experts.
Poker is Entertainment
At the end of the day, poker is without a doubt a form of entertainment. Players from all across the world choose to participate in the game so that they can hone their strategy. If you look at some of the television coverage that comes from things such as the WSOP, then you will soon see that this shows that poker is in fact a form of entertainment for anyone who watches it. That being said, that’s not to say that it isn’t a sport as well.
After all, poker is known for requiring a huge amount of physical exertion and it requires a lot of skill too. If you have ever sat down and played a long game of poker then you will probably have your answer. Poker does in fact require a lot of physical exertion and you also need to have a level of stamina as well as alertness and general fitness. The grind of playing live in a tournament is real and the players who make it to some of the later levels will tell you how mentally and physically stressful it can be.
Poker Was Covered by ESPN
If you look at poker then you will soon see that it has been covered by ESPN for a number of years. It has also been covered by CBS Sports too. This is not a coincidence either, some people really do class poker as being a sport and if you have ever played it for yourself then this is something that you will probably agree with.
Gambling and Sport
That begs the question, if poker can be seen as a sport then doesn’t this mean that all forms of gambling are? At the end of the day, it is important to know that poker is the one true card game that can be seen as being a sport. This is at least, if you are looking at the Oxford Dictionary definition. There isn’t a single game out there that involves individuals and teams who compete against each other, so when you understand this, it’s easy to see how poker can be classed as being a sport even though other games are not.
