I have heard numerous times from poker commentators on television referring to poker as a sport. I love poker but that couldn’t be any further from the truth. A sport is that activity that requires physical ability and dexterity and where you compete against others. Although poker does cover the part in where you have to compete against other people, it is no where near the main purpose of a sport. No one can compare the World Series of Poker and the Stanley Cup for example, sports are performed by athletes and if some athletes also like to play poker then is a just a mere coincidence.

Poker requires no physical ability whatsoever, no one runs, lift weights, swings a bat or runs after a tennis ball, I''ll pay to see if Greg Reimer or Phil Hellmuth can run a marathon or play a soccer match. The only thing poker can be seen to have in terms of physical ability is having to play for long periods of time, but that’s more endurance than anything else. But, if you look at it, you can do anything for a long period of time, even scratch your bellybutton, all you need is the time and the perseverance to do it.  The reason why I am opposed to those who call poker a sport is because if you call poker a sport, then chess, rock paper scissors, backgammon, dominoes, and all other card games for that matter have to be called sports as well and then you have to start calling the casinos and poker rooms “stadiums”, “fields” or “courts”… In my opinion, the term sport is being used too loosely nowadays. Ask yourself if playing online poker represents any physical or cardiovascular activity. Poker is a great game and that’s what it should stay as: a game.