Is poker a sport or just a game of chance?

ammje · Apr 1, 2026

Poker is a mental sport, you have to calculate every move, but it has a lucky percentage, in the long run, luck has less influence.

chicbulls2 · Apr 2, 2026

a bit of both

s0ftdumps · Apr 2, 2026

dariana Orasma said:
I honestly think that for decades, poker has existed in a curious duality. Under most international law, it's considered a game of chance. However, those who play it professionally know that, in the long run, luck is only a secondary factor. What are your thoughts on this? 🤔

Good players make better decisions over and over, manage risk, understand ranges, and avoid the mistakes that weaker players repeat. The cards create the variance, but the decisions determine who ends up ahead over thousands of hands.

That’s probably why the law treats it as gambling while professionals treat it more like a long term skill game with variance attached.

veszmo · Apr 2, 2026

I believe that poker is a game of chance, but that doesn't mean that knowledge and experience don't matter, especially in live play.

StrangeWaves · Apr 2, 2026

Game of chance, played for sport.

Gagner · Apr 2, 2026

I don’t think it’s either. I don’t think it’s sport as you don’t have to be athletic at all heck you only need the use of your fingers to pick up the cards. It’s not by chance either as you have to play your cards and have a choice so it’s not luck at that point

fernandovr · Apr 2, 2026

If poker doesn’t rely only on luck, then it can’t be considered just a game of chance. Skill plays a decisive role, especially in the long run.

flattershay · Apr 2, 2026

I think it's just a game with sport mechanics involved.

RENEY444 · Apr 2, 2026

Its not a sport , its a game . Hello ?

RENEY444 · Apr 2, 2026

If you want to call it a 'mind sport ' that would be reasonable .

dompoker · Wednesday at 6:02 PM

Poker, for me, is a sport, because it influences being: analytical, skilled, and strategic, and a bit of luck as well.

TulasMoreno · Thursday at 12:47 PM

Totally a sport, it’s actually achieved as a sport in some countries.

MAFNL16061986 · Thursday at 1:04 PM

for me poker is a hobby and a distraction hopefully mayby someday making it a job perhaps hihihi

Peteski84 · Saturday at 5:32 PM

I hate it being referred as a sport.
It is a game and luck has a heavy pull, but your own input has a lot of impact in the game.
You can have all the skill in the world but luck can be in someone else's corner, vice versa.

hilary antonik filho · Saturday at 5:35 PM

dariana Orasma said:
I honestly think that for decades, poker has existed in a curious duality. Under most international law, it's considered a game of chance. However, those who play it professionally know that, in the long run, luck is only a secondary factor. What are your thoughts on this? 🤔

For me, it's not a sport and it's not a game of chance, it's my passion.

ramdon p358 · Saturday at 10:34 PM

I consider it a mind sport; if a professional player and someone who just understands the game face off in several heads-up matches, the professional would win most of the time.

margmilo44 · Saturday at 11:24 PM

To me, poker is definitely a game first. It has rules, competition, and it can be played casually or seriously. But at the same time, calling it just a game feels like it ignores what actually happens when you play at a higher level. There’s real skill involved, and over time the better players win more consistently, which is something pure luck games don’t show .

TheniT · 2026-04-12T00:35:21-0400

Poker is generally considered a game of skill with elements of chance, not a traditional sport.
While luck affects short-term outcomes, long-term success depends heavily on strategy, psychology, and decision-making.

villa1306 · 2026-04-12T02:35:43-0400

letpic said:
Sinceramente, creo que decir que el póker es un "juego de azar" es algo que solo dirían quienes nunca han estudiado un rango de manos. Para mí, es un deporte mental. Claro, no puedes controlar la baraja, pero sí puedes controlar tus decisiones, tu capital y cómo explotar las debilidades de tus oponentes. Si solo fuera cuestión de suerte, no verías las mismas caras en las mesas finales año tras año.

I agree with you; if it were just luck, the winners of major events wouldn't always be the same names.

villa1306 · 2026-04-12T02:42:35-0400

Poker could be defined as a game of chance where the main quality of the

players is their skill in playing it.

Poker Orifice · 2026-04-12T04:29:58-0400

Kenzie 96 said:
Poker & sport should never be used in a sentence that does not include the words, is not a, ie. poker is not a sport.

Haven't you ever heard the expression 'Running good' ? And what about 'Fighting for KO's'?

PS - I miss the old days on here - - games were great, community spirit was awesome! This place taught me how to play poker.

skaterick · 2026-04-12T05:08:39-0400

It's not a sport it's a game .

pltelles · 2026-04-12T10:39:23-0400

I agree, poker is not a game of chance but a game of the mind, where strategy makes all the difference.

Zorba · 2026-04-12T10:54:58-0400

Kenzie 96 said:
Poker & sport should never be used in a sentence that does not include the words, is not a, ie. poker is not a sport.

They can be used in a sentence together without the "is not"

When I'm not watching video on sheep husbandry, I sometimes have sport on the TV while I play poker.

Poker is not a sport.

Is poker a sport or just a game of chance?

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