Texas Hold'em: is it a sport or is it gambling?

thetzarofpoker · Oct 16, 2019

How you concieve this game, as sport, as gambling, Both,.. ???

Edu1 · Oct 17, 2019

a bit of both, but poker is more to sport than to gambling, the word "gambling" is like, "luck or bad luck", and poker is not just luck or bad luck, it has skill involved

myquickwit · Oct 17, 2019

It's not a sport. I don't understand why people keep trying to get it recognized as one. I have never sweated at the poker table because of physically exhaustion. My legs and lungs have never burned because I have run so much. We sit. It's not a sport. That doesn't make it any less of a great game. The game is good on its own. It doesn't have to be a sport. I have played sports which I'm sure 90% of us have. There is a big difference. But the reality that it's not a sport should not take away from what poker is. It doesn't have to be a sport. And it's not.

myquickwit · Oct 17, 2019

Poker is mentally exhausting and sitting there for so many hours can be physically exhausting. But how is this different from sitting in class all day. Is school work not mentally exhausting? Is sitting there 6 hours a day waiting for the bell to finally ring not at times physically exhausting? I doubt anyone here is asking if school is a sport.

Lisavandervelden12 · Oct 17, 2019

Is it a sport or is it gambling is kinda redundant...dont ya thin?

Dutydog · Oct 17, 2019

I don’t think of it as gambling, although it does involve taking calculated risks. I consider it a game, which is probably a better label than sport.

Lisavandervelden12 · Oct 17, 2019

Dutydog said:
I don’t think of it as gambling, although it does involve taking calculated risks. I consider it a game, which is probably a better label than sport.

Game? I like that. I totally am on board with that one. Poker is not gambling. Gambling is when the hosue has the advantage.

You are playing other players and if your good you have the advantage.

YKCaiTLH1314 · Oct 17, 2019

To you(thetzarofpoker) it is definitely Gambling because you need Luck to get good result.
As for me, it is exactly the same reason i had to convince my ex-wife(when we were still together back then) and my parents when i decided to go full-time and transit into pro.

I sat down with my parents and ex-wife with a deck of card and asked them to play 4 hours with me. Whatever amount they manage to win, i'll cash out to them but if i won, they don't have to pay me. As handicap, i will look into my hold card ONLY on the Turn which means i was playing blind until the Turn card was dealt.

During this session my father busted once, mum 4 times and ex-wife got frustrated(tilted) and stop in the middle of the session.
I demonstrated to them that i am capable of wining despite they are 3 vs me, against the odds of handicapping them and my ability to maximize to win most chips with a good hand. Of course, main reason i won is because i read all their tells which is something they never understand.
Their mentality is "Poker is gambling and it's all about Luck and more bankroll in order to win".

After this session, my parents has been supportive with me playing fulltime.
My ex-wife...she left.

At least for me, Poker is not Gambling, it's a job or Profession which i enjoy doing.

And no, Poker is not a Sport, it's more like a Chess game or Backgammon.

vov4ik · Oct 17, 2019

thetzarofpoker said:
How you concieve this game, as sport, as gambling, Both,.. ???

I don’t think much for myself that poker and Hold'em games are other sports, I think for myself that cards and poker games are a game of chance, now in Ukraine the sports federation has recognized poker as an official sport and now they open poker cantors, I I understand that poker is a game of reason and tactics, but for me it is gambling which attracts many players

TulasMoreno · Oct 17, 2019

It has some of both parts, but its more a mental sport, if we judge like that, poker will be seen like a sport than a gambling game that normally is refused by society.

Lisavandervelden12 · Oct 17, 2019

YKCaiTLH1314 said:
To you(thetzarofpoker) it is definitely Gambling because you need Luck to get good result.
As for me, it is exactly the same reason i had to convince my ex-wife(when we were still together back then) and my parents when i decided to go full-time and transit into pro.

I sat down with my parents and ex-wife with a deck of card and asked them to play 4 hours with me. Whatever amount they manage to win, i'll cash out to them but if i won, they don't have to pay me. As handicap, i will look into my hold card ONLY on the Turn which means i was playing blind until the Turn card was dealt.

During this session my father busted once, mum 4 times and ex-wife got frustrated(tilted) and stop in the middle of the session.
I demonstrated to them that i am capable of wining despite they are 3 vs me, against the odds of handicapping them and my ability to maximize to win most chips with a good hand. Of course, main reason i won is because i read all their tells which is something they never understand.
Their mentality is "Poker is gambling and it's all about Luck and more bankroll in order to win".

After this session, my parents has been supportive with me playing fulltime.
My ex-wife...she left.

At least for me, Poker is not Gambling, it's a job or Profession which i enjoy doing.

And no, Poker is not a Sport, it's more like a Chess game or Backgammon.

I disagree with you saying poker is gambling.

Yes i know i am being technical, but the definition of gambling is when your at a disadvantage.

Good players have to get lucky, yes ..but they have an advantage.

XYZ2123 · Oct 17, 2019

Neither. It's not a sport and neither is any other card or board game, or solving mathematical equations or crosswords. Sports are played with a ball or ball-like object the you use to score points by making some sort of goal, and/or take place on a field and involve running and other physical exertion. Something like billiards/pool falls somewhere in the middle.

Poker is a game of skill that involves chance and probabilities and percentages. It is only gambling when you play for real money, but you don't have to play for money, so technically it's not gambling. Same for blackjack. You can play for money but you don't have to. Plus, gambling further implies that you have no control over the outcome. Betting on sports, roulette, pulling a slots handle, etc. are gambling. This is not a complete answer, but just a few points.

The problem is that poker is wrongly thought of as gambling, and therefore a reckless activity just because it involves money, a deck of cards and is played at casinos. It is true that some players treat poker simply as gambling and play accordingly, but they're degens that will always find a way to throw away money. Can poker become an addiction and lead to financial ruin? Yes, but so can anything else. You can blow all your money buying shoes or CDs or whatever else you become obsessed with.

Richard Grant · Oct 17, 2019

Two men competing at a high level in chess. Utterly focused on the pieces and hungry for success are a far greater example of what "sport" is really about than two useless fat tennis players hitting balls over the fence and acting like they don't care.

And yet the first isn't a sport and the 2nd is. Competitive spirit is the key!

Lisavandervelden12 · Oct 17, 2019

XYZ2123 said:
Neither. It's not a sport. It's a game. Chess is not a sport, solving mathematical equations or crosswords is not a sport, etc. Poker is a game of skill that involves chance and probabilities and percentages. It is only gambling when you play for real money, but you don't have to play for money, so technically it's not gambling.

Plus, gambling implies that you have no control over the outcome. Betting on sports, roulette, pulling a slots handle, etc. are gambling. This is not a complete answer, but just a few points.

Thank you

0546474 · Oct 17, 2019

myquickwit said:
It's not a sport. I don't understand why people keep trying to get it recognized as one. I have never sweated at the poker table because of physically exhaustion. My legs and lungs have never burned because I have run so much. We sit. It's not a sport. That doesn't make it any less of a great game. The game is good on its own. It doesn't have to be a sport. I have played sports which I'm sure 90% of us have. There is a big difference. But the reality that it's not a sport should not take away from what poker is. It doesn't have to be a sport. And it's not.

Do you sweat a lot during games like snooker or golf ???
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport

COMIRRR · Oct 17, 2019

Luck is minimal in poker, and sports by far ... it's a card game!

maxivega · Oct 17, 2019

myquickwit said:
It's not a sport. I don't understand why people keep trying to get it recognized as one. I have never sweated at the poker table because of physically exhaustion. My legs and lungs have never burned because I have run so much. We sit. It's not a sport. That doesn't make it any less of a great game. The game is good on its own. It doesn't have to be a sport. I have played sports which I'm sure 90% of us have. There is a big difference. But the reality that it's not a sport should not take away from what poker is. It doesn't have to be a sport. And it's not.

So chess is not a sport? Because for me it is not a game. And don't perspire playing it

maxivega · Oct 17, 2019

It has a lot of sport, because you need to practice to improve. You also need to study and calculate the odds for winning hands. Maybe you not perspire like physical sports, but if you force the fullest other skills like patience and drive many emotions that you have to know to control. It is not a simple game.

XYZ2123 · Oct 17, 2019

I guess I have to point out the obvious. According to the Oxford English Dictionary:

sport
/spɔːt/
noun
1. an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
"team sports such as soccer and rugby"

maxivega · Oct 17, 2019

XYZ2123 said:
I guess I have to point out the obvious. According to the Oxford English Dictionary:

sport
/spɔːt/
noun
1. an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
"team sports such as soccer and rugby"

You don't have to be guided by a dictionary. "Chess is considered sport-science because in addition to requiring a certain level of mental skill, it is based on a strategy and a tactic in the same way as other sports such as soccer and rugby. In this case it is also because the game is structured and regulated. Sep 25, 2017 "
This is just an example, poker is not considered a sport (for now), but you need strategy and tactics to win, as in any sport.

myquickwit · Oct 17, 2019

maxivega said:
So chess is not a sport? Because for me it is not a game. And don't perspire playing it

No, chess is not a sport Dictionary.com defines "sport" as, "an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature. " As the basis of chess competition is not athletic, most persons do not define chess as a sport.Mar 22, 2018 "Chess.com article, is chess a sport?"

tehb1987 · Oct 17, 2019

And who said that sport should be necessarily physical? Any competition that is carefully prepared and trained is a sport. Including intellectual. And Yes! Chess is a sport! And Yes! Poker is also a sport!
There's no need to argue with that. This must be taken for granted. Where there is a competitive spirit, the default - sport.

Maksimus71087 · Oct 17, 2019

Hi all. So I think it is both: sport and gambling.

kucu2014 · Oct 17, 2019

I think it's a sport, but it needs a lot of luck

TheDude6622 · Oct 17, 2019

To a lot of people, it's gambling. People think because it's played in a casino, it is just pure gambling. The thing is, you're not betting against the house, you're betting against other people. It's a game of wit, memory of player tendencies, betting styles and patterns, and mind trickery. It's an art to play.

The other day I watched Gonzalez Cannon from The Big Game, and watched in amazement of all the pros that could not read him for a second. When Viffer got knocked out at the end, he walked over to Cannon and shook his hand. He looked at him and said I've never seen a player, let alone an amateur, walk into the lions den and play as good as he did against Daniel Negreanu, Tony G, and Scott Seiver. That my friends, is skill.

Texas Hold'em: is it a sport or is it gambling?

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