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

valeski 28 · Oct 17, 2019

Obviously poker is not like football,tennis ,,,but I think it is a mental sport like chess.Playing live events must be so tiring,You have to be in a very good shape to play for so many hours.

thetzarofpoker · 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.

I agree, i think many people compare it with chess, but in chess there is no luck involve..

thetzarofpoker · Oct 17, 2019

valeski 28 said:
Obviously poker is not like football,tennis ,,,but I think it is a mental sport like chess.Playing live events must be so tiring,You have to be in a very good shape to play for so many hours.

At Chess there`s no luck involve, initial situation are equal for both players, thats why i thing poker can`t be a sport, as every player have diferent cards an the beginin, and they depend on acction they are not involve. obviosly there`s skills that helps-

thetzarofpoker · 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.

well i must say, for me is gambling but people has chance to interfier on chances.. but allways depends on luck... A profession for sure... i think is the most similar to a wallstreet invester.. you need knoledge and skills.. but you depend on situations that are out of you hands.

Tmoney999 · Oct 17, 2019

Poker is definitely not a sport, to play sports you have to be in shape and active. To play poker you need to be neither, you just sit around and look at cards. It is a game not a sport, two different things. You may need to be skilled to play and be good at poker but you don't need to be in shape or anything physical like that. You can pretty much just be a blob. Absolutely not a sport, just a game based around gambling. Should never ever be thought of as a sport.

Risto234 · Oct 17, 2019

XYZ2123 said:
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.

If gambling sites (who offer poker aswell) could think the same way as you and few other people in this thread then probably cardchat (tournaments) wouldn't even exist

GARCIA PABLO DANIEL · Oct 17, 2019

good question!!! for me would have to be a sport, but now I think it's a game of chance

syarbouh · Oct 17, 2019

In my opinion in tournaments people tend to gamble in cash games I see it as a sport.

neptun1914 · Oct 29, 2019

It is definitely not a sport. In sports better player almost always wins while in poker much more frequently bad player can have winning streak even if playing versus better players. Regarding gambling - every game can be played like pure gambling and poker is no exception. I personally like the way poker is described in our law - sport game with elements of gambling.

beldin2010 · Oct 29, 2019

Gambling - simple as that. Well some knowledge can improve your chances but is still gambling

.

Timmi1015 · Oct 29, 2019

Poker is a sport like chess. Here you need to calculate a lot, and even 5 moves ahead.

PaxMundi · Oct 29, 2019

For all intents and purposes poker is gambling,Gambling is the wagering of money or something of value (referred to as "the stakes") on an event with an uncertain outcome, with the primary intent of winning money or material goods. Gambling thus requires three elements to be present: consideration (an amount wagered), risk (chance), and a prize.

beldin2010 · Oct 29, 2019

Timmi1015 said:
Poker is a sport like chess. Here you need to calculate a lot, and even 5 moves ahead.

So you are telling me that you know 5 hands ahead???

frost234 · Oct 29, 2019

a gambling

Bugi · Oct 29, 2019

Neither

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

For me neither. It's not really a sport because it doesn't involve physical activity but in my opinion it does parallel sport in that the mental and physical preparation of an athlete serve a poker player well.

It can fall into the realm of obsessive gambling for some. That can be avoided with normal discipline.

It's a competitive game that has attracted more and more thoughtful players in recent years.

Transcendence · Oct 29, 2019

This is 100% true of the Casino industry! And that's great! There, on the territory of the Casino, you can hold a Gambling Olympiad for visitors! It will be interesting. But this is not a sport. Although...

Bluffzone68 · Oct 29, 2019

Hi
To me it's like this
In tournaments it's Sports.
In cash it's gambling.
Plain and simple.

Timmi1015 · Oct 29, 2019

beldin2010 said:
So you are telling me that you know 5 hands ahead???

Of course, when you get a hand you need to know how you will play preflop, flop, turn and river

pedrovitorcosta · Oct 29, 2019

Luck changes a few hands, the skill is worth more, so I don't think it's just gambling

Gaviria8 · Oct 30, 2019

It's both, if I have to pick gamble or sport I'd say gamble.

beldin2010 · Oct 30, 2019

Timmi1015 said:
Of course, when you get a hand you need to know how you will play preflop, flop, turn and river

Lets say on the flop you are sure (calculate or made math) that only one card can help your opponent and this particular opponent is sure that has nuts and goes allin.
I assume that you knowing that information will call, right?

And if this card shows through river you will loose this hand and that sound to me exactly like gambling..

Timmi1015 · Oct 30, 2019

beldin2010 said:
Lets say on the flop you are sure (calculate or made math) that only one card can help your opponent and this particular opponent is sure that has nuts and goes allin.
I assume that you knowing that information will call, right?

And if this card shows through river you will loose this hand and that sound to me exactly like gambling..

You did not understand me. All possible situations can be easily calculated. Based on probability and chances, decisions are made. odds depend on the bank, but the attitude to the number of events will sooner or later lead to victory. Based on this, you decide to fold or check, raise or reraise. Based on the calculations and hands, you determine which street you need to make a decision. Everything is for us.

kleopatra123 · Oct 31, 2019

Poker is more to sport than to gambling, and poker is not just luck or bad luck, it has skill involved, but it needs a lot of luck!

Whaevoz · May 13, 2021

In 2012, a federal judge ruled that poker is more a game of skill than chance and that because it “is not predominately a game of chance, it is not gambling."

I believe it was Anthony Holden (or was it Al Alvarez?) who said it best:
"Poker isn't gambling. Gambling is a style of playing poker, and a losing one at that."

daurensdo · May 13, 2021

Looking at the numerous tournaments, I would rank it as a sport

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

valeski 28

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