Short answer: it'll never happen, not in a million years.
But as a thought exercise, there are a whole bunch of different problems that would have to be overcome. Here are just a few of the more obvious ones:
1: As mentioned above, poker is not a sport. That's pretty much the end of the line right there. But even if you could get past that...
2: Poker is gambling. The IOC is staunchly anti-gambling. Again, end of the line. But even if you could get past that...
3: Poker doesn't have a "governing body" pushing for its inclusion. Actual sports spend decades trying to get themselves included in the Olympics, and they require major campaigns with funding and lobbying to be successful. Poker can't even agree on a single set of rules for itself from venue to venue, let alone coordinate a campaign for Olympic inclusion. And even if you could get past that...
4: Poker makes for terrible live television. Televised after the game has ended, with hole cards and graphics and all the boring hands edited out? Fine. But for game integrity reasons you can't show hole cards during live matches, and you can't skip over all the boring hands. And if you can't show hole cards, or cut the boring hands, you lose your entire audience bar a few hardcore poker nerds.
But as a thought exercise, there are a whole bunch of different problems that would have to be overcome. Here are just a few of the more obvious ones:
1: As mentioned above, poker is not a sport. That's pretty much the end of the line right there. But even if you could get past that...
2: Poker is gambling. The IOC is staunchly anti-gambling. Again, end of the line. But even if you could get past that...
3: Poker doesn't have a "governing body" pushing for its inclusion. Actual sports spend decades trying to get themselves included in the Olympics, and they require major campaigns with funding and lobbying to be successful. Poker can't even agree on a single set of rules for itself from venue to venue, let alone coordinate a campaign for Olympic inclusion. And even if you could get past that...
4: Poker makes for terrible live television. Televised after the game has ended, with hole cards and graphics and all the boring hands edited out? Fine. But for game integrity reasons you can't show hole cards during live matches, and you can't skip over all the boring hands. And if you can't show hole cards, or cut the boring hands, you lose your entire audience bar a few hardcore poker nerds.
Poker is indeed a sport. Sport is any show of skill in competition form. However I hope it never is an Olympic sport. Far too much luck, and poker isn't about medals, its about winning the big money! (not that I know anything about winning lol)
poker is not a sport.
Sport
Noun
An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment
pokers a great game but not a sport. that definition is from the oxford dictionary.
Sport
Noun
An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment
pokers a great game but not a sport. that definition is from the oxford dictionary.
According to the definition, there are no sports in the Olympics, and only a few games, since the end result is not entertainment, regardless of what the Olympic Body would have you believe. Poker should not be in the Olympics for all the reasons stated. Also any sport where the winner is determined by arbitrary rulings of judges should not be included. (Synchronized swimming anyone?) Just one person's opinion.
