The eternal debate: Is poker a sport?

Football, handball and tennis used to be considered sports. Today, videos of hobbyhorsing, eSports and chess circulate on the internet. This once again raises the eternal question of what actually constitutes a sport.

Most people now agree that sports such as breakdancing and golf should also be considered sports. And then there are ping pong and curling, sports that perhaps belong in the niche but are nevertheless strenuous. Even racing drivers have to pay attention to their physical fitness and sweat accordingly behind the wheel.

But what if we completely disregard physical activities and look at other leisure pursuits, such as chess? With competitions and leagues, chess is organised in many ways like a sport. And there are broadcasts of major events on the internet and sometimes on television anyway.

Poker has a similar claim to fame. Whether in the arcade or in the online casino, the world of this game is full of tournaments. That actually speaks in favour of poker being a sport, doesn't it?

By the way, if you want to see for yourself, you don't have to go to an arcade first. Many platforms allow you to play poker online without registering. This lowers the inhibition threshold for beginners and quickly shows how much concentration and strategy is involved in a simple round. In the digital space in particular, poker is not only more accessible, but also embedded in structures that are strongly reminiscent of real sports competitions.

Arguments against it

Traditionally, one could argue that poker is not a sport. Because whoever plays just sits there. There's no jumping, running or throwing involved, you don't knock anyone over and you don't lift anything heavy. Instead, you just sit there for hours on end without any visible physical effort, even if a lot is going on in your head.

And then there's the chance factor. Even if you're really good at poker, you don't know which card you'll get next. That's why even the best players in the world are subject to luck, which is sometimes there and sometimes not. You can't train it and it's not in your own hands.

So why should poker be considered a sport? Just because the players prepare themselves and compete against each other in leagues? That's also the case with video games. In fact, the eternal debate can be found there too, which is why the lines just seem to blur everywhere.

At the end of the day, the question is difficult to answer. Because who actually decides what a sport is? It's not the Olympics, because then MMA and weightlifting wouldn't be sports, even though you really burn calories, work your muscles and work up a sweat.

Some areas of life, such as medicine or finance, are clearly defined by states. This is not the case with sport, which is why there is this eternal debate.

Arguments in favour

People who play poker themselves are probably more inclined to describe the activity as a sport. After all, concentrating so hard, keeping your poker face on, thinking strategically five steps ahead and calculating mathematical probabilities is pretty hard work.

So poker is demanding. If not the muscles, then definitely the mind. And the brain is itself a muscle that can be trained.

And training is another argument in favour of poker being classified as a sport. Professional players train in a similar way to professional athletes and analyse moves, their personal decision-making and psychological subtleties that appear on the faces of their opponents with great discipline.

And then there are the international competitions with high prize money and worldwide rankings, which are also familiar from more conventional sports. So maybe poker is a sport after all?

At least you can see it that way if you also recognise chess and eSports as sports. And many people now certainly do.

Poker as a mental sport

But what if we take a closer look and differentiate the whole thing a little? You could also create a sub-category and categorise poker as a mental sport, similar to chess. After all, both games are based on a lot of strategy and patience, concentration and preparation.

And then there are the psychological components that we know from other sports. You virtually read your opponent, fake your own manoeuvres and have to keep your emotions under control at all costs.

This mental stress is similar to the penalty shoot-out in football and, at the end of the day, may simply argue in favour of poker being a mental sport.

And a few countries see it that way too. Brazil and India have already officially recognised poker as a sport or mental sport. And in other countries, sports associations and lobbyists are working towards official categorisation in this category, and with success!

In November 2024, poker was officially recognised as a mind sport by the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA). Poker thus joins the ranks of chess, bridge and go. This recognition is the result of years of effort by the World Poker Federation (WPF), which unites over 49 national associations.

A question of opinion

Whether poker is recognised as a sport or not ultimately depends on how narrowly or broadly you want to define the term "sport". Those who only understand it to mean physical activity will tend to categorise poker as a game or entertainment.

However, those who are prepared to see top mental performance, strategic thinking and mental stamina as sporting achievements will quickly realise how demanding poker really is.

After all, it's not just about luck, but above all about concentration, maths, tactics and the art of controlling your own expression. Tournaments, rankings and training schedules also speak for themselves.

So perhaps it's time to stop defining sport solely in terms of sweat and muscle power and to let your head play a part too.