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POKER A SPORT??

windamonwindamon
edited September 2014 in Poker Chat
caused a bit of a stir recently in my community (travellers) as to wether poker is really a sport or a pastime.i would personally regard it as a pastime.after all a sportsman/woman are referred to as a athlete are they not?some of the players i have seen on tv playing poker are defo not athletes. sitting down for long hours hardly defines you as a athlete, does it?it does not  need    strenth to play poker nor does it need agility,fitness,co ordination and great reflexes to play.do poker players have the ability to play through physical pain to the end? i doubt it.these are the attributes needed to be a athlete.i feel it is just a recreational pastime to be enjoyed, and if your good at it (and lucky) there is big money to be made(tax free in the uk).what does the poker community think? or does it really matter!
                                                          regards wind
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Comments

  • Lambert180Lambert180
    edited September 2014
    To be fair, I wouldn't call a darts player an athlete either, but darts is still a sport.

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  • jordz16jordz16
    edited September 2014
    It is a game. The edge in poker is too small for it to ever become a sport
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  • windamonwindamon
    edited September 2014
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT??:
    To be fair, I wouldn't call a darts player an athlete either, but darts is still a sport.
    Post
    ed by
     Lambert180[/QUOTE
    darts requires precision skill,you play phil taylor over 10 games and you will not win a game,period! play phil ivy over 10 hands and you WILL win a hand.why? because in darts you need skill and pecision agility thats why you wont win,poker! you win   a hand because of the luck/varience factor, a amature poker player can win against the pro at any given time.you dont see amatures beating the likes of the top athletes do you.
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  • VespaPXVespaPX
    edited September 2014
    Taken from Wiki
    Poker a Mind Sport?

    Sport is generally recognised as activities which are based in physical athleticism or physical dexterity, with the largest major competitions such as the Olympic Games admitting only sports meeting this definition,[3] and other organisations such as the Council of Europe using definitions precluding activities without a physical element from classification as sports.[2] However, a number of competitive, but non-physical, activities claim recognition as mind sports. The International Olympic Committee (through ARISF) recognises both chess and bridge as bona fide sports, and SportAccord, the international sports federation association, recognises five non-physical sports,[4][5] although limits the amount of mind games which can be admitted as sports.[1]
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  • hhyftrftdrhhyftrftdr
    edited September 2014
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT??:
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT?? :
    To be fair, I wouldn't call a darts player an athlete either, but darts is still a sport. Post ed by  Lambert180[/QUOTE darts requires precision skill,you play phil taylor over 10 games and you will not win a game,period! play phil ivy over 10 hands and you WILL win a hand.why? because in darts you need skill and pecision agility thats why you wont win,poker! you win   a hand because of the luck/varience factor, a amature poker player can win against the pro at any given time.you dont see amatures beating the likes of the top athletes do you.
    Posted by windamon
    10 hands at poker should equal 10 throws of the dart. Someone who can throw at least reasonably well should equal someone who knows the basics of poker. So there is a chance that someone could out thrown Phil Taylor just one time in 10, and someone could beat Phil Ivey at one hand of poker.

    That is just very short term luck.

    Anything even remotely long term, the pro will win. Be that a few rounds of darts, or a few games of poker.

    I don't consider poker a sport. Darts/pool/snooker are more skin to pub sports. Any top poker pro worth their salt should treat their profession like a sport though.
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  • SlipwaterSlipwater
    edited September 2014
    "It's not a sport if you don't sweat."
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  • GELDYGELDY
    edited September 2014
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT??:
    "It's not a sport if you don't sweat. "
    Posted by Slipwater
    assuming the converse is true
    then it clearly is a sport
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  • SlipwaterSlipwater
    edited September 2014
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT??:
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT?? : assuming the converse is true then it clearly is a sport
    Posted by GELDY
    It's a Big quote... and it's (mostly) true.

    Exceptions of course, yadda yadda.
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  • Sky_PokerSky_Poker
    edited September 2014

    Interesting discussion, there's no doubt it is a competitive pursuit. Sport is obviously debatable although we like the mind sport idea.

    One of the truly great things about poker is that the ordinary 'man on the street' can compete and have a chance of beating the best, especially over smaller sample.

    So for example, let's compare against...

    You play ten rounds of golf vs Tiger Woods
    You play ten sets of darts vs Phil Taylor
    You run ten 100m races vs Usain Bolt
    You play ten frames of snooker vs Ronnie OSullivan
    etc...

    Surely the vast majority of people lose 10-0 every time?



    But lets say you play a top pro heads up ten times....

    ... yes a poor and / or unlucky player could lost 10-0 but I bet most of you guys on here would fancy your chances of winning a few of the ten. Three, four or five? Maybe even more than five if you play well and run well.

    How cool is that!


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  • SlipwaterSlipwater
    edited September 2014
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT??:
    Interesting discussion, there's no doubt it is a competitive pursuit. Sport is obviously debatable although we like the mind sport idea. One of the truly great things about poker is that the ordinary 'man on the street' can compete and have a chance of beating the best, especially over smaller sample. So for example, let's compare against... You play ten rounds of golf vs Tiger Woods You play ten sets of darts vs Phil Taylor You run ten 100m races vs Usain Bolt You play ten frames of snooker vs Ronnie OSullivan etc... Surely the vast majority of people lose 10-0 every time? But lets say you play a top pro heads up ten times.... ... yes a poor and / or unlucky player could lost 10-0 but I bet most of you guys on here would fancy your chances of winning a few of the ten. Three, four or five? Maybe even more than five if you play well and run well. How cool is that!
    Posted by Sky_Poker
    The only one of those that is a virtual guarantee is racing Usain Bolt. The others -you could sneak one or two for sure.
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  • Phantom66Phantom66
    edited September 2014
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT??:
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT?? : assuming the converse is true then it clearly is a sport
    Posted by GELDY
    +1 

    All in HU for a MTT win, you shove top trips and called by similar stack with a flush and u/down straight draw.

    Sounds like a sweat to me?
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  • Phantom66Phantom66
    edited September 2014
    Another quote...

    You train for a sport - you practice for a game.
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  • FCHDFCHD
    edited September 2014
    If you can play it while drinking a pint of beer, it's not a sport.
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  • IDONKCALLUIDONKCALLU
    edited September 2014

    Posts: 2447
    First: 20/11/2012
    Last: 26/9/2014
    "It's not a sport if you don't sweat."


    so golf is not a sport lol i dnt see many golfers sweat ha   its 1 of the biggest games worldwide especially the ryder cup
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  • paige55paige55
    edited September 2014
    poker is a sport,Despicable Me :):):)
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  • MaggiesdadMaggiesdad
    edited September 2014
    Is it shown on Sky Sports? I rest my case......
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  • TeddyBloatTeddyBloat
    edited September 2014
    i dont class athletics as being a sport:

    who can run the FASTEST

    who can jump the HIGHEST

    who can throw the FARTHEST

    pah, may as well hand out medals for being the TALLEST, HEAVIEST or most HIRSUTE.

    track and field can bore off an lol at the olympic commitee being expert at anything other than inducing bribery and protecting revenue streams.

    did i mention usiain et al can bore off? good.

    ----

    poker is no sport either and for the same reason chess doesnt qualify. they are competetive and require skill, sure. but crucially they lack technique. once you decide on the correct play how you move your piece or click 'check' has no bearing on outcome. in golf, snooker, tennis etc once you make your decision carrying out your shot, action etc is critical to outcome and a skill-set in itself.

    athletics, though, bore off innit. aint no sport in my world.
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  • cenachavcenachav
    edited September 2014
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT??:
    "It's not a sport if you don't sweat. "
    Posted by Slipwater
    My neither regions sweat when I'm running a triple barrel bluff therefore poker is a sport :)
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  • paige55paige55
    edited September 2014
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT??:
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT?? : My neither regions sweat when I'm running a triple barrel bluff therefore poker is a sport :)
    Posted by cenachav
    lol xxx
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  • GELDYGELDY
    edited September 2014
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT??:
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT?? : My neither regions sweat when I'm running a triple barrel bluff therefore poker is a sport :)
    Posted by cenachav
    but slippy is refusing to be drawn into answering the question. So if you do sweat is it a sport. In usual slippy fashion his post hasn't actually helped in answering the question asked. 
     
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  • DOHHHHHHHDOHHHHHHH
    edited September 2014
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT??:
    ,you play phil taylor over 10 games and you will not win a game,period! play phil ivy over 10 hands and you WILL win a hand.
    This isn't a fair comparison. 

    10 games of darts = approximately 150 throws each. 

    10 hands of poker = 10 hands each. 

    You've manipulated the sample sizes to try and make your point. 

    If I had 1 dart V Phil Taylors 1 dart, 10 times, I reckon I would win a couple. 
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  • SlipwaterSlipwater
    edited September 2014
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT??:
    Slipwater Posts: 2447 First: 20/11/2012 Last: 26/9/2014 "It's not a sport if you don't sweat. " so golf is not a sport lol i dnt see many golfers sweat ha   its 1 of the biggest games worldwide especially the ryder cup
    Posted by IDONKCALLU
    Sigh.

    It's in quotation marks because it's a movie quote, Donk!
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  • hhyftrftdrhhyftrftdr
    edited September 2014
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT??:
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT?? : This isn't a fair comparison.  10 games of darts = approximately 150 throws each.  10 hands of poker = 10 hands each.  You've manipulated the sample sizes to try and make your point.  If I had 1 dart V Phil Taylors 1 dart, 10 times, I reckon I would win a couple. 
    Posted by DOHHHHHHH
    Thanks for copying what I said.
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  • DOHHHHHHHDOHHHHHHH
    edited September 2014

    Apologies Harold, I jumped straight to 'reply' after reading the 4th post. 

    It is re-assuring that you agree with me though, I hope you can say the same about me =)

    fwiw, I disagree with slipwater itt too. (theres a surprise :P)

    Of the 4 below, I believe you are most likely to win against Usain Bolt as it's the most high variance event. He could false start, trip over, pull a hamstring etc. 1 mistake by him and we win. 

    You play ten rounds of golf vs Tiger Woods
    You play ten sets of darts vs Phil Taylor
    You run ten 100m races vs Usain Bolt
    You play ten frames of snooker vs Ronnie OSullivan


    All the others you really do have no chance. They could make multiple mistakes in each game and still be massive favourites against us. 

    Maybe Ronnie could go skitzho mid frame again and smash the balls all over. So that'd be the 2nd most likely. 
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  • SlipwaterSlipwater
    edited September 2014
    In Response to Re: POKER A SPORT??:
    Apologies Harold, I jumped straight to 'reply' after reading the 4th post.  It is re-assuring that you agree with me though, I hope you can say the same about me =) fwiw, I disagree with slipwater itt too. (theres a surprise :P) Of the 4 below, I believe you are most likely to win against Usain Bolt as it's the most high variance event. He could false start, trip over, pull a hamstring etc. 1 mistake by him and we win.  You play ten rounds of golf vs Tiger Woods You play ten sets of darts vs Phil Taylor You run ten 100m races vs Usain Bolt You play ten frames of snooker vs Ronnie OSullivan All the others you really do have no chance. They could make multiple mistakes in each game and still be massive favourites against us.  Maybe Ronnie could go skitzho mid frame again and smash the balls all over. So that'd be the 2nd most likely. 
    Posted by DOHHHHHHH
    You're definitely most likely to win against Ronnie. He breaks off and you score a frame winning break.  Job done. Any fairly good club player could achieve that in the short term.

    Bolt isn't going to false start is he? He doesn't need to throw 100% at it, so he just wouldn't push it at the gun. Bolt only loses that race if he pulls that hamstring (which is obviously very unlikely), or someone shoots him.
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  • NoseyBonkNoseyBonk
    edited September 2014
    You're guaranteed to lose at moaning vs Ronnie. Even if he wins 10-0 he'll still hate snooker (now that he's made it).


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