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It’s a question that has troubled sports philosophers for many a year; an age-old conundrum that has baffled boffins and confused the curious: is poker a sport? Yes
Is poker just a battle of wits, a game of luck, or a mesmerizing mish-mash of both? Is Phil Hellmuth the Muhammad Ali of the river card and Phil Ivey the Lionel Messi of poker?
There is debate about whether a game of cards can really be classified as an athletic activity, but is athletic prowess the defining element of any sport?
Clay pigeon shooting, bowls, motorsports, curling, dressage, croquet – these are all sports – but far from physically taxing.
Head to the best online poker sites and you’ll soon learn that the card game takes skill to win at a high level.
Is Poker a Sport?
The question of whether poker is a sport has been debated for years and continues to rumble on.
While some argue that poker is merely a game of luck, true poker players know the sheer skill it takes to be a success at a high level.
Physical exertion cannot be the determining factor when it comes to classifying an activity as a sport. This can be seen by the inclusion of low-impact sports in the Olympics and its committee recognizing the likes of chess and bridge as sports.
What is the definition of ‘sport’?
The word ‘sport’ is a shortened version of the word ‘disport’, derived from the Old French word ‘desport’, meaning ‘leisure’.
‘Disport’ is defined variously as ‘divert’, ‘amuse’, ‘frolic’, and ‘display’. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, if you ‘disport yourself’, you ‘enjoy yourself, especially by doing physical activity’. The same dictionary defines sport in two ways:
- a game, competition, or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job
- all types of physical activity that people do to keep healthy or for enjoyment
Merriam-Webster has an even looser definition of the word sport, describing it as an ‘activity engaged in to amuse oneself’.
Collins is less vague, defining ‘sports’ as games ‘competitive leisure activities which need physical effort and skill’.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word sport was first recorded in the medieval period. The OED has multiple definitions, including sport as an ‘activity’ or ‘diversion’ which is ‘entertainment’ or ‘fun’.
It also acknowledges a modern definition as: ‘an activity involving physical exertion and skill, esp. (particularly in modern use) one regulated by set rules or customs in which an individual or team competes against another or others’.
The dictionary definitions of the word ‘sport’ certainly seem to make poker a contender. It is an activity. It is amusing. It’s something done for enjoyment. It also exists at a professional level.
Olympic Word Games
Let’s move away from dictionary definitions and take a look at the power brokers, the rule makers, and the governing bodies.
The Council of Europe is an international organization that defends human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
According to Article 2 of the European Sports Charter ‘sport’ means: “all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organized participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels.”
A European Commission working paper looking at the impact of sport in the community states that ‘sport is unique in that it performs five functions’ namely:
- an educational function: active participation is a great way to ensure balanced personal development
- a public health function: physical activity is an effective means of combating ill health and maintaining a good quality of life
- a social function: sport is a valuable tool for the promotion of inclusivity
- a cultural function: sport can help people get to know an area better, put down roots, and look at the larger environment
- a recreational function: it’s fun for its participants
A definition very much open to interpretation and one that poker easily fulfills.
The International Olympic Committee
Arguably the main arbitrator in the quest to discover what defines a sport is the International Olympic Committee. The IOC.
Every four years, the Olympic Games showcase sports of the world. In Paris 2024, featured breaking (aka breakdancing), sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing.
The main criterion for IOC recognition is that a sport should be governed by an International Federation.
This is required for a sport to conform to the Rules of the Olympic Charter, the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of Manipulation of Competitions, and the World Anti-Doping Code.
The sport can then apply for admittance at the Olympic Games, as a sport, a discipline or an event.
There are varied reasons for featuring or excluding a sport from the games. If it’s dull to watch, it can be excluded; even though it is still a sport.
Poker Compared to Chess and Bridge
Chess is recognized by the IOC as a sport, as well as more than 100 countries. There is a code of conduct, an international federation, and it is considered a test of mental and – to a degree – physical endurance.
The card game Bridge is recognized as a sport by the IOC, but not by the European Court of Justice. The Court ruled that a sport must involve “a not negligible physical element”.
Billiards, wakeboarding, air sports, frisbee throwing, pelota, surfing, and skateboarding all have federations recognized by the IOC.
Sports like live pigeon shooting, tug of war, the horse long jump, the plunge, and pistol dueling have all featured at the Olympic Games but have since been discontinued.
These weird Olympic sports may have been stopped, but remain ‘sports’, by definition.
It is also worth mentioning that the country that wins its bid to host the Olympics can also recommend the inclusion of certain sports.
India is bidding for the 2036 games and plans to lobby for chess, kabaddi, squash, kho kho and yoga.
The Case for Poker
So, how does the humble game of poker fit into these assorted frameworks, definitions and criteria?
Poker has at least two federations campaigning for the game’s recognition as a sport: The International Federation of Match Poker (IFMP) and the World Poker Federation.
Both federations belong to the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA), founded in 2005 to promote the development of Bridge, Card Games, Chess, Draughts, eSports, Go, Mah-jong, Poker, and Xiangqi as competitive sports.
The IMSA has five goals:
- To unite different mind sports federations to pursue common aims and interests
- To promote the development of countries’ citizens through the educational benefits of Mind Sports
- To organize the World Mind Sports Games under the aegis of the IOC
- To realize the inclusion of all mind sports in the Olympic movement
- To assist the admission of the national federations of the member mind sports into their respective National Olympic Committees
One of the organization’s long-term goals is to introduce a World Mind Sport Games; the event would work in tandem with the Olympic Games – a ‘third kind’ of games, after the Summer and Winter events.
In December 2022, the World Poker Federation was unanimously accepted as part of the International Mind Sports Association. IMSA president, at the time of the announcement, Madame Zelan Chen, said:
“It is with enormous satisfaction and great expectations that we unanimously approve poker as part of the Mind Sports family.”
World Poker Federation president Igor Trafane said, in response: “One of the oldest demands in our category was for poker to be recognized as a sport.
“It took many years of negotiations and work to create the World Poker Federation and to have it officially recognized by IMSA.”
How to Include Poker in the Olympics
Poker is a game rooted in gambling. Strategy and gameplay revolve around bluffing and making bets. This is a major stumbling block for it to be recognized as a sport and even included in the Olympics.
However, the International Federation of Match Poker prohibits any form of betting or gambling. Its remit is to promote only Match Poker.
Match Poker is played with different teams, split across different tables. And, exactly the same cards are dealt at each table.
Much of the luck is removed from the equation. Players play their chips in the usual way. After a predetermined number of hands, the winners can be easily identified.
This makes it possible to identify the best players and is a route towards Olympic inclusion.
The Verdict: Is Poker a Sport?
The short answer is simple: yes, poker can be called a sport.
Here’s why:
- The existence of Match Poker – a competitive game, free from gambling, where players use the same cards – takes chance out of the equation, leaving only poker strategy and skill in play
- The IOC is so ambivalent about the definition of sport, it uses a system of federations. It leaves the option open to any qualifying activity, no matter how bizarre or ‘unathletic’
- The majority of dictionary definitions describe sport as an activity that involves skill, competition, and pleasure
Poker fulfills all these criteria. The one gray area is athleticism. But when you consider low-impact sports like shooting, dressage, bowls and motorsports, that argument is somewhat moot.
The Techopedia Final Verdict: YES – Poker can be defined as a sport.
FAQs
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References
- DISPORT | English meaning – Cambridge Dictionary (Dictionary.cambridge)
- SPORT Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster (Merriam-webster)
- Oxford English Dictionary (Oed)
- The Development and Prospects for Community Action in The Field of Sport (Ec.europa)
- International Sports Federations Recognized by the IOC (Olympics)
- International Federation of Match Poker – IFMP – Sport Poker (Matchpokerfed)
- The World Poker Federation – Poker is a Mind Sport (Worldpokerfederation)
- IMSA – International Mind Sports Association (Imsa)
- sport, n.1 meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary (Oed)
