People all around the world enjoy playing poker. From tournaments and cash games, to cash outs for real money prizes – many participate as athletes do, training hard to excel in their chosen sport. But others question if poker really qualifies as a sport; here at PokerNews we look at why poker should be seen as sport rather than simply gambling.
Poker’s main defining characteristic as a sport is its requirement of skill. Skillful players in poker are capable of earning huge sums using only their ability – comparable with professional athletes making millions each year! Top winning players at major tournaments such as World Series of Poker (WSOP) can even make as much as $5 Million which could rival that of Premier League footballers!
One key reason that poker can be considered a sport is the level of competition between players from around the world. Every summer for two months, thousands of competitors from every corner of the globe participate in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) to vie for its coveted championship title – this year it attracted over 60 million dollars as prize pools averaged $2.5 million each! When taken into consideration only playing during summer months this is an impressive sum to see earned from only playing once per year!
Poker is an engaging mind sport and has been proven to improve mental wellbeing and physical fitness, as an intensive and demanding activity. Not only has poker become an integral part of modern society, it has even become part of traditional sporting competitions!
Poker can be enjoyed as a recreational activity by those without an interest in competing against other players. Additionally, its social aspects make it enjoyable with friends or strangers alike. Poker falls under government regulation in many places while some even consider it as an official sport for taxation purposes.
Some may argue that poker does not constitute a sport due to its lack of physical activity; however, this reasoning is flawed as poker can be just as physically taxing as basketball or football, requiring great concentration and endurance just like its more well-known cousins such as football or running marathons.
Poker also involves extensive practice and training, with professional players spending several hours every day honing their skills. Just like in any sport, practice is key for poker – some of its most successful players have even been described by other professionals as athletes due to winning huge sums by competing in tournaments while also attracting sponsors and advertisers as sponsors and advertisers for tournaments they host themselves – in turn drawing thousands of fans out to watch events live via television broadcast.