Sport or not? The pot is divided as to whether poker is a sport or not!
sport(noun) 1. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively. 2. An active pastime; recreation.
poker(noun). 1. Any of various card games played by two or more players who bet on the value of their hands.
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition
The question is no longer under the table: Is poker a sport?
The dictionary definitions of the two words seem to render the case closed. They don’t belong in the same sentence. But Webster and colleagues haven’t taken into account the effect of television and the blurring of our cultural boundaries everywhere.
POKER PRIMER: Learn how to play
OK, it won’t go down in history with the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and it doesn’t examine the great issues of our day, like whether the split-up was Nick’s or Jessica’s fault. But what sports argument does?
To most folks old enough to have voted for Ronald (The Gipper) Reagan for president, it’s not a sport unless the smell of Ben Gay is prevalent in the locker room. In their minds, the term Texas Hold ‘Em refers to the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line.
But that thinking has been challenged since poker started showing up on every cable TV channel except C-SPAN.
The game has skyrocketed in popularity – thanks in part to ESPN’s tightly edited series from the World Series of Poker (WSOP) – and its proponents are now making a case that it should be listed right up there with other great athletic endeavors. Like synchronized swimming. And curling.
Indeed, to many, it’s a very simple equation.
“You know what? I guess it is (a sport) because they show it on ESPN,” said Chicago Bears cornerback Charles (Peanut) Tillman. “So I guess it is a sport, just like the spelling bee is a sport.”
For the record, ESPN has never claimed the game is a sport. And remember what the “E” in ESPN originally stood for? Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.
“It’s not a sport. How can it be a sport?” said Bob Chesterman, former executive producer of the shows for ESPN Original Entertainment. “It’s a competition, and the audience likes that.”
The game’s stunning growth is unquestioned: The Nevada Gaming Control Board said casino poker earnings for the fiscal year that ended June 30 increased 48.3% to $119.6 million, poker’s largest one-year increase in Nevada history.
No one doubts the skill and mental acuity required to play at the top level, but how can something be a sport if it requires less physical activity than sports writing? (No wisecracks until you’ve climbed the upper-deck ramps at Wrigley Field).
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