The debate about whether poker is a sports game has been ongoing since the game’s inception. People who donāt know much about poker will answer with certainty – poker cannot be considered as a sport, as it is just another āgamblingā sort of thing. However, professional players would say otherwise. Poker has a deep learning curve and is closely related to math and bluffing, and the role of luck is reduced to a minimum, especially on a professional level. Poker players put hundreds of hours of their time not only into playing, but in preparations and training. Finally, long poker tournaments can be exhausting both physically and mentally.
International poker tournaments increase in popularity with each day. Thanks to the internet, this process has reached a new level. Sometimes poker can be even considered as an esport game. Such tournaments can go not only for hours, but for days, and can be extremely harsh on unprepared players. Letās also remember that there are a lot of official sports disciplines where the role of luck is much higher than skill. Additionally, without a strong theoretical foundation that requires days of learning, there is no chance of winning in professional tournaments. Determination of most poker players is as high as the determination of professional athletes. Poker is not about gambling, but about knowledge, passion and skill. And while it is not officially recognized as a sport, it is easy to say that it has all the characteristics to be considered as such.
