Top 10 Reasons Why Poker Should Not Be Considered a Sport

I recently overheard two poker players discussing whether or not poker is a sport. It was an interesting conversation with very amusing banter between them. As I sat there listening, I began to think that it would be a great topic for my top-10 column. I have heard people in the poker industry also claim that poker is truly a sport, but I have always thought they were just being unrealistic or were still in denial from not making it to the big leagues. True, there are many similarities, but I don't think poker is up to the Pepsi Challenge in this debate. Here is my take on it:

In the NFL, during halftime, there used to be a competition called "Punt, Pass, and Kick," in which the best youngsters from all over the country demonstrated their football skills on national TV. At the end of the competition, the scores were tallied and the best overall competitors were given trophies. If we compare those basic skills to poker, we could call it the "Raise, Call, and Fold" competition. They have their basic athletic skills, and we have our basic, not quite athletic, skills. I have never thrown my arm out tossing my chips into the pot, although I hear that extreme folding can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. To compare further, raising is kind of like throwing the football 50 yards, while calling is like kicking a field goal and folding is definitely the same as punting. In case you are wondering where I am going with this, I can assure you that it's not to SportsCenter. I have never thought poker is a sport, as some of my colleagues do. I have always thought that it is very entertaining to watch on TV, but it's not as electrifying as a Michael Jordan game winner. All sports have many great players who continuously impress us with their tremendous feats of athleticism. Poker tournaments also have great players, but other than Phil Laak doing push-ups at the table, there's no athleticism in them at all. Sports have their superstars who can take their games to the next level week after week, and so do we. However, professional sports don't allow bad players to participate in their games. Poker does. It not only allows them, but encourages them to participate, and that is the best reason why it should not be considered a sport. Can you imagine how sad it would be to watch a sporting event in which anyone could buy into the game for $10,000? I can see the stats now. Randy Johnson has struck out Daniel Negreanu for the 89th consecutive time. Men "The Master" Nguyen has had his 10th consecutive game of minus 100 yards rushing. After playing in the NBA for a year, Phil Hellmuth ended the season averaging 3 points per game, although for some mysterious reason he seemed to draw a lot of fouls.

We all would be turning off our TV sets, for sure. Therefore, it is a fair conclusion that poker should be considered only a game of skill, requiring total knowledge of the game, timely application of many skills, and selective aggression. It is not physically or athletically challenging. It was intended to be competitive, but that's where the similarity ends. It is at best a mental sport, kind of like chess, with many variables and complicated moves. I can live with that.

With all of the more important things going on, such as the 2008 presidential election, our failing economy, and the war in Iraq, should I really be putting my energy into debating whether or not poker is a sport? Probably not; but hey, if it brings on a smile, it was worth the effort.

For the masses, poker is just a lot of fun, whether playing it with family and friends or watching a major tournament on TV. For the pros and the wannabes, it's about the millions of dollars and the fame. Athletes are paid big bucks to do their thing. Poker players pay big bucks to do theirs. Athletes make the highlight shows exciting with their spectacular leaps and catches. What kind of ratings would a poker highlight show get? "John raised the pot and won the blinds and antes. Oh, my God!" I don't believe we would fare too well. So, without getting a penalty for delay of game, let's get to it and list the top 10 reasons why poker is not a sport: