Olympic event

[ironman2000]

Can the sport of poker and I mean sport ever be considered as an Olympic event? What are your views and why?

[YuraK]

Can the sport of poker and I mean sport ever be considered as an Olympic event? What are your views and why?

It has to become an official sport at many countries before.
Right now it's banned in many country and registered as sport in Russia only (AFAIK). So Olympics - not in our lifetime!

[Doolally]

Not a chance. You'll see chess about 10 years before poker and I don't think that'll be anytime soon.

Personally I don't see poker as a sport. It's a game, agreed but a sport no.

[villa10]

Interesting.
We consider sports only those games in which some athletic skills are involved.

But is that right?
I don't think so

[TheGooner]

I think that athletic endevour is the thing that divides "games" or past-times from "sport".

Other games that are truely skiled include things like backgammon, snooker, billiards, and darts. All of these have a world championship - and that is the pinnacle achivement of those past times.

Scrabble too, and monopoly ... although I'm less impressed by these world champions - they do exist.


But none of these things will be Olympic sports (or should not be)
I think that the Olympic motto best sums it up : Faster, Stronger, Higher

Poker tests none of these - and should be no more an olympic sport than Blackjack, Roulette or Slot machines ... or playing hide n seek or paper, rock scissors.

[villa10]

Is golf a sport or it is a game ?.
I can see some world champions with nice bellies there.
Not to mention, that some years ago, it was frequent to see amateur players smoking during the match.

[TheGooner]

There are always close choices - but I'd definately put GOLF in the GAME category. It requires a large amount of skill - but much less stamina.

You wont see GOLF at the Olympics either ..

[Doolally]

Personally I don't think I'd want to see poker at the Olympics. Mind you I don't want to see chess, backgammon and snooker either.

[LiveCasinoPartners]

Not a chance. You'll see chess about 10 years before poker and I don't think that'll be anytime soon.

Personally I don't see poker as a sport. It's a game, agreed but a sport no.

Good point. If chess hasn't made it then poker won't anytime soon.

Interesting.
We consider sports only those games in which some athletic skills are involved.
But is that right?
I don't think so

yea, a sport is defined as "an active diversion requiring physical exertion".

Good point though, where do you draw the line between physical exertion .. or not? Can you believe that Badminton is an olympic sport!