Why is Poker on ESPN? How is it a sport and not an activity?

Answer 1

The first question is easy: It's on ESPN because people watch it. If no one watched it, they wouldn't air it. Simple.

As for the "Is Poker a sport or not?" question, I'm back and forth on this one. Before I got into poker, the answer to this one for me was a resounding "Hell no." But since I've gotten into it, it still goes back and forth. Often I think "Well, there's a much stronger element of randomness and luck to it... if you took a professional baseball team and a little league team, there's almost no way a pro team could lose... but in poker, even a complete amateur can beat a pro once in awhile... plus, look at the guys... a lot of them are fat, sloppy and out of shape... how can you call this a sport?" But when I play, and I feel the competition, and the gears working in my head, and the strategies I'm devising... it feels very much like a sport, albeit a mental one. I'll leave it up to the dictionary:

1. an activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.

By definition 3, you could say definitely... even by definition one... it's an ACTIVITY requiring skill OR physical prowess... by many dictionary definitions it's a "physical" or "athletic" activity, but by others, it's just an activity... so it's hard to say.

Answer 2

The fact that poker is on ESPN does not make it a sport. If that were the case, you'd have to call the National Spelling Bee a sport as well.

Poker is a competition, but that alone does not make it a sport. A sport, by definition, requires physical skills. I don't consider tossing cards or chips around a sufficient physical skill to deem poker a sport. And if you were to call poker a sport, you'd also have to call chess, checkers, Monopoly, and pie baking contests sports as well.

Answer 3

poker is on espn because simply, it gets good ratings and people watch...if they didn't there would be no reason for espn to air it

people love to debate whether poker is a sport or not, but honestly, who cares? what does it really matter whether poker is a sport? it doesn't change the game/sport in any way does it? personally, if you really want my opinion, i would say it isn't a sport, but again, it really means very little

Answer 4

One poker pro said, "any game you can play while drinking beer isn't a sport." As far as competition and prizes though, the World Series Main Event and a couple of other large tournaments have prize-pools bigger than any other sport and the largest first place payouts of any other organized game. Also, the players put in the entire prize pool (except sponsored participants,) another unique aspect of poker except perhaps for Skins golf.

Answer 5

I know one thing, poker players are not athletes. Poker is however an extremely competitive endeavor. I heard recently that poker is the third most watched televised "sport." I guess I'm winning the golfers ARE athletes and golf IS a sport debate.

Answer 6

"I consider poker to be a sport. You can found so many similar elements in both.
Dedication, competition, discipline,patience, endurance, and the love of your game"

Those words are from Doyle Brunson and the more I play the more I have to agree with him.

But does it really matter? No. Football, golf, poker, surf, basketball, eating contest!.....Who cares! Everybody like different thing, let's just play, watch and enjoy what we love.

Answer 7

I've never heard them call it a sport.

Think of it as a competition because espn has gone far enough past being just a sports and news broadcaster.

Answer 8

Maybe because having a Poker face is soo intense, you get a major facial work out! Ughhhh!!!!

Answer 9

Probably makes it legal to televize calling it a sport, rather then a game of gambling, as not to influence younger viewers.

Answer 10

1 word...competition