The Round Up

Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Reyes and Reyes

Anthony Reyes
Sports Reporter

Professional poker must be considered a sport becasue there are millions of players all over the world playing various forms. Professional players actually earn a living by playing poker, much like other athletes.

Although it can be debated that the game may be played by anyone in almost any situation, one could argue that given the materials, any sport could be played by anyone at any place and time. There is also the argument that sports require an athletic activity such as running or jumping, and in most cases this is true. However, there are exceptions. The length of poker matches, which can last for days, is comparable to the length of most sporting events.

The game of poker, when played professionally, is very challenging for a person because of the intense mental strain they must undergo in order to be successfulPoker players engage in true competition, much like other sports the biggest, strongest fastest athletes don't always win nor do the players with the best hand always win. Another aspect of poker is that it is one of the fairest sports imaginable; everyone at the table is equal, no matter their size, beliefs or ethnicity.

There is also the strategy of using a "poker face" or reading your opponents that is implemented. These skills are similar to a base runner in baseball reading the pitcher to see when he can steal a base or in basketball, when a defender reads a passer's eyes to make a steal.

The mental aspect is even greater in poker than in other sports. I would compare the intense mentality of professional poker to coaching in professional sports. In most sports, the athletes are discouraged to think and are occasionally punished for over-thinking. The plays athletes make are often those they have practiced, so the act of simple execution is all that is necessary.

Another aspect of poker to examine is the management of luck, but every sport has a facet of fortune. For example, in baseball a hit ball can hit a patch of bad dirt in the infield and bounce oddly. In other sports such as basketball, shots are frequently made because of lucky bounces or rolls. In fact, most long shots made (i.e. past half court) are because of luck.

The bottom line is when players are gambling with such large amounts of money, equivalent to the salaries of professional athletes, and are competing against thousands of players, they must be viewed as professionals competing in a sport. The entertainment aspect of poker must also be examined, except for the counterargument that all sports serve or can serve as a form of entertainment. Therefore, poker, which is not subjectively judged, falls into the field of sport.

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