Poker has certainly increased in popularity over the years, and now there are national tournaments in which players compete for several millions of dollars. Despite the fact that the World Series of Poker is shown on channels such as ESPN, I do not personally feel that poker is a sport, but rather a game and hobby instead.

To me, the definition of a sport is a game in which one person is pitted against one or several opponents, and they compete in a test of physical ability to determine who is better. A sport can be anything from football to running, but there has to be some sort of an extended period of time in which all of the participants are physically exerting themselves.

Poker definitely has some aspects that are common in all sports, such as competition, strategy, and prize money. However, for me, the single most defining factor of a sport is physical activity. Basketball, football, baseball, hockey, tennis, badminton, bowling, wrestling, boxing and golf all require physical exercise, whereas poker does not.

One could say that, while other sports exercise the body, poker exercises the mind. I do agree that poker does work the brain. It is very difficult to have to be constantly trying to “read” or figure out what your opponents have, while at the same time putting together what you have. You also have to be weary of showing emotion. However, if this is criteria for a sport, how come game shows such as Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Jeopardy aren’t sports, both of which also exercise a person’s mind?

I believe that poker has more in common with people’s hobbies. For example, I play Magic: The Gathering trading card game. There are countless strategies involved in putting together a competent deck, and there are national tournaments with big prizes going to the winner. But, ultimately, I do not view Magic: The Gathering as a sport, but instead as a game.

Another thing is when someone plays a sport, there isn’t anything to lose, and you are only playing for the fun of it and the chance to win glory. But, with poker, every hand carries with it the weight of potential ruin. To say that poker is a sport would be similar to saying gambling is a sport, although poker is more of a sport than, say, roulette, because there is much more strategy and a lot less luck involved.

The bottom line is that, while poker takes years of practice and immense skills to master, it shouldn’t be considered a sport because of its lack of physical activity and risky nature.