Is Poker a Sport?

It’s a question that has troubled sports philosophers for many years, an age-old conundrum that has baffled boffins and confused the curious: is poker a sport or a game?

What is poker? Is it just a battle of wits, a game of luck, or a mesmerizing mishmash of both? Is Phil Hellmuth the Muhammad Ali of the river card and Phil Ivey the Lionel Messi of poker?

There is debate about whether a game of cards can really be classified as an athletic activity, but is athletic prowess the defining element of any sport?

Clay pigeon shooting, bowls, motorsports, curling, dressage, croquet – these are all sports – but far from physically taxing.

Head to the online poker sites, and you’ll soon learn that this card game takes skill to win at a high level.

Is Poker a Sport? Or Is It Still Just a Game?

The question of whether poker is a sport has been debated for years and continues to rumble on. While some argue that poker is merely a game of luck, true poker players know the sheer skill it takes to succeed at a high level.

Physical exertion cannot be the determining factor when it comes to classifying an activity as a sport. This can be seen by the inclusion of low-impact sports in the Olympics and its committee recognizing the likes of chess and bridge as sports.

What Is the Definition of ‘Sport’?

What is a sport? The word ‘sport’ is a shortened version of the word ‘disport,’ derived from the Old French word ‘desport,’ meaning ‘leisure.

‘Disport’ is defined variously as ‘divert,’ ‘amuse,’ ‘frolic,’ and ‘display.’ According to the Cambridge Dictionary, if you ‘disport yourself,’ you ‘enjoy yourself, especially by doing physical activity.’ The same dictionary defines sport in two ways:

• a game, competition, or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules for enjoyment and/or as a job
• all types of physical activity that people do to keep healthy or for enjoyment

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word sport was first recorded in the medieval period. The OED has multiple definitions, including sport as an ‘activity’ or ‘diversion,’ which is ‘entertainment’ or ‘fun.’

It also acknowledges a modern definition as: “an activity involving physical exertion and skill, esp. (particularly in modern use) one regulated by set rules or customs in which an individual or team competes against another or others.”

Olympic Word Games

Let’s move away from dictionary definitions and take a look at the power brokers, the rule makers, and the governing bodies.

The Council of Europe is an international organization that defends human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

A European Commission working paper looking at the impact of sport in the community states that ‘sport is unique in that it performs five functions,’ namely:

• an educational function: active participation is a great way to ensure balanced personal development
• a public health function: physical activity is an effective means of combating ill health and maintaining a good quality of life
• a social function: sport is a valuable tool for the promotion of inclusivity
• a cultural function: sport can help people get to know an area better, put down roots, and look at the larger environment
• a recreational function: it’s fun for its participants

A definition very much open to interpretation and one that poker easily fulfills.

Is Poker an Olympic sport?

Not yet. 

Arguably, the main arbitrator in the quest to discover what defines a sport is the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Every four years, the Olympic Games showcase the sports of the world. Paris 2024 featured breaking (aka breakdancing), sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing.

This is required for a sport to conform to the Rules of the Olympic Charter, the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of Manipulation of Competitions, and the World Anti-Doping Code.

The sport can then apply for admittance to the Olympic Games as a sport, a discipline, or an event.

There are varied reasons for featuring or excluding a sport from the games. If it’s dull to watch, it can be excluded; even though it is still a sport.

Poker Compared to Chess & Bridge

Chess is recognized by the IOC as a sport, as well as more than 100 countries. There is a code of conduct, an international federation, and it is considered a test of mental and – to a degree – physical endurance.

The card game Bridge is recognized as a sport by the IOC, but not by the European Court of Justice. The Court ruled that a sport must involve “a not negligible physical element.”

Billiards, wakeboarding, air sports, frisbee throwing, pelota, surfing, and skateboarding all have federations recognized by the IOC.

These weird Olympic sports may have been stopped but remain ‘sports’ by definition.

It is also worth mentioning that the country that wins its bid to host the Olympics can also recommend the inclusion of certain sports.

India is bidding for the 2036 games and plans to lobby for chess, kabaddi, squash, kho kho, and yoga.

The Case for Poker

So, how does the humble game of poker fit into these assorted frameworks, definitions and criteria? Is poker considered a sport or is poker gambling?

The World Poker Federation has campaigned for the game’s recognition as a sport since it was founded in 2022.

The organization was established under the leadership of both the Brazilian and Argentine poker associations, along with the Confederación Panamericana de Poker Deportivo (CPPD). The WPF’s mission is to promote poker as a recognized mind sport and to support players, clubs, and organizations worldwide.

The federation belongs to the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA), founded in 2005 to promote the development of Bridge, Card Games, Chess, Draughts, eSports, Go, Mah-jong, Poker, and Xiangqi as competitive sports.

One of the organization’s long-term goals is to introduce a World Mind Sports Games; the event would work in tandem with the Olympic Games – a ‘third kind’ of games after the Summer and Winter events.

In December 2022, the World Poker Federation was unanimously accepted as part of the International Mind Sports Association.

In November 2024, WPF secured Poker’s definitive recognition as a mind sport by IMSA.

Igor Trafane, WPF President, said in a press release:

“IMSA’s decision represents the dedication of thousands who view poker as a genuine profession and intellectual discipline. Our mission now is to build the foundation that every major sport already has: standardized regulations, professional pathways, player protections, and international competitions.”

How to Include Poker in the Olympics

Poker is a game rooted in gambling. Strategy and gameplay revolve around bluffing and making bets. This is a major stumbling block for it to be recognized as a sport and even included in the Olympics.

Match poker could be key to poker’s recognition as a sport. The game is played with different teams, split across different tables. However, exactly the same cards are dealt at each table.

Much of the luck is removed from the equation. Players play their chips in the usual way. After a predetermined number of hands, the winners can be easily identified.

This makes it possible to identify the best players and is a route towards Olympic inclusion.

The Bottom Line

Here’s why:

• The existence of match poker – a competitive game, free from gambling, where players use the same cards – takes a chance out of the equation, leaving only poker strategy and skill in play
• The IOC is so ambivalent about the definition of sport that it uses a system of federations. It leaves the option open to any qualifying activity, no matter how bizarre or ‘unathletic’
• The majority of dictionary definitions describe sport as an activity that involves skill, competition, and pleasure

Poker fulfills all these criteria. The one gray area is athleticism. But when you consider low-impact sports like shooting, dressage, bowls, and motorsports, that argument is somewhat moot.

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