Would you consider games like Poker, Chess etc as Sports?

[cobl04]

At a competition level? They get pretty heated and I'm slowly getting pulled into the world of Poker thanks to late-night WPT on TV, lol. But would you consider them a sport?

The argument came up recently. Some people say yes, but personally I think they are just games, because in sport you need to be doing something physical. Raking in chips, or throwing cards away, or checkmating someone is not really physical. But some of my peers believe they deserved to be called a sport.

Waht do you guys think?

 

[impy13]

Sports involve physical exertion, and the only physical exertion I get playing poker is pounding my chest after too many hot wings and longnecks.

 

[Angela Harlem]

not sport. they're games.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

It's interesting you bring this up. The last South-east Asian Games featured bodybuilding, chess, balldroom dancing and the like. It was a bit silly. To me, while some of these do involve a certain amount of physical exertion, they're more games than sports. It's like how I don't consider figure skating a sport but more of a competitive art, if you will.

 

[Vincent Vega]

Chess is officially considered sport because a world class game of chess, like a game between two grandmasters, is physically as demanding as 8 to 12 rounds boxing they say.

 

[cobl04]

^

You should have seen the heated debate we had. It got to the stage where we were yelling. It was about 4-2, in favour of 'they're games', but it was actually quite funny. One of mates was trying to convince me that Poker can be just as physically enduring as footy, because every so often you get up and down on the flop, etc.

Do you guys get the WPT on your TV screens? It's sad, but I'm hooked.

 

[J_NP]

Sure , anaerobics sports , but still sports .

Remind you there are 2 kind of sports

Aerobics - The most "physical" how do you prefer , which are the ones who in nutshell leaves you wet

Anaerobics - Do not envolve physical participation and doesn't leave you wet

 

[Numb1075]

nope. they are games or hobbies

 

[Canadiens1131]

They're games.

Just as bowling and curling are

 

[ntalwar]

Games.

Although it is interesting to see what ESPN will televise to get ratings:
Poker, Eating Contests, etc.

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

It's like how I don't consider figure skating a sport but more of a competitive art, if you will.

Figure skating is a very physically demanding sport.

I'd consider ice dancing the competitive art of the two.

 

[phillyfan26]

Sports requite true physical talent.

Games and sports ARE correctly categorized together as recreation. However, there is a difference, which some people do not understand.

So, no, they are games.

 

[Salome]

darts?

 

[jimmmm]

darts?

Yeah, darts,definitely, because England have the greatest, most consistant sportsman in the world in PHIL TAYLOR, genius!!!

 

[cobl04]

Lawn Bowls.

That is an awesome sport to watch and play and I have decided I will play it full-on in my later years.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

is hungry hungry hipos a sport?

building a house takes a lot of physicaly demanding... is that a sport?

being a stay at home mom and raising 3 kids is physicaly demanding... is that a sport?

poker and chess are leisure activities... games. not sport. why is this even a question?