Is poker a sport? – Part 1

Here is a good question for people to think about. Is poker a sport? Hmmm, let’s give this some true thought. What types of characteristics of poker would make it a sport?

Is it a game?

Yes, poker is indeed a game. After all, look at the millions of people that play poker. Look at the number of variations of poker itself such as Texas Holdem, Blackjack, Stud and even more!

Does it require strategy?

Ok we know that any real sport requires strategy. Now, some would argue that poker is just a game of luck. It’s a matter of the cards and how lucky you are. This is not so. Poker is a game of bluffing, reading opponents, knowing the basic hands and so forth. There is a tremendous amount of strategy for poker. So, we can definitely put a check mark next to poker for requiring strategy.

Does it require training?

Yes, poker does indeed require training. After all, you can’t learn all of the game rules, basic plays and how to read people without training!

Does it require practice?

Any good sport requires players to practice. Practice makes perfect. After all if it was a sport that just anyone could play then it wouldn’t really be that much of a sport. Poker requires a great deal of practice to learn all the techniques and plays to make. With practice you can even read people online. So, yes for poker requires practice.

Does poker require endurance?

Now some would argue that poker requires no endurance. But then there are other sports that don’t require much endurance either. Yet, if you think about the poker competitions, there is a great deal of endurance. There are hot lights, long length of times at the table for play, repetitive motion and even more. So we’ll give poker a small check for endurance.

Are there competitions?

No good sport is without competition. Poker is definitely a sport that has many, many different competitions. Shoot there is even a world poker tour!

YES! Poker wins out hands down for being a sport.

Making Money As A Poker Player

When a common person that never entered the world of true poker thinks of it, the last thoughts that will pass through his mind will be strategies and discipline. Common persons see poker as a game for the rich, cigars smoking and pool sitting men, that have nothing else to do with their money. The concept couldn’t be more misunderstood than it usually is. The truth is that when talking of poker, online or offline, people think of it as a common casino game, like the roulette or blackjack. They believe that luck is the key, when in fact it isn’t. If they knew a thing or two about poker, they would realize that above all, hold’em is a way to win some money, and if any good at it even a steady income.

Many people make their living this way and they have learned over time how to be moderate and how to manage their money properly in order to treat them as an investment that brings income steadily. It doesn’t mean it is for anyone no matter their skills. The truth is that in order to play poker and make money online you have to study and improve yourself permanently. The competitive level is high, and this is a good thing because it can keep you connected at all times. First you must understand that hold’em is not a game of luck. It doesn’t matter that you find it in casinos alongside with roulette and other purely luck games. It matters that it depends on your skills and the skills of the others paying with you. If you continue to consider it a game of luck, then you will hold a great disadvantage when playing with others that don’t. If, on the contrary, you don’t and you stumble across players that still do, then the disadvantage is their and you can use it to win more hands.

As in every life aspect, luck has a role in poker too. But, just as we can predict through statistic and calculus everything else, so can poker be predicted. Mathematics can help you understand strategies and odds and if you are skilled you can even develop your own strategies with its help.

So, the money making issue when it come to hold’em is not a fantasy it is a fact. Yes, you can make money playing poker. You can get rich over time or you can just provide steady income for your needs, whatever your intentions are, just as long as you understand the game completely. This means read as much as you can about it, practice as often as you can, diversify opponents s you can combine strategies learnt and in time you will be able to rank yourself higher and higher and see for yourself that money making and poker really do go hand in hand.