Poker is a Hobby, Not a Sport: Defining "Sports"

Poker is not a sport, although many enthusiasts may disagree with me. Not by any stretch of the imagination can it be called a sport. A pastime? Sure. A hobby? You bet! A quick way to pass the contents of my wallet to my drinking buddies? Well yes, unfortunately. Sports are defined as a physical activity requiring a certain amount of skill.

Anything one does ,if you use a certain amount of latitude, can be defined as a physical activity. Taking a bath is a physical activity. So is writing this article. Even playing poker is physical, in the sense that you must use your body. This is where the difference between sport and other activity comes in. All of the skill involved in poker is in your brain, not your motor skills.

In my reality, sport has a slightly different definition: Is there physical contact? Can you get hurt? Does main part of the event involve your body or some other item? If the answer is yes to both, then it is a sport. This puts bowling squarely OUT of the realm of sports, but it does put archery just within its boundaries. Poker? Nope. Its now in the same category as knitting and eating yams. Sadly, my definition of sports allows badminton and figure skating in.