Numerous articles, players, and lawmakers have weighed in to give their opinion on whether or not poker is based on skill or luck. Recently I listened to a podcast between Phil Gordon of Full Tilt Poker and movie director Zak Penn that had a slightly different question, is poker a game or a sport?

Merriam-Webster defines a game as an “activity engaged in for diversion or amusement”. Sport is defined as “a source of diversion”, going further, an expanded definition is “physical activity engaged in for pleasure”. Every sport is a game, but not every game is a sport.

Typically when I think about a game, I think of something that is played purely for fun. I think of board games or card games. If someone says sport I think of the mainstream sports such as basketball, baseball, or football. But where is the line drawn between a game and a sport? The definition provided by Merriam-Webster is thoroughly unhelpful. The types of activities that can be put into either category are incredibly vast and depend on how you describe them.

One possible way to differentiate between a game and a sport is to say that any activity that can be won with minimal physical movement and an emphasis on logic is a game. However I am sure a fair amount of people would not agree with this definition in part or as a whole. The first element, minimal physical movement does not work because, as mentioned above, all sports are games. Popular sports such as football require enormous amounts of physical movement and also contact. The second element requiring an emphasis on logic would mean all games based on luck are something else entirely.

Whether or not you think poker is a game or a sport, it is an activity that millions of people around the world enjoy, both live and in the form of online poker. If you believe strongly one way or another please share your thoughts but no matter what keep poker fun.