Is poker a sport? Vietnam has decided

Sport or not, the debate around poker is eternal. If some people criticize chess games, which are considered as a sporting activity, poker still finds it difficult to find its place between puzzle games, gambling and sports. Still, in Vietnam, the subject is closed since poker has officially become a full-fledged sports activity. Moreover, the country is embarking on the training of poker players.

Vietnam wants to train poker players

First of all, you should know that the Socialist People's Republic of Vietnam has always banned gambling related to money, like a good number of states in Asia. However, it seems that poker has a special place in the hearts of the Vietnamese. Indeed, the card game was introduced as a sport in 2014.

Despite this surprising and ambitious decision, poker has not yet found its great champions in Vietnam. That is why the municipal team of Ho Chi Minh City, the capital, has decided to open training workshops to train tomorrow's winners. In addition to the 2,000 players who gathered for a tournament and the training sessions, the objective of this training is to show the benefits of poker. If we do not doubt the sporting values of poker, the national selection of Vietnam is always looking for a team ready to triumph on the international stage. Will these workouts be effective?

Can poker be considered a sport?

If for tax reasons, the question of poker often comes up in sports debates, we prefer to focus on other aspects. While some poker enthusiasts denounce the situation of chess, which has been presented as a sport since the decision of the International Olympic Committee in 1999, others consider that a poker player has the same mental and psychological attributes as other athletes.

Indeed, when we look at all the work of poker players at the level of their concentration, their motivation, as well as in the analysis of the opponent and their own game, it would seem that poker easily resembles a sports practice.

Only here, poker has a sometimes controversial image that does not necessarily refer to "sportsmanship". Moreover, the relationship between the game of cards and money seems to be a considerable disadvantage, especially for online games cash-game . If we add these arguments to the fact that chance plays an important role in a game and that poker is a game present in casinos, we are still far from a favorable decision by the IOC.

Poker can be used by all athletes

In any case, if one thing is certain, it is that poker can serve as a complement to the sport. An athlete can, for example, forge his competitive mind by participating in poker tournaments. Indeed, the psychological aspect of an athlete must be worked on a daily basis.

It will therefore be possible to develop certain abilities such as motivation, reading events, alertness, as well as stress management.