On 7/24/2025 at 5:46 AM, ikke1959 said:

and poker is not gambling>> And gambling is forbidden in Thailand... I am confused now

So is Prostitution, so it is understandable to be confused. This is Thailand.

19 hours ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

No, don't confuse 'Football' with 'Soccer'!😅

Football = a game in which you KICK the ball with your FOOT.

Soccer = abbreviation of UK Association Football

23 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Poker is sport? I guess chess is also sport.

and so is darts and snooker.  Did someone say domino's? 

16 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

Poker is not a sport it is a game. You need no physical ability to play.

Very true, along with darts and snooker, I'm sure I seen a photo in a UK newspaper of a world champion darts player with his belly hanging over his belt. 

23 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

 

American "football" was on the bar telly. I made a comment to a mate that the rules evaded me. A random American stranger overheard and took on the uninvited task of explaining the rules to me over the course of 15 boring minutes.

 

I repaid the courtesy by explaining to him the detailed rules and intricasies of cricket. I think I lost him at silly-mid-on, or it might have been googly or thick outside edge. He was mightily impressed that the game was stopped occasionally for a cup of tea and then lunch.

 

I went to the WC and returned to see that he had legged it. Mission accomplished.  

I remember sitting in a bar with my friends watching cricket, completely confused of course. One of my friends explained the rules to me, and for some strange reason a moment of clarity struck me and I got it! That clarity swiftly dissipated the next day so now I'm back to watching and not getting it. Still enjoy it.

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

Football = a game in which you KICK the ball with your FOOT.

Soccer = abbreviation of UK Association Football

Rugby Football: Encompasses rugby union and rugby league, named after Rugby School. The term "rugby" is now commonly used, but "rugby football" remains in formal contexts, like the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for rugby union in England.

 "rugby football" is its real, original name, reflecting its roots as a football variant where carrying the ball was central, unlike association football’s focus on kicking. Today, "rugby" is the shorthand, but the full name persists in governing bodies and historical references

As an overweight elderly retiree, poker is the only sport I can engage in. . . . 

2 hours ago, ChiTownEric said:

Poker involves SO MUCH math, along with so much trying to read your opponents (up to 8 at a time & you must keep track of how each plays), the need to foresee and plan your moves & take into account what your opponent might do.

Wait a second.... these are all the things you tried to say are in chess, but not poker. 

You've been making me laugh while reading thru this post, please keep your ignorant posts coming!

Exactly!
 

It’s hilarious how confidently that guy dismissed poker like it’s some slot machine with cards. Of course there's a gambling element, everyone knows variance exists, but acting like that’s all there is? That’s pure ignorance.
 

What really makes poker fascinating, and tough, is everything under the surface: balanced preflop ranges, range vs. range analysis, hand equity breakdowns, ICM pressure in tournament spots, bet sizing theory, blockers, combo counting, adjusting your lines across multiple streets based on population tendencies… It’s a complete blend of math, psychology, and long-term strategy.
 

And that’s not even touching the hours of post-session study it takes to stay competitive. Hand reviews, database filtering, solver work, population analysis, node locking, building exploitative lines, you don’t just play poker, you study it like a language. It’s the furthest thing from “dumb luck.”
 

And the cherry on top? He tried to flex with chess, LOL. As if poker doesn’t involve anticipating and reacting to your opponents’ decisions in real time, often with incomplete information and money on the line. It’s chess with hidden pieces and real pressure.
 

Honestly, people like that shouldn’t talk about things they’ve never studied or played beyond a drunken home game. Just don’t respond to him, he clearly has no clue what he’s saying.

Ask him for fun what an opening range looks like and enjoy the silence. 😂

As for poker being a sport?

I would say poker is best described as a psychological sport, not about physical strength, but about mental endurance, emotional control, and the ability to out think your opponents under pressure.

 

I know some people are already rolling their eyes like, “How is poker a sport? You just sit there and play cards.”

But let’s be real, if the only requirement for something to be a sport is physical movement, then we’d have to kick out stuff like chess, shooting, and even eSports. And yet all of those are widely recognized as legitimate competitive sports.
 

Poker is a mental game, but it demands serious discipline, preparation, and endurance. Players study for hours, review hands, train their mindset, and sit for 10–16 hour sessions while staying focused and sharp the entire time.

Try doing that deep in a tournament on Day 4 with real money on the line and see how “easy” it feels.
 

It’s strategy, stamina, and skill all rolled into one, and just like other sports, the edge goes to those who put in the work. So yeah, poker absolutely deserves its spot among other recognized competitive activities. You don’t have to sweat buckets to be an athlete in every sense of the word.

Good. Now allow for poker rooms where players can obtain prizes like tickets for international events etc. if money isn't considered appropriate. That's what they do in Japan instead of having casinos.

Professional tiddlywinks is a sport, isn't it? Strategy, tension, toilet breaks. It has everything a sport requires.

The 2028 Summer Olympics will introduce the sport of flag football for the first time. Two events, one for men and one for women, will be held. Flag football, a non-contact variant of American football in which players remove flags attached to the ball carrier instead of tackling them, was previously contested at the 2022 World Games and will be featured at the 2025 World Games.

Flag football is not a professional American Football Game!

"The meeting also granted official sport status to American football."  It is flag football, not football.  

 

I can't wait to see Thailand play the USA with Tom Brady as QB.  I would be surprised if the Thais could even reach high enough to grab his flag.  Maybe Gronk will play too.  That would be so funny to see a Gronk run into a Thai.

22 hours ago, Srikcir said:

The 2028 Summer Olympics will introduce the sport of flag football for the first time. Two events, one for men and one for women, will be held. Flag football, a non-contact variant of American football in which players remove flags attached to the ball carrier instead of tackling them, was previously contested at the 2022 World Games and will be featured at the 2025 World Games.

Flag football is not a professional American Football Game!

 

Exactly.  Football payers make big $$$ in the USA, flag football players don't get paid and I don't think there is a regional or national league.  Flag football is played at the intermural level in college/uni in the USA.

Poker....next thing we know eSports will be in the Olympics.  Haha.  Maybe the drink lifting counts as weight lifting and working out.

12 hours ago, Showtime said:

Poker....next thing we know eSports will be in the Olympics.  Haha.  Maybe the drink lifting counts as weight lifting and working out.

Coming soon to a location near you....

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Esports_Series#:~:text=While esports and competitive video,Esports Week in November 2022.

 

 

Olympic Esports Games:

The IOC has announced the creation of the Olympic Esports Games, a separate structure within the Olympic Movement dedicated to competitive video gaming. 

 

First Games in 2027:

The first Olympic Esports Games will be held in 2027 in Saudi Arabia, marking a significant step in the IOC's embrace of esports, according to Olympics.com. 

 

Growing Recognition:

The IOC has been showing increasing interest in esports since the 2007 Asian Indoor Games, with events like the Olympic Virtual Series and the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in 2023. 

 

Separate Structure:

The Olympic Esports Games will have a separate organizational and financial model from the traditional Olympic Games, reflecting the unique nature of esports. 

 

On 7/23/2025 at 11:46 PM, ikke1959 said:

and poker is not gambling>> And gambling is forbidden in Thailand... I am confused now

 

but but you forgot the fliflop's that they love to make.

On 7/23/2025 at 9:04 PM, webfact said:

The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) made a landmark announcement today, officially recognising poker as a sport.

 

Why not snooker ?