Classic casino games are some of the most popular games in the world right now, and poker is arguably the star of the show. This competitive, entertaining card game is embedded in our culture thanks to its long history and depiction in many a blockbuster Hollywood movie.
Advances in technology and broadband speeds has seen poker online game platforms reach a newer, global audience. Now anyone can play anytime and anywhere they choose, thanks to the accessibility and convenience of a smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
Recognition
The rise of poker has seen a rise in the number of players, big money tournaments, and televised events. While the World Series of Poker continues to go from strength to strength. However, one of the biggest ever developments in the game of poker took place on November 16, 2024.
A meeting of the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) officially added poker to the IMSA list of recognized mind sports. That means poker joins games such as bridge, chess, Go, backgammon, and mahjong, and is now classified as a sport that requires skill, concentration, and strategy.
The IMSA was established in 2005, and is a global organization that promotes intellectual competition and recognizes disciplines that emphasize strategy, mental skill, and decision-making.
What are Mind Sports
Mind sports, are competitive activities that prioritise mental skills, strategic thinking, and intellectual prowess over the physical athleticism of many other sports. Crucially, mind sports require critical thinking, problem-solving, memory, creativity, and so much more. That means poker is more than just an entertaining game of chance, it requires multiple mental disciplines too.
Benefits to Poker
The campaign for Mind Sport recognition was led by the World Poker Federation (WPF), as well as multiple national poker federations across the world. WPF President Igor Trafane announced that their mission now was to continue to grow the sport of poker by creating “standardized regulations, professional pathways, player protections, and international competitions”.
Other implications for the recognition of poker are greater industry stability and growth, as well as a more structured environment for sponsors and business investors.
Benefits to Players
As well as being entertaining and fun to play, mind sports provide multiple cognitive benefits to players. Here’s our breakdown of some of the key skills that make poker the ultimate mind sport.
Strategy
Poker involves many elements, including luck, but strategy plays a big part in any player’s success. Strategies often vary in complexity, but they require players to continuously adapt to their opponents’ moves and the changing circumstances of a game. The more strategies that a player is able to learn and understand, the better their ability to adapt during a game.
Odds Analysis
Constant shifts in the probabilities and odds of a poker game means players need to constantly analyse the variation in odds. This requires a deep understanding of mathematics and the ability to assess the different risk levels associated with them.
Decision Making
Poker players require the ability to assess fluctuations in probabilities during a game, and then make new decisions based on this often, incomplete information. All of this needs to be done quickly while under pressure.
Concentration
Poker games vary in length but in casino tournaments they can typically take between 3-6 hours to complete. Maintaining concentration for such long periods of time requires a mental fitness that players need to regularly practice in order to keep their focus.
A lack of concentration can result in missing out on vital information, potentially miscalculating probabilities, and even suffering losses.
Mastering Emotions
Emotions are often talked about in sport because unless players learn to control and understand their emotions, it will negatively impact their performance. Poker players make mistakes and can even lose hands out of sheer bad luck, but it is vital to master your emotions and keep a clear head.
Failure to control your emotions can affect decision making and lead to costly mistakes. However, learning to master emotions can help players build mental toughness and improve their in-game decision making.
Continuous Learning
To stay at the top of their sport, all players - no matter the sport – need to continue to learn and improve. For poker players that means staying updated on new strategies, techniques, and all the latest game trends. Continuous learning is also widely recognised as a key feature of healthy brains and a key aspect of cognitive health.
The future of poker
The World Poker Federation considers pokers recognition as a mind sport as an important milestone for the game’s development. While there is still work to be done in order to change some cultural attitudes to the game, there is a firm belief that people are starting to recognise not only the excitement and entertainment that poker brings, but also the mental and cognitive benefits.
Engaging in mind sports can foster cognitive fitness and boost players mental well-being, while providing an enjoyable but mentally challenging way to spend their leisure time.
In summary, mind sports offer a comprehensive mental workout, fostering cognitive fitness through strategic thinking, memory enhancement, focus, and stress reduction, making them invaluable for a healthier and more agile mind.