Since when did Poker become a sport, and why is it on every TV channel?

Yeah, don't forget they put the Spelling Bee and Dominoes on there too.

It's always been a sport, but the popularity of it has soared. They're is a championship event which has been around for a LONG time, but recently the entrants into it have gone up tremondously, and the top prize is in the millions. I guess for a perosn not interested in poker would find it boring.... just like i hate tennis or NASCAR, and golf as well.

Why do they televise those sports? It's because even though it seems boring to some, they aren't to millions and millions of others. The television stations know this...they televise it to increase their ratings, which in turn increases their revenue.

I'm not sure it's a sport. When ESPN first came on the air in 1979 it tried to fill with whatever it could. It was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network. So they showed poker. Now, with the unbelievable popularity of poker, I would have to guess it just comes down to ratings. They will show almost anything if people will watch.

More money is contested for in poker than any other sport, including golf and tennis. What makes poker any less watchable?

Poker CAN be fun. Check out the only Internet poker religion!

It's a mental challenge instead of a physical one. Although I'll agree that Golf on tv is a cheap alternative to sleeping pills. However I look watching billiards, but that's to improve my own game.

Well you really cant say its a sport! its more like a hobbie a lot of people play it! basically gambling makes all the fun happen! i played and got addicted the first day! theyre are many serious players out theyre to win money! a very few people play w/o money! basically its all about winning money! Its also based on ur descision which makes it even crazier! dont play its very addicting if u play with money

It became popular about the time people decided they didn't want to have to do anything useful for a living. It seems to me that a lot of people just want to get rich quick nowadays and don't really care about contributing to society.

good question. i dont really remember when it came on tv, i just remember it being on every channel all the time one day. like no poker, then poker. maybe some day we'll see solitare on tv.

anything to get people to watch. its all about the money.