Is Poker Going to Become an Olympic Sport With Match Poker?

Poker is clearly a form of gambling. However, it is also a game that requires a great degree of skill, and there is ample evidence out there that the skill element triumphs over the luck factor in the long run.

In that light, there has been talking lately of some opportunities to move forward with gambling with a new retrospective light altogether.

The ambitions for gambling (poker specifically) as an Olympic sport makes complete sense.

By distancing itself from the gambling bit, poker could very well become a community sport, especially if risking money within such competitions is not actually included.

Through extensive talks, it has been decided that by adjusting some rules and changing the name to Match Poker, poker could have a fair shot of making it into the Olympic world.

While gambling has such a prestigious reputation, in and out of a casino, the recent evolution of CSGO Gambling has increased in popularity over the years, and guess why?

CSGO poker, where players wager game skins instead of actual money, has been a hit for the gambling industry to date, and for a good reason.

Poker has really shaped itself throughout history and hitting the Olympic setting, for many, could be seen as ‘about the right time.’

How Will Match Poker Be Scored?

Match poker will be scored on the same basis as a typical game of Texas Hold’em. However, how much money you would have won from the pot will not determine the ranks of winning and losing.

Instead, players across different tables will be ranked how well they performed with the same hands. The distribution of cards is the same across the same positions on all tables, so the luck element is removed.

What is match poker

Players receive points based on how well they performed, i.e., how many chips they were able to win or how little they lost.

With all these details combined, a ranking will be provided to the players in the poker game. Over time, this ranking can improve or decline depending on how active you are as a player within the competitive community.

How Do I Play Match Poker?

To play match poker, you do not have to be in a live poker setting. Online and mobile gameplay is possible for practice, too.

Match poker simply requires the player to download the necessary poker app for iOS or Android.

While the thought of making Match Poker a game for the great Olympics is tempting, there is a long road ahead.

This would require popular players to embrace the idea and become active in the various local competitions. With time, though, the game could be recognized as a game of skill and included in the Olympics.

How to Best Prepare Yourself for the Game?

If you are really keen to build your way up to the Olympic level, with no prior experience in playing poker, you could always check out simple free-play versions of poker on online casinos.

This is genuinely the best way to go about preparing yourself for the gameplay standard. While some variants of online poker will differ from the rest, it would be best to stick to standard Texas Hold’em.

Preparing for poker olympics

This is the variant that many competing environments will follow and therefore is the best option to prepare you for the challenges ahead.

Start by learning essential strategies for the game and build up from there. With good fundamentals, you’ll be ready to acquire new skills and knowledge and face tougher opponents.

It may still take a while before poker finds its place at the Olympics. That said, it’s never too early to start preparing, and, who knows, one day, you might be representing your country as a part of the national poker team!