If poker is a sport, should there be drug testing?

[potfan42o]

poker is the drug. Do bowlers get tested?

[DocHo11idaze]

thats true. my gf's always like how can u sit there and play all night for hours on end (live most the time) and yeah, it is the drug. Keeps me going, the thrill of donking someone

[PimpGameNM]

Unless there are rules in place to say u cant do it its fine. As far as putting those rules in place I dont think it is that big of an edge, all those "drugs" have many adverse effects that go along with desired effects. IMO it's a dumb idea

[Tropwen]

good question i think it should but that would be alot of testing lol each day too

[FrankWhite]

Well if they did drug test it would have to be random. But these are poker players so they would calculate there odds of getting pulled aside and make a educated decision anyway. Either way I think with any drugs advantages would come disadvantages. And the advantages would be slight and little more than you could get from legal drugs weather prescribed, over-the-counter, legal herbal supplements , or alchohol. I don't think it is worth the money or debate. For that matter I think the list of drugs checked for in most traditional sports should be severely shortened. I don't care if a player smokes pot. Truth be told, I don't care if that smoke crack.

[CKC1UNV]

Poker is 100% not a sport. As far as drug testing in poker....I'd say it's not worth it as well. Lol you'll never hear the headline. "Phil Helmuth stripped of his poker bracelets for testing positive for HGH(human growth hormone)".

And yes I know they would use different drugs than HGH to enhance the mind, I was just being cheesy)

[italian314]

I think Doc Hollidaze said it right, "Stu Ungar". He was doped out of his gore and he was still a great player. I think drug testing would be uncalled for, especially when most of poker is played in Vegas. I am sure most players are getting messed up after or during tourneys and ring games win or lose.

[TrueOC]

lol...drugs dont give a advantage at the tables.

Poker is all mental, maybe adderall helps by making youconcentrate but thats about it.

60% of pokerplayers dodrugs epsically smoke weed.

[zayzoo]

Just in case we might have a player that goes limitless like Bradley cooper. Lol sure why not

[WILD]

Where do you draw the line I suppose? Does the guy who has ADD get to take his prescription adderall the day of the tournament, while the guy taking amphetamines without a script gets drug tested? Does the guy who did cocaine a week ago get his winnings and titles nulled because he came up positive? Is there a strict no drinking policy before the tournament?

It just sounds rather silly to me. If I was an Olympic runner and someone who beat me had been doping, I'd be pissed and call him out on it, try to get him stripped of his title. BUT, If I'm in a big stakes poker tournament and someone took some mood stabilizers and some stimulants and beat me, I would have to just deal with it and try to tighten my game up a bit. I wouldn't be too hard pressed to say he had an unfair advantage beyond anything reasonable.

I'd have to agree with this. Plus, it might hurt action if some players don't want to be tested knowing they have marijuana in them.