Following a meeting and vote by members of the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) on November 16, poker has been added to the IMSA list of officially recognized mind sports.
Poker joins the likes of bridge, chess, mahjong and Go, being classified as a mental sport requiring skill, strategy and focus. IMSA acknowledgement of the game in this way comes after a campaign led by the World Poker Federation (WPF), a network of 49 national poker federations, and counting, across five continents.
“We have achieved something today that is both unprecedented and definitive,” said WPF President Igor Trafane, pictured above, right, with IMSA CEO Geoffrey Borg, “Our mission now is to build the foundation that every major sport already has: standardized regulations, professional pathways, player protections, and international competitions.
“The World Poker Federation was built on the belief that, by joining forces, we can amplify our impact and protect the game we love.”
>> Click here to read the full article by Adam Hampton on Poker.org
