The concept of gambling as a form of mental sports refers to the deployment of mental strength in some skill-based games and without physical display of strength or fitness.
Games like Chess, Blackjack, poker and even Sports betting fits in this criterion since professionals employ some good strategies, calculations and even critical analysis before taking the decision on your next line of action. These mental involvements stretch your mind and success in them is a product of strategy, constant practice, psychology and accurate decision under pressure.
There are yet other similarities between these mind sports and physical sports activities like
- Tournaments: Poker tournaments like WSOP features professional poker gamblers who assemble to compete against themselves and take away a big reward
- Rankings Most professional gamblers are ranked in terms of earnings, recognition and achievements
- Viewership Poker tournaments have some great viewership when televised and this shows it's value and entertainment prospects. Locally when professionals play Chess or drafts, they always assemble a little to semi-big audiences showing it has spectators
- Mental discipline: Such as analytical thinking, emotional control, decision made under pressure and even training programs since professional gamblers spend time to refine their skills by constant practices and experience just as athletes
Ok, maybe i don't get what you are talking about, because that doesn't really sound like mental strength to me.
Wouldn't that term "mental sports" be better suited to apply to any job where you need actual mental strength?
I mean with gambling, it's only your money you are dealing with, and it's easy to adjust the level of your skin in the game. So there's not much real consequences, other then losing the money, that you were ready to lose anyway. Otherwise you wouldn't have bet it.
And in comparison, consider jobs where you are responsible of life and death and moments of hesitations or a miscalculation can cost lives. Those require actual mental strength, because you are not playing. It's real life.