Just how popular is poker really?

In a poll taken to determine North America’s most popular sports leagues, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) didn’t even finish in the top 10.

It did finish in 11th place, however, ahead of the Arena Football League, among others, but well behind the likes of the National Football League (NFL), the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB).

The poll of 12,000 people across North America was conducted recently by Turnkey Sports & Entertainment, a Haddonfield, N.J., market research firm.

Other leagues finishing in the top 10 included the National Hockey League (NHL), NASCAR and the PGA.

Other leagues finishing behind the WSOP were the National Hot Rod Association, the Indy Racing League, the Pro Bowlers Association, the LPGA and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

“We’re honored to keep company with the best sports brands in North America,” said Jeffrey Pollack, Commissioner of the WSOP.

“Thanks to our players, sponsors, media partners, fans and staff, we’ve entered the mainstream in another new way.”

Turnkey polled 12,000 adult sports fans in the 47 North American markets that are home to at least one NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB team.

The company asked questions to measure the popularity and fan loyalty of 122 team brands, and asked fans to identify up to three leagues they admired most from a list of 24 U.S-based sanctioning bodies.

The WSOP was the only poker entity on the list.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)