Poker enthusiastic students at universities such as Yale, Harvard, USC and UCLA have been given the chance to join a chapter of a new poker society: the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society. The goal of this society is to bring to the academic environment poker as a game of skill and not as a game of luck. The society will teach students strategic ways of thinking about poker and how the game can be a teacher of many life lessons.
Charles Nesson, a law professor at Harvard Law School founded the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society and currently serves as the chapter’s president. Nesson sees the potential the game has as a teaching tool for students. Nesson also recognized the void that colleges have had for quite some time. Many schools have poker clubs, weekly poker nights, and even freeroll poker events with various prizes. GPSTS has filled that void and sheds light on what poker truly means.
This new society is focusing on sponsoring team poker matches between law, business and other professional schools, and holding academic conferences that touch on the educational applications of poker as strategic thought as opposed to luck. It also aims to teach geopolitical analysis, risk assessment and money management.
Last semester the GPSTS hosted two events that were considered great successes. On November 30th they hosted the UCLA/USC First Annual Crosstown Poker Tournament. One of the reasons it was such a hit was that it was able to get Annie Duke to meet with its attendees the night before the tournament to discuss the game of poker. Duke showed her support for the society and chose to stay the following day to watch the event.
The Harvard chapter of GPSTS was further able to present Howard Lederer at a discussion panel called “Poker: A Game of Truth in Life and Law.” The discussions lead to many aspects of poker and touched on specific life lessons students could gain from the game.
Though the GPSTS is a relatively new society it’s expected to expand and grow rapidly. Many students throughout the country are wondering if their school is already a chapter or seeking information on how to start one at their own university. As a student fulfilling his last semester at college I can say that I’ve been deprived of what seems like the most interesting society to hit college campuses yet. Anyone who would like to obtain further information on GPSTS or how to start one on their own campus are encouraged to visit gpsts.org for all the details!