Harvard's Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society

Harvard's Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society (GPSTS) headed by law students held a one-day academic poker conference on November 10th. These scheduled seminars are led by Charles Neeson, a Harvard Law School Professor, famed attorney and one of the founders of GPSTS. The titles of the seminars include "Poker: A Game of Truth in Life and Law" and "Law as Rhetorical Poker", and "Innovative Thinking: The Educational Value of Poker".

Part of GPSTS's mission statement is, "Our goal is to create an open online curriculum centered on poker that will draw the brightest minds together, both from within and outside of the conventional university setting, to promote open education and Internet democracy".

They feel that teaching poker in academia is a valuable educational tool and teaches risk assessment and money management and strategic thinking.

Charles Neeson says, "This conference underscores that poker is more than just a fun game. It is one of the best tools we have to teach negotiation, risk assessment, strategic thinking and other essential life skills."

To the GPSTS poker is unlike other games of chance, even though the cards you are dealt is pure luck strategic thinking and psychology come into play when betting and getting opponents to fold. Therefore it does not matter what cards you are dealt to determine the winner.

Andrew Woods, executive director of the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society explains that, "I'm not suggesting we're starting a B.A. in poker - or maybe it would be a B.S. in poker but it has tremendous benefits. ... People you consider smart and good at life tend to be smart and good at poker."