Is Poker a Metaphor For Teaching Life Skills?

Organizing poker strategic thinking societies at universities and secondary schools is an idea that Harvard Law School professor Charles Nesson believes in as an educational too. He sees poker as a skill that can be used to teach everything from basic life skills to war games at military colleges.

Nesson plans to announce a Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society (GPSTS) at an international conference called State of Play on August 19 in Singapore. GPSTS chapters will then be formed at universities on several continents, beginning Harvard.

GPSTS will offer poker strategic thinking workshops to secondary schools and community centers, sponsor team poker matches between law, business, and other graduate-level programs, and explore poker as a means to teach strategic thinking and related public policy issues.

According to Nesson, "Poker is one of the best metaphors for teaching life skills across a variety of disciplines."

Nesson hopes that poker societies will reach the point where they have an NCAA-style championship in team poker for American universities. Nesson also envisions an open online curriculum centered on poker that will draw the brightest minds together to promote open education and Internet democracy.