PokerWorks

The Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society, an organization founded by Harvard Law Professor Charles Nesson, has discussed its plans for spring 2008 activities, which includes speaking engagements in London and conferences at Wharton College and George Washington University.

In an interview with PocketFives, GPSTS Executive Director Andrew Woods announced a schedule that aims to bring knowledge about poker, gaming as it pertains to international free trade, the current legal state of the game in the U.S., and poker lessons that can be applied to life and used to educate students around the world.

With 13 chapters of GPSTS currently operating in various colleges and universities around the United States – including Harvard, UCLA, USC, Cornell, Stanford, George Washington University, NYU, Tufts, and Catholic Law School – the organization is growing and making their existence known through conferences and seminars. Woods noted, “I’m excited for our chapters to get going. I’m excited to export this idea around the country.”

First on the schedule is a trip by Nesson to London, England on February 12th. He will speak at the Institute of Economic Affairs about the implications of the UIGEA on global free trade. Joining Nesson will be Sallie James, a policy analyst at the Center for Trade Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, and Lode Van Den Hende, a senior associate of Herbert Smith LLP.

On February 20th, there will be a discussion at Harvard of the Massachusetts Casino Gaming Bill with a focus on its intention to open three casinos but render online gaming illegal and punishable by jail time. The Associated Press has been invited to cover this event.

The next day, poker pro David Apostolico will speak at Wharton College about his book, “Poker Strategies for a Winning Edge in Business.” And on February 27th, Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas will appear at George Washington University to discuss the UIGEA, several bills currently being proposed to Congress to change the current laws, and the role of the PPA in lobbying and fighting for the rights of poker players.

The next event will be in March when poker pro Andy Bloch will visit UCLA to speak about his poker career and how his past training as a lawyer and mathematician played into that life path. Events further along in the calendar will include seminars and conferences by Annie Duke, Howard Lederer, and Taylor Caby at New York University.

The GPSTS hopes to educate the masses about poker as a game of skill that can be used as a teaching tool in all levels of academia and in secondary education. The main goals of the organization are:

1. Encouraging the continuing development of chapters at universities across the world,

2. Conducting academic seminars, panel discussions and lectures that explore poker as a means to teach strategic thinking and related public policy issues,

3. Sponsoring team poker matches between law, business and other professional schools, and

4. Holding academic conferences to focus on the educational applications of poker strategic thought and related fields.

Woods commented on the success of GPSTS thus far: “When we were developing the GPSTS, we thought we had a good idea, but I didn’t know to what extent students would jump on it considering our chapters don’t gamble… Students have loved the idea and it’s been refreshing to be involved in an academic mission that people have found so much fun with.

For more information, visit www.GPSTS.org.