Needless to say, online gaming is a hot button issue right now. There are four pieces of legislation awaiting debate in Congress authored by high-powered Congressmen. One has already been discussed in committee. A lawsuit between the U.S. Government and iMEGA has taken shape and a decision on whether or not the case will be heard is due in the next few weeks. Enter the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society, or GPSTS if you’re short on breath. Founded by Harvard Law Professor Charles Nesson, the organization is quickly gaining steam.

The GPSTS’ vision, according to its website, is this: “The Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society views poker as an exceptional game of skill that can be used as a powerful teaching tool at all levels of academia and in secondary education. We use poker to teach strategic thinking, geopolitical analysis, risk assessment and money management. We see poker as a metaphor for skills of life, business, politics and international relations. 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.”

The Executive Director of the GPSTS, Andrew Woods, stresses that emphasizing the educational aspects of poker legitimizes it: “We’re trying to legitimize poker by bringing an academic and educational focus. Poker is a game of skill and is different from other casino games. From that perspective, we’re attempting to argue in an educational environment. What we’re hoping to do is start a series of chapters in universities for people to study, play cards, and learn the lessons that poker can teach. Also, we’re developing a full curriculum. The GPSTS is interested in hosting academic conferences and bringing poker into mainstream America.”

The GPSTS launched on August 22nd and has already formed chapters at Harvard, Michigan, and UCLA. Chapters at Stanford, Yale, MIT, Brown, and Tufts should launch soon. Needless to say, the momentum is already very strong. Woods comments, “The reaction has been incredible. When Professor Nesson first came to me with this idea, I thought this idea was crazy. After all, who, at the highest levels of academia would take the idea of poker as education seriously? But the more I investigated and learned about Professor Nesson’s vision, the more convinced I became about the legitimacy of the idea. We implemented this program in a workshop form and the reaction was just fantastic – we have yet to get any significant negative treatment. Businesses and corporations have come to us wanting to get involved.”

The organization is hosting a conference on November 10th entitled “The Educational Utility of Poker,” focusing on the educational aspects of poker. World Poker Tour Commentator Mike Sexton is hosting the event. Jim McManus, the author of Positively Fifth Street, will also be in attendance. Panelists for the conference's seminars include Howard Lederer and Crandell Addington.

Overall, the GPSTS is looking for college students and anyone who is interested in poker as an educational tool to join their ranks and form chapters across the country. For more information, check out the GPSTS website at www.gpsts.org. You can also e-mail Andrew Woods directly at amwoods@law.harvard.edu.