
Harvard
As we reported last week on the IFP website, Harvard Law School was the venue for a day-long conference about the benefits mind sports could have on school curriculums for millions of children around the world.
An article about the day published by Harvard Magazine detailed Professor Nesson’s vision for mind sports in education.
“Education must strike a balance between physical and mental sports,” said Nesson. “Teaching kids, we can use the notion of starting with play—which is where they are. Schools tend to turn them off at certain points: fractions and algebra are just death on math for so many kids. But in a game, they aren’t just abstract symbols, but tools.”
Also in attendance was Anthony Holden, author and President of the International Federation of Poker, who was unequivocal in his belief in the merits of poker in classrooms.
“Things that can go wrong in poker have parallels in things that can go wrong in life,” he declared. “You are caught out in a bluff in poker—maybe you are caught out in a lie in life. And in both cases, one big challenge is keeping your ego under control.”
The IFP will be among those keeping close eye on the outcomes of the conference, enhancing the role poker can play in mind sports development, particularly in the digital age.
“All five mind sports work online,” said Holden. “There is huge potential for expansion.”
You can read the entire article on the Harvard Magazine website.