www.02138mag.com

Lawyers’ Poker

The Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society, founded by William F. Weld Professor of Law Charles Nessen, aims to establish poker as a tool for everyday life. So 02138 asked Andrew Woods, executive director of the GPSTS, how poker can help with a few real-world scenarios.

Can poker help you get out of debt?
Poker teaches you money management. In tournaments, winners are usually determined by who most effectively manages their chips—their financial resources—not simply by who is the better player.

Can poker help parents deal with rebellious teens?
Poker teaches the parent to recognize behavior for what it actually is and then find practical ways of responding. The correct move may be to fold, allowing the child to have a little bit of leeway, or to raise, demonstrating that the parent is going to win the hand.

Can poker help you negotiate for a raise?
Poker teaches you to assess the strength of your position and what you can you expect the opposing parties to do given the relative strength of their positions. Similarly, in negotiating a raise, employees must understand their precise value to the company and how much leverage that gives employees in negotiations.

Can poker make you a better lover?
There’s no direct link between poker and sex. Although poker can help you win lots of money, and to the extent that money is an aphrodisiac ...