This is the question that arises Jeff Bercovici in an article in Forbes Magazine. First, he says jokingly, the following calculation must be done: completing an MBA at the business school will leave you a debt of about $ 100,000 and buy a pack of cards will cost you about $ 5. It is already a saving of $ 99,995.
To better understand the game to which the author of the article is a neophyte, he met Peter Alson, president of the United States Poker Federation which recently launched mission to popularize the poker and make a (public) mainstream sport. One of the ways to do this is to make the education. Peter Alson tries to impress upon people that poker, just like chess and bridge, can help us to develop some useful skills in our life (especially if it is intended to work in the business world). Poker would somehow, a school of life for the business man in the making.
A better image for poker
The skills acquired by the poker will be particularly useful in the world of business course. Want to negotiate a contract, countering the strategy of your competitor, or calculate risks, you will need the teachings that poker will bring you. For example, playing poker and Excel will improve your ability to calculate probabilities and to better assess the risk/reward ratio when you make a difficult decision.
Poker will also learn you other lessons that you can take advantage in your career in business. For example, you should know that when your business (or your bankroll) is not completely wiped out (but has difficulty), there is always way to improve it and make the adjustments needed to continue to make money, even after experiencing a bad pass or a period of drought. The "downswing" are the domain of poker than business.
A proverb that applies to poker, also applies in the business world: If you do not know who wins and who loses in a case, it is likely it is you the biggest loser. In other words, do not let people you know more or less place and invest your money in your place. When you invest, it is important to get involved both monetarily only intellectually (in other words, to understand where your money goes and why).
Another point in common between poker and any business, when you love your project (or poker), you better performerez than one or one that doesn't like it not. Achieve a high level in any discipline or case of time and investment. Therefore, it will be easier for you to complete your project if you are passionate.
From underground to mainstream
Peter Alson wants to change the image of poker. He no longer wants that one sees poker as a game of gambling, but as a great sport, a sport of mind. According to him, several million people still might indulge in poker, but dare not afraid to be categorize "gambler" or fear of losing money (according to them, poker is a costly hobby). He gives the example of Zynga Poker, a popular application on Facebook which includes millions of poker players who play to amass points and not money. "It is a completely different type of player that plays on Zynga" he said. To date, there are more than 60 millions on Zynga poker players. Poker interested many people and the popularity of Zynga Poker is an index.
Online poker is not legal now in the United States, but we are confident that things will change in the coming months/years. Historically, several sports at their debut, did not have the rating so that today ' today, they are part of our daily lives. For example, mixed martial arts were illegal in most U.S. States just a few years ago. Today, they are legal in almost all States (except New York, Vermont, and some places in Connecticut) and lately, the broadcast of an event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has attracted 5.7 million viewers.
Same story for the "stock car racing" which was once an illegal activity. Today, this sport generates 1.5 billion dollars in merchandise and even the president of the United States attends on occasion.
Lately, believe American football who, a hundred years ago, was almost illegal given the number of injuries caused by this sport. Today, the Superbowl is a mythical event in the United States.
To see the video that inspired this new: poker is a better school than the shcool business?
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