because for all that money, you at least should get some laughs at college
Yay for college pranks.
Sometimes the money involved isn’t what qualifies a poker game as “high stakes.” Tonight’s game had nothing to do with money, but pride and principle were another matter.
The university’s Graduate Student Senate had organized a “Casino Night,” with the benefits going toward a graduate student scholarship. Because it was a good cause, and two of my students helped organize the event (our grad program punches above its weight class when it comes to student politics and organizing), I joined in the fun.
I hadn’t given it much thought before sitting down at the poker table, but there it dawned on me that it was a “put up or shut up” moment. I often give poker analogies and stories while teaching. After all, poker was the inspiration for von Neuman’s pioneering development of game theory, which in turn has become a useful tool in conflict analysis and bargaining. But if I was going to continue credibly lecturing about the value of game theory and expected utility calculations in decision making, then losing my shirt in the game, fake money or not, wasn’t an attractive option.
To add to the drama, I was the only faculty member playing at the table (“So you faculty think you’re soooo clever, eh?”) and the only person from my department against a table full of law school and MBA students (“The social sciences–fuzzy and soft conflict resolvers in particular–beating us at a game involving deceit, competition, and money? Seriously?”).
So how did our hero (that’s me) do?
Starting chip count: $5,000
Ending chip count: $19,000
