New York City School Teaches Kids to Play Poker: Beat Harvard Students in Tournament

A lower East Side Manhattan public school is teaching its students how to play poker.  That’s right!

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The Henry Street School for International Studies offers a club called the Mathematic Operations, Psychology & Philosophy Through Tournament Card Play club.  Translation:  Kids learn to play poker as part of their extra curricular activities.

School officials want the game to be recognized as a test of skill and strategy, much like chess.  They are quick to note that the past three valedictorians have all been members of the club
.  In 2008, the students traveled to Harvard University to challenge a team at the law school—and won.

"Poker has been lumped in with some nefarious behavior because of the way it's been played. But if you take money out of it and look at it on a skill level, what makes somebody a good poker player we think can translate to other areas of cognitive learning," said Amy Handelsman, executive director of the federation and the United States Mind Sports Association. 

The Henry Street team, started by former school guidance counselor, Maurice Engler, currently has eight to 10 members and is the only sanctioned high school poker club in the city.  After leaving that school last year, Engler told the Wall Street Journal that his attempt to start a new poker club at his current school was halted mid-year.

"He tried it and just could not get behind it," Mr. Engler said of the principal at his current location. 

- Patrick Flanagan, Gambling911.com