Thanks to the Wild West balladeer Kenny Rogers, we all know how important it is to “know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.” But where am I supposed to find such information? Where could I develop the sheer instinct to know without a shadow of doubt whether it’s time to “hold ‘em” to “fold ‘em” or to “get outta dodge?” Before I could confuse any more cowboy-clichés, I spoke with Aaron Chen ‘22, president and co-founder of the Harvard Undergraduate Poker Club, to see if he could offer any wisdom.
“The Harvard Undergraduate Poker Club,” says Chen, “is a space to talk about, study, and play poker for anyone who might be interested.” Chen said that, beyond just being a fun game to play, poker is a great way to gain a better understanding of things like game theory, math, and probability. When I asked him what the poker community was like at Harvard, he said, “it’s just a really fun group,” and a very welcoming community where he’s met, “a ton of good friends.”
Courtesy of the Poker Club.
Poker is really an umbrella term for a wide variety of bet-based card games. Chen told me that, though the club tries to branch out from time to time regarding the varieties of poker they play, the style featured most prominently is, “No limits Texas Hold’em.”
In the past, Harvard undergraduate poker players have held in-person games with, “real money in the prize pool.” In accordance with a Massachusetts state law prohibiting online gambling, the club will not be hosting games virtually this semester. They will, however, host a number of poker-related events and programs. “We plan to have events catered to skill level. Some for beginners, regular players who haven’t studied more advanced topics, and more advanced stuff for skilled players” shared Chen. He also mentioned that the club wanted to host weekly virtual workshops on various niche topics related to the game. Should things ever return to normal, the Harvard and MIT Poker Clubs plan to team up and host semesterly tournaments. In the past, MIT tournaments have featured, “real cash prizes,” offered by, “corporate sponsors like SIG and other trading companies.”
Chen wanted to stress that the Harvard Undergraduate Poker Club is a, “no comp, no prep club. All you need is interest, and anyone is welcome!” If you’re interested in getting involved, Chen urges you to reach out to the club at harvardpokerclub@gmail.com.
Cade Williams ‘23 (cadewilliams@college.harvard.edu) does not yet know when to hold’em nor when to fold’em.