Absolute Poker

Absolute Poker College Challenge Serves up Strategy Lessons and $10,000 in Tuition

Thousands of College students take a break from the textbooks for a taste of Texas Hold'em strategy in the leading online poker site's dedicated College poker competition.

Miami, FL (Marketwire) October 19, 2009 -The return of the Absolute Poker College Challenge (“APCC”) offers one of the coolest ways for students to show off their acumen for logic and strategy at the poker tables, and earn a share of thousands of dollars in prize money. With five weeks out from the November 30th APCC Main Event, there’s still time for students to get in the game and test their skills for a top prize of $10,000 in tuition.

With more Ivy League Colleges recognizing poker as a game of skill and adopting poker strategy as a subject of study, the leading online poker site’s College Challenge is proving a solid stomping ground for the growing number of students looking to try their hand at putting textbook theory into real world practice.

The prestigious Harvard Law School is one of the most recent supporters of poker as an excellent teaching tool at the academic level. While politicians ponder the future of gaming in the States, maverick Harvard Law School professor Charles Nesson has brought Texas Hold ‘em into the classroom and is leading the pack when it comes to defending online poker as much more than just a game.

“It is one of the best ways to teach how to conduct negotiations, how to assess risks, how to develop strategic thinking and other skills essential to succeed in life,” said Nesson during a University lecture.¹

"Nesson’s concept that playing poker teaches students other life skills is on the money. Poker has taught me how to deal with a lot of different aspects of my life from business to my personal relationships. My life is where it is today due to learning what it takes to be a professional poker player, ” said Absolute Poker Pro and APCC consultant, Matt Vengrin.

Rising numbers of College students are participating in the APCC this fall. They’re passionate about the poker and the competition as an alternative way to pay for tuition, while some even look to walk a mile in Vengrin’s shoes in the future. Recent research reveals that students’ professional dreams are changing² and ‘poker professional’ as long-term career goal is gaining ground on College campuses across the country.

The APCC dedicated poker tournament series includes a string of daily qualifiers, from freerolls to $0.25 and $5 buy-ins, and a Weekly Main Event Qualifier on Sundays at 21:00ET that feeds the top nine players to the APCC Main Event, scheduled for Monday, November 30th at 20:30ET.

The ‘Player of the Year’ competition will see the top 6 students from the Main Event vie for honors in a final table filmed live in L.A. and streamed online at Bluff.com. This semester’s Absolute Poker College Challenge is awarding the ‘Player of the Year’ a grand prize of $10,000 in free tuition, a custom-made APCC championship ring, and the chance to capture 15 minutes of fame via Bluff magazine.

Students can learn more about the APCC by visiting www.absolutepoker.com/promotions/college-challenge/.