Evolution

One thing I am: A poker player.

Then

Poker used to be dominated by cowboys, gangsters, and degenerates. It was illegal almost everywhere, especially in the Bible Belt. Even if you won, fair and square, you might get robbed. At gunpoint. It was a lifestyle. There were no serious books about advanced strategy. You had to learn the hard way, like Doyle Brunson did in the 1950s, in back rooms on Exchange Avenue in Fort Worth, Texas, or by driving for hours to farmhouses in the middle of nowhere. You couldn’t play twelve tables at a time online, in the comfort and safety of your own home, either.

Now

The proliferation of secularism, the ubiquity of the internet, and the relaxation of formality in society are just some of the disparate elements that have helped bring poker into the modern age. You no longer need to be big, old, tough, or street smart to excel at poker. Indeed, it now favours the young, studious, and mathematically-inclined. The accessibility of the game was blown open not only by the widespread legalization of gambling, but by the willingness of Mr. Brunson in the 1970s (and many others since) to share their insider knowledge with the outside world via books like Super/System. Even just this decade, well after the “Moneymaker Effect” in 2003 led to a mainstream poker boom, analysis of the game has taken another giant leap forward due to the concept of “ranges” in poker, and the complementary range software that all of today’s pros use.

One thing I am not: A cigarette smoker.

Mystique

It’s hard to imagine one of the aforementioned 1950s Texas gambler stereotypes without also picturing them chain-smoking relentlessly. Even today, people love to watch retro TV shows like Mad Men, where they’ll have you believe that no one went more than five minutes without smoking, drinking, and throwing pejoratives at women and minorities.

Back in the day you smoked because everyone else smoked. I like to believe that I’m iconoclastic enough that, even back then, as today, I would have never sampled something as rude and gross as cigarettes. But unfortunately, I’ll never have proof. My late grandfather, a very intelligent man, smoked in the 1960s. He told me he used to smoke two packs of unfiltered cigarettes every day. Then, one night in 1968, my grandparents were hosting a Christmas party at their house in Langenburg, Saskatchewan. The room was, by all accounts, blue from smoke. My grandpa had a newly-lit cigarette, and he put it down on the ashtray for a second, for some reason. Then, while talking to a friend sitting beside him, and without thinking about it, he lit another cigarette and continued with the conversation. A minute later he looked down and realized what he’d done. It bothered him so much, the fact that he was a mindless slave to the habit of smoking, that he quit cold turkey on the spot. He lived for another 45 years, and never smoked again.

The world changes. More specifically, it evolves. And I love it.

Sixty years ago, who would have ever predicted that poker players would be mainstream and cigarettes would be exiled to the back rooms of society?

But what about gambling in general? Can it evolve to the point where it not only sheds outdated stigmas, but advances so far forward that’s it not even gambling at all anymore?

Education

I’ve long advocated for the complete overhaul of the public school curriculum in Canada (and the US). It needs to be renovated and reimagined. We need a back-to-basics blitz on English and math fundamentals. We need workout theory, nutrition, and cooking as mandatory courses. And we absolutely, 100% need to teach kids financial literacy. Saving. Budgeting. Accounting. Average salaries. Free market economics. And investing. Especially investing. We already live in a credit-based society, full of rampant entitlement and immediate gratification. We don’t need to exacerbate the problem by leaving future generations unarmed in the war with debt, where hopelessness and bankruptcy are more prevalent than true fiscal strategy.

A New Hope?

AllSportsMarket.com attempts to teach children (13+) and adults alike about investing and the stock market, substituting Big 4 sports franchises for corporations. This is a long-term alternative to nightly wagers. If your team loses, you don’t go broke. Far from it. You retain your equity, although it will likely take a slight hit. If your team wins, you earn a dividend. You attempt to buy low and sell high. This is the New York Stock Exchange for sports fans, or at least the Nasdaq.

I’ve been impressed with ASM so far. I’m always excited when someone comes along and changes the game, rethinking what’s always been done and replacing it with a new vision for the future. The two gentlemen I’ve dealt with from ASM have also been first-class. Director of Media Relations Jason Henry is extremely articulate and a pleasure to deal with. Bernie Nicholls, #45 on the NHL’s all-time scoring list, took class to another level on a recent episode of the podcast I produce by spending 45 minutes on the phone with us, while letting other golfers play through at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas. We look forward to having Canadian actor and ASM CEO Zack Ward on the program in the near future.

It’s too early on for me to offer a full-throated endorsement of the ASM website, or of sports trading in general. I love it on paper, I’ve spent some play money on my Edmonton Oilers, and I’ve enjoyed the heck out of dealing with the aforementioned Henry and Nicholls. I’ll report back once I’ve had a chance to put some real dollars on some NFL teams this fall.

Anything that disarms sanctimonious know-nothings when they ask, “What happens when you lose it all?” will get a chance from me every time. Is it possible that a company could simultaneously be non-profit, revolutionize how we put money on sports, and legitimately have the noble goal of teaching people fiscal proficiency?

I have no idea. But I look forward to finding out. And, as always, I look forward to looking forward.