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Carnegie Mellon University is bringing a bit of sports betting to the classroom this semester. A pair of professors are teaching a course focusing on the statistical and cognitive aspects of wagering.
The class is run by assistant teaching professor Ron Yurko and cognitive neuroscience professor Linda Moya. They titled the class “Sports Betting, Highs and Lows: Your Brain on Stats.” It seeks to examine probability, addiction, cognitive biases in decision-making, the business of American sportsbooks, and more.
Yurko and Moya teach the class to 41 freshmen, which comes as more young Americans become immersed in sports betting.
“I think it’s immensely valuable that we get to do this in their first year at college,” Yurko said. “They’re on their own for the first time, and they’re going to get exposed to how random this is and how difficult it is to truly be a professional bettor.”
The class seemed like a natural fit to merge statistical analysis and responsible gaming.
The seminar course also ran in the fall. The two professors used stats and neuroscience to highlight how difficult it is to win long term against the sportsbooks. However, it also explored why so many gamblers believe they have an edge.
Yurko said he hopes the course can “hopefully prevent them from going down a dark path.”
The efforts come as some are concerned about the pervasiveness of betting in American society. A 2023 study by the NCAA found that 58% of adults 18 to 22 have wagered on sports at least once.
Additionally, a study in 2023 by the University of Southern California reported that bankruptcies rose 28% in the states where wagering on sports is more easily accessible.
In October, Bart Hanson gave a one-hour lecture at Harvard University. The poker pro offered insight on live poker concepts and conducted a question-and-answer session with students. He recently posted it on his Crush Live Poker YouTube channel.
The school regularly schedules a poker lecturer. Past speakers have included Tiffany Michelle, who spoke on “what poker has taught you that you wish you’d known in college.” David Paredes spoke in 2021 and ran a sit-and-go tournament with students.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has hosted a public poker course online for several years as part of the institution’s Open Learning program. In 2017, Carnegie Mellon had poker pros battle a poker-playing bot to test the advances in computer technology.
Those looking for more advanced poker training may also want to check out the Card Player Poker School, which has some free courses.
Source: https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-ne...on-stats-professor-hosts-sports-betting-class
The class is run by assistant teaching professor Ron Yurko and cognitive neuroscience professor Linda Moya. They titled the class “Sports Betting, Highs and Lows: Your Brain on Stats.” It seeks to examine probability, addiction, cognitive biases in decision-making, the business of American sportsbooks, and more.
Yurko and Moya teach the class to 41 freshmen, which comes as more young Americans become immersed in sports betting.
“I think it’s immensely valuable that we get to do this in their first year at college,” Yurko said. “They’re on their own for the first time, and they’re going to get exposed to how random this is and how difficult it is to truly be a professional bettor.”
Responsible Gambling Message
Yurko told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the idea for the class came to him after observing students betting in class. After the Supreme Court overturned the virtual ban on sports betting outside Nevada, Yurko said he began getting emails seeking his analysis on betting.The class seemed like a natural fit to merge statistical analysis and responsible gaming.
The seminar course also ran in the fall. The two professors used stats and neuroscience to highlight how difficult it is to win long term against the sportsbooks. However, it also explored why so many gamblers believe they have an edge.
Yurko said he hopes the course can “hopefully prevent them from going down a dark path.”
The efforts come as some are concerned about the pervasiveness of betting in American society. A 2023 study by the NCAA found that 58% of adults 18 to 22 have wagered on sports at least once.
Additionally, a study in 2023 by the University of Southern California reported that bankruptcies rose 28% in the states where wagering on sports is more easily accessible.
Universities Treat Poker Differently
The sports betting offering is a different approach to gambling compared to universities’ use of poker in the classroom. Many schools teach poker as a strategy game, with some aspects that could carry over to the business world and life in general.In October, Bart Hanson gave a one-hour lecture at Harvard University. The poker pro offered insight on live poker concepts and conducted a question-and-answer session with students. He recently posted it on his Crush Live Poker YouTube channel.
The school regularly schedules a poker lecturer. Past speakers have included Tiffany Michelle, who spoke on “what poker has taught you that you wish you’d known in college.” David Paredes spoke in 2021 and ran a sit-and-go tournament with students.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has hosted a public poker course online for several years as part of the institution’s Open Learning program. In 2017, Carnegie Mellon had poker pros battle a poker-playing bot to test the advances in computer technology.
Those looking for more advanced poker training may also want to check out the Card Player Poker School, which has some free courses.
Source: https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-ne...on-stats-professor-hosts-sports-betting-class
