No gamble! This IIM professor uses poker in the classroom

For those who dismiss poker as a hobby sport or a gambling game, a conversation with Deepak Dhayanithy, assistant professor, strategic management, at IIM Kozhikode, may be an eye opener. The academician teaches a class on competition strategy using the game of poker at the management institute.

“There is much to learn from the game. The range of possibilities is vast and our ability to react to each possibility develops as we play,” Dhayanithy said. “Secondly, you learn to read people, their body language, the subtle nonverbal clues, their motivations and how they react to specific circumstances. And lastly, it’s all about managing your resources — the chips.”

In poker, as in business and life, one is constantly making decisions, all under uncertainty. Cards are unknown to the player as are the opponents’ intentions and moves. It tests a player’s psychological stability and hones his decision-making abilities.


Playing the master
At a recent poker event in Goa, Dhayanithy interacted with some top-ranking players.

Along with engaging with the community for his research, he also managed to play a few hands with chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand.

Calling it an emotional moment, Dhayani thy described Anand as a player: “He is a calm person with a sharp intellect. He doesn’t play poker much but he could quickly relate chess moves and strategy to the game.”

At one point, Anand shared with Dhayanithy an insight from his experience of playing chess. He told the professor that when playing chess, after a point, one is in sync with one’s own breathing as well as that of the opponent’s. If there is any sharp change in the opponent’s breathing pattern, it can be a red flag.

And as for Anand’s poker face, Dhayanithy says, “He was just smiling. It was all fun and games for him. I was totally compromised, playing with an icon like him.”