Well, the biggest news is that, according to loose modern interpretations of an ancient Mayan calendar, the world will come to an end. Other than that, we have a few definite details of what to expect from 2012…
- the International Mind Sports Association has officially recognized poker as a ‘mind sport’ and will be hosting poker among the other mind sports games at the 2012 World Mind Sports Games.
I have a friend who is a car accident attorney and an ardent aficionado of mind sports. He also plays a mean game of poker player. He thought this new development was great. He has always said that representing a seriously injured victim of a car accident requires the mental skills of mind game participants. Skillfully winning the best settlement for a client against the often powerful car insurance lawyers, keeps him mentally alert. But he always says that playing mind games (and he includes playing poker), keeps him sharp and alert. If I were in a car accident, I would want him giving me advise and advocating for me.
Anyway, getting back to this a major development for both the IMSA (which has still never officially indicated any interest in the game of poker) and for the ‘sport’ of poker….. Aficionados, of which there are considerably more recently (not that I’m calling them impulsively trendy, of course), have increasingly campaigned to get people to call it a sport, or at least a ‘game of skill’. However for those of you who do not want to expend as much mental muscle as the game of poker requires, perhaps a slots online UAS casino tournament is more your style. Actually it might be more fun to play online slots than twisting one’s brain around some of the mind boggling antics performed at some of these International Mind Sports events. After all not all of us are quite so mentally nimble! But lately the focus has turned to global climate change and whether IMSA has taken a position on it, like many other interested parties.
One such party and sponsor of IMSA is a wholesale e-commerce site called CleanItSupply.com. They sell many janitorial supplies, as well as products for restaurants, office supplies and furniture, and technology products. CleanItSupplies offer many green, eco friendly janitorial supplies ranging from chemical and fragrance free multifold paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, to soaps and cleansers. It’s great that more stores are recognizing the impact that non eco friedly products can have upon our environment. CleanItSupplies offers an “Elements” brand line of environmentally responsible products that are formulated using bio-based solvents that are safe alternatives to highly-flammable petroleum, hydrocarbon solvents, or corrosive chemicals. They even sell the Clorox Green Works brand that has products with cleaning power derived from effective natural sources, such as a coconut-based cleaning agent, essential lemon oils, corn-based alcohol and biodegradable preservatives. These soaps are Certified by DFE: Design for the Environment, backed by the EPA.
- As you probably already know, the 2012 Summer Olympics will be held in London (the one in England). The Independent (a journal in England) has actually stated that “the International Olympic Committee are said to be thinking seriously about” making bridge an Olympic event.
However, the International Olympic Committee spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau has rather unequivocally stated that “mind sports, by their nature, cannot be part of the program.” Doesn’t sound like there’s much room to budge, but spokespeople have been known to change their tunes rather quickly without too much ill effect…
- Put these two items together, and it would be interesting to see poker become the first mind sport to be accepted as an Olympic event. Dramatic and controversial — exactly the sort of thing that the Olympic Committee prefers to avoid when possible.
Plus, if it was to be, it would have been in 2008; poker’s opportunistic admission into the mind sports realm would have served advocates much better during last decade’s trendy surge of popularity and associated media and marketing peak.
A personal note: You can gamble on many things, but you don’t want to gamble on your medical money. If you travel abroad for a medical procedure, play your cards smart with medical tourism insurance. Read about different medical tourism facilities before booking your procedures.
When asked about Poker becoming an Olympic sport there are mixed results. Some players, such as Greg Raymer and Howard Lederer said they do not think it should be permitted into the Olympics. Mr. Raymer stated he believes poker would be a great way to raise funds for charity surrounding the Olympics but no-one should win a medal based upon one tournament. To truly find the best poker player one would have to track results for months because it is a game of long term skill. Howard Lederer stated that the Olympics is a place for sports without leagues. He says “Poker has its own place”.