[pzhon]

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This sounds like a really, really, really horrible idea.

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I don't see too much wrong with teaching about game theory and odds and making betting decisions in general.
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Why not educate them on how gambling works with regard to game theory and odds?

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Game theory normally refers to the theory of games like the Prisoner's Dilemma, rock-paper-scissors, etc. It does not refer to the theory of games people play like chess or poker. While there are some applications to poker, most applications that people understand are minor, both from the perspective of poker and from game theory.

Odds play a role in poker, but only on the river or when you are calling all-in are you getting decisions simply based on odds, and even those depend on your opponents. If you have 72o in the small blind preflop, you should generally fold, because of the betting on future streets. If you were completing all-in, then you would usually have a call. While I don't think you only should teach kids about clear-cut situations, that's where you should start, and that would mean you shouldn't be talking about poker where almost everything depends.

The risk versus reward ratio of suggesting a course on poker says it does not make sense. The reward for doing this as opposed to another class, whether it is the history of/through rock and roll or the theory of the stock market, is minimal. Maybe you'd look back and say it was worth $1000 to teach about poker. The risk includes a significant chance (over 10%, I think) that you will really piss off some parents, administrators, or more senior teachers, and will get fired as a result, even if you make the content completely defensible. In fact, if I were your boss, I'd probably chew you out for suggesting it, even though I'm a mathematician and an advantage gambler. It doesn't sound like you would teach much to the students, or be able to show much progress, and the parents will react the same way as if you teach a class on sexual positions (which would have some value to all, and particularly for those who are considering some level of prostitution).

If you want to teach kids about advantage gambling, teach them about investments and the stock market and finance rather than about poker.

Most poker players lose, and find poker entertaining despite that. That is the primary role poker has in our society: Entertainment for people with money to lose. It is easy to get confused about this, and you shouldn't trust high school students who have never had a normal job to exercise good judgement. I'm very careful about what I tell college students, who are actually adults.