Kids get drawn in by poker

[SnB]

Those damn kids don't know how to bluff!

 

 

Deal 'em: Kids get drawn in by poker

 

By Lisa Black

Tribune staff reporter

Published September 23, 2004

 

Jaws clenched, none of these steely-eyed poker players are ready to fold, but it's 7:55 a.m. and a good bet they'll be late for their first class at Stevenson High School if they don't get moving.

 

"Just one more hand! Just one more hand!" a few of them shout, hoping to win back their losses.

 

Huddled around a table in the commons area at the Lincolnshire school, the five sophomores don't toss money into the pot. That would be gambling, which is prohibited. Instead, they memorize IOUs--for later.

 

Fueled by the glamour of televised tournaments with celebrity players, $5 million pay-outs and online casinos, poker is the rage among teenagers, who are organizing their own games, ponying up allowance and baby-sitting earnings.

 

Across the Chicago area over this past year, the popularity of the card game has crossed all clique lines--from the jocks and band members to the nerds. One variation, Texas Hold 'em, is especially hot. Boys and girls alike are getting into the action.

 

During the summer, game shop managers saw swarms of teens hunting for poker paraphernalia. Monogrammed poker chips were snapped up as graduation presents or Hanukkah gifts.

 

Some parents admit having mixed feelings about the gambling aspect, which is, after all, illegal. But many let the kids hold tournaments in their basements and supply the munchies because they view it as a safe social activity that seems tame compared with other teen vices.

 

Two distinct types of school-age poker players exist and both attend New Trier High School in Winnetka, said Alan Cosby, a 17-year-old senior from Glenview.

 

"There are the ones who want to make money and the ones like me who buy in for like $10 and just to want to have fun," he said. "There are other kids who can't stop, but I don't play with them. Some kids have been up to hundreds of dollars in debt."

 

One Glenview teen said he has friends who have lied about their age to play online poker. An 8th grader tried to use an older brother's account to deposit $800 in winnings, but the online poker administrator caught on and accused him of "laundering money," said the teen who asked not to be named. Internet gambling is illegal in Illinois, said Melissa Merz, a spokeswoman for Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan.

 

Not quite card sharks, the players become more savvy over time.

 

"Anybody can learn to play cards," said David Torres, 18, a College of Lake County student from Mundelein. "Girls are really good at it because they can hide their emotions. A lot of guys will teach their girlfriend how to play poker. They'll go to a party and everyone will think, oh, she's a girl, she can't play poker."

 

And then, of course, they rake it in, said Torres, who has played for three years.

 

Liza Dickinson, 16, a junior at Mundelein High School, agrees. She plays every few days with a group of friends.

 

"With a bunch of guys, I always win," she said matter-of-factly. "Guys are bad at lying."

 

Although schools don't allow gambling--and many ban card-playing of any form--some permit students to play as long as no money is exchanged.

 

"Up until a few years ago, the school district did not allow the students to play cards," said Stevenson High School Principal Doug Domeracki.

 

"Some students asked if they could play cards to pass the time. It went to committee and the decision was, why not? Let's let the kids play cards but make sure they know gambling is not allowed."

 

By comparison, Elgin High School cracked down this year against all forms of game-playing, including cards and chess, Principal David Smiley said.

 

"We want kids working on curricular matters," said Smiley, who enforces quiet study halls. "We don't have game-playing. We're on the [state] early warning list because of test scores, so we really wanted to focus on why we're here."

 

In Glenview, Springman Middle School added a gambling policy to its student handbook last year after some 8th graders were caught placing $2 to $10 bets on sporting events.

 

The case against poker isn't always clear cut. Sure, betting is a no-no. But the game acts as a great equalizer, drawing kids from various social sets and age groups, from pre-teens on up. Played on buses and in cafeterias and gyms, it remains a good way to pass the time and bond with friends.

 

Last spring, debate team members from Glenbrook North High School played poker during breaks at a national tournament in Salt Lake City, where they won the top prize.

 

"It's entertaining and it's cheaper than a movie," said Zach Rudin, 18, of Wilmette, a New Trier graduate who plays with his younger brother and their friends. "Movies are $10, and they're not always good. With poker, we can buy in for $5 and you'll usually get an hour or two or three of good entertainment. I justify it that way when I lose."

 

Chad Shoman, 18, thought the game was "pretty stupid" until he realized his buddies were all playing and figured he'd better grab a deck of cards if he wanted to keep their company. Admitting he's hooked, he plays every Sunday evening at a friend's house in Vernon Hills.

 

"We talk about politics, about sports, about poker and who won on ESPN this week. Music. Everything," said Shoman, who attends the College of Lake County in Grayslake.

 

At Stevenson High School, hands both hot and cold get dealt before school starts or during lunch periods.

 

"We're not allowed to have music. We're not allowed to have electronics, so it's like, what can we do?" said C.J. McFate, 15, who occasionally joins the regulars.

 

Playing for money, though? That's serious stuff and makes parents nervous, according to McFate, who said he mostly plays for pennies or nothing at all.

 

His friend, Mark Hamilton, 15, another Stevenson student who lives in Buffalo Grove, said he pitches in no more than $1.50.

 

"It's only with our friends," said Hamilton, who thinks some kids are trying to start a poker club at school.

 

Colette Lueck wasn't bothered when her 14-year-old son and his buddies anted up pretzels and pizza during their weekly poker games. But with the teens now tossing $10 each into the pot, Lueck said she's conflicted.

 

"We've had conversations about whether this is a passing fad or if it's an entryway into an addiction the way you'd be cautious about kids experimenting with alcohol," said Lueck, 55, of Oak Park.Dr. Bennett Leventhal, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Chicago Hospitals, said parents should supervise poker games.

 

"What's the difference between playing poker or Uno or bridge?" Leventhal said. "The question is the wagering. I wouldn't see the games as inherently bad. It's how they're used and who the kids are who are playing it. ... In general I think it's inappropriate for kids to wager."

 

Parents should talk to their children about what happens if they win and lose, and how to walk away from the table, Leventhal said.

 

Alan Cosby isn't worried and said he knows when to quit. Playing poker has become so mainstream and such an effective ice-breaker that he said it has helped him meet new people at school.

 

"It's not just like the jock kids are playing poker," Cosby said. "Every kind of kid likes poker. It really does cross boundaries."

Copyright © 2004, Chicago Tribune

[Queen Prawn]

When we were growing up my brother and I used to play poker alot. And every time my mom made me give my brother his money back.

[Wise Master Buehrle]

Bunch of suckers, I say. Poker is fun when no money is involved. Or minimal money, like pennies. Or food.

 

I sure as hell don't want to lose the money I earned because of a bad hand.

[da_bears86]

we play everyday in study hall. you pay the winner a dollar under the table but its lots iof fun

[Rowand44]

we play everyday in study hall. you pay the winner a dollar under the table but its lots iof fun

I don't play a lot anymore, but I have some friends that are really addicted.

[SoxAce]

I don't play a lot anymore, but I have some friends that are really addicted.

Ditto.

[SuperSteve]

I play all the time. We actually were playing last night and there was almost a fight cause some kid was a jerk. I know some kids who play with some big buy ins. I also know some pots that get up to as much as a few grand. It is crazy to see how big poker has gotten. It is surely fun though.

[whitesoxin']

We play dollar hands every day after lunch. We do the IOU thing so we don't get caught and suspended. Some of my friends teachers even let them play with money during study hall. I play just about every weekend with the same people. It's a fun game to play as long as you don't do anything stupid and lose a lot of money. I've never lost more than $15 and that's about how much you would spend if say you went to the movies. You won't make any money playing poker, but it's a good form of entertainment. And what the article said about bridging gaps, it does because I've played with the preps and I've played with other people too.

[danman31]

Last spring, debate team members from Glenbrook North High School played poker during breaks at a national tournament in Salt Lake City, where they won the top prize.

We have the best nerds in the country!

 

Funny that they even mention GBN because we aren't allowed to play cards at all because of the obvious gambling. They don't even let us play online during our free time. I swear this school is nuts. But anyway...

 

I don't bluff too much because, well, I suck at it. It seems to work pretty well. Just wait for your cards and then once every dozen hands you can buy a pot due to your tightness (a la Dan Harrington if you watch the WSOP).

[CWSGuy406]

We have the best nerds in the country!  

 

Funny that they even mention GBN because we aren't allowed to play cards at all because of the obvious gambling. They don't even let us play online during our free time. I swear this school is nuts. But anyway...

 

I don't bluff too much because, well, I suck at it. It seems to work pretty well. Just wait for your cards and then once every dozen hands you can buy a pot due to your tightness (a la Dan Harrington if you watch the WSOP).

That's exactly how I play, Dan. I play really tight, and I love it. Then, if I go all in, it could be a bluff or just me having a damn good hand, but most likely, people will think I have an awesome hand and fold. Plus, people have said that I'm really hard to read. I look sad the whole game, until I win.

 

Poker is awesome.

[witesoxfan]

Tight is no good.

 

Gotta play loose as a goose. You play loose, and eventually you will catch someone with a modest hand who thinks you are bluffing, and you take a huge pot from them.

[Texsox]

OMG, I thought it said Roker

 

In middle school it was pitching quarters, in HS we played poker by tossing the money into a text book that had been hollowed out.

[SnB]

i don't know, in my dorms we basically play every night, sometimes tournament style (1 winner) other times, a cash game (buy out whenever you want) Usually only put in about 3-5 bucks, so far i'm in the positive.

[SnB]

OMG, I thought it said Roker

 

In middle school it was pitching quarters, in HS we played poker by tossing the money into a text book that had been hollowed out.

you oldies sure were crafty

[danman31]

Tight is no good.

 

Gotta play loose as a goose.  You play loose, and eventually you will catch someone with a modest hand who thinks you are bluffing, and you take a huge pot from them.

I hate loose players, they are such lucky pricks. That or they lose early. It's bull. I should add that I've been told I play too many hands pre flop. Another person told me, in the middle of the hand no less, that I never bluff. A person wanted me to call and this guy said, "It's Danny, he never bluffs." The next night I pulled a straight bluff from pre flop to river. The one guy who thought I was bluffing had a high card ace or something and I had something like 3rd or 4th pair.

[witesoxfan]

I hate loose players, they are such lucky pricks. That or they lose early. It's bull. I should add that I've been told I play too many hands pre flop. Another person told me, in the middle of the hand no less, that I never bluff. A person wanted me to call and this guy said, "It's Danny, he never bluffs." The next night I pulled a straight bluff from pre flop to river. The one guy who thought I was bluffing had a high card ace or something and I had something like 3rd or 4th pair.

I like playing with loose players. It's fun.

 

What I do not like is playing with players who play loose because they are catching cards. Like tonight in PokerRoom...I raised with an ace, and everyone called...flop came 6-a-6...i was shortstacked, moved all in...and low and behold, those two assholes both came in with a 6 in the whole...the one guy had 6-5o and the other had 6-8d...thats why I don't like playing online.

[Texsox]

loose or tight really depends on the game, the current money situation, and your opponenets. Some games favor a more aggressive stance, as do some situations. It's all about money management and probabilities and knowing when you have an edge.

[danman31]

This is true. A game like stud (which I personally enjoy a lot, though it's hard to do for an extended period of time unlike hold em) forces you to be very aggressive and play draws or you will never win. You have to analyze more communities while hold em only has 1, but there is nothing that beats a nl hold em tourney.