Underage gambling, underage drinking and minors smoking cigarettes....
After attending several Friday night poker sessions with the guys, it became clear everything was acceptable behaviour.
There are players of all ages, the youngest typically being 16, getting together to try and win a few bucks. You can usually see a minor going for that “cool” look — a beer in one hand, his cards in another and a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
People usually aren’t allowed to smoke in one another’s houses, so there are always a few breaks to insure that those dying for a smoke get their wish. Hard drugs at the game are a no-no, but once in a while a few guys might show up high or want to smoke a joint afterwards.
Players usually know one another unless someone brings a friend. After seeing each other a few times, friends of friends become friends of the group.
The crowd, despite the average age, is incredibly tame. When someone loses, he never ends up turning over the table or starts swinging or shooting at anyone as depicted in the old western flicks. The worst that happens are occasional arguments between friends.
For generations, adults have been playing card games for money. A few have won some memorable pots. But more people lose than win.
But what happens when a teen gets involved in card games and it becomes a bad habit?
Poker has become a hot trend lately, and is being played more and more by people of all ages. Teens appear to be playing the game more often nowadays. With so many tournaments on TV and a wide variety of Internet sites available, it’s no surprise that young people want to be in on the action.
Online is where it gets dangerous for underage players as some sites don’t make it too hard to make sure the person playing is actually of legal age.
And with poker chips and tables readily available at stores at an affordable price, Friday night poker sessions are all but the norm for high school students looking for some fun.
TJ Nathaniel, a 19-year-old former Oakwood Collegiate student, says he’s been gambling since he was about 15 or 16. He began playing poker on the Internet at 17, even though the legal age for online betting is 18.
His style of poker is No-Limit Texas Hold ’Em. He used to play at least five times a week, then stopped for a short while when the site he frequented closed down. He eventually moved on to an-other one.
“If I had nothing to do, I’d play every day,” he says.
At age 18 he began gambling legally online. While he has never been in a live multi-tournament event, he says he has played tournaments online.
“I used to play two a day, or at least 19 a week.”
From the comforts of home he would gamble with strangers almost every day of the week. On average he would play $100 a game, and between $20 and $300 a game for multi-tournaments.
TJ says his biggest single-game loss was $300, while he has lost as much as $1,100 in one session.
While it may seem TJ is down a lot of money, he says the opposite is true.
“I began playing with $100 and I’m up to $10,000 (in winnings) now,” he said.
Although he hasn’t played in a while, because his site of choice has undergone some changes he doesn’t like, TJ says he intends to keep playing for as long as he feels like it.
Jeff, 17, gambles any way possible.
“I play poker, craps, cilo, backgammon — pretty much anything you can gamble on — but poker is my best and favorite game,” he says. “I play every and any style: Omaha, 7-Card Stud, Texas Hold ’Em.”
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