My First Year as an Underage Poker Player (Long)

[Ogre]

My First Year as an Underage Poker Player

By Ogre


I started playing poker when I was pretty young. I remember playing dime quarter home games with my brother and friends. We played games like 5 card draw, Guts and In-Between. As I grew up I played poker less and less. My brother Dave (NLSoldier) started playing poker at school when I was in 5th grade. I didn't really care for it because nobody my age played. When he started playing online poker when I was about 12 or 13. He started out playing on an older friend’s account on paradise because he was underage as well. He eventually busted out and I again forgot about poker. A few months later Dave deposited for the second time, only it was on Party this time and that $50 deposit would prove to be all he needed. I watched him play 2/4 full for hours and I began to learn the game, I was about 13. At the end of 8th grade I would joke around with him about taking a shot at the Party $.5/1 game. He would always tell me that I wouldn’t be able to handle the suckouts with 5 players calling me down to the river every hand. I was 14 almost 15 when one night at the beginning of May Dave was leaving the house after putting in a session at 2/4. I told him half joking that I was going to play some $.5/1 while he was gone. He must have had a good session that night because he said, "Fine, just don't lose more then $10."

My first few orbits started out grim. I lost $15 but there was no way I was going to settle for a loss and disappoint him. I kept plugging away and eventually started winning. I won a few more pots and started a second table. I played until my mom told me it was time for bed at 12 o'clock. By that time I was up $140, (140bb in about 3 hours). It took forever to fall asleep that night thinking about my big win and my poker future. With my new bankroll I decided I would grind it out at .5/1 for a while. Soon I became bored with winning or losing $10-$20 a night, so I moved up to 1/2 full. I didn't like it very much because the game was a little tighter and there were far less tables.

At this time I was 15 and it was the summer of 2004. I had built up a bankroll of $300 in about a month or so. Dave was 4 tabling 5/10 (6 max) at the time, thanks in part to a stake from a 2+2er. He was winning much more than me and convinced me to switch over to short handed games. The 1/2 6max game was great, but I had one problem with it. I didn't change my style from .5/1 full to fit 6 max. I was playing much too tight. Folding if I didn't hit top pair good kicker and folding my blinds way too much for that game. I just watched as my pride and joy, my $300 bankroll vanished before my eyes. My poker bankroll meant a lot to me. Winning a few hundred in 8th grade had been pretty cool, and I felt horrible when I started losing it all after I had worked so hard for it. When I was down to about $20 I decided to play some $5+1 NL HE sit and gos. I had never played them, but I knew basic strategy for NL tournaments from playing with friends. I started off good but I hit a bad run at the bubble and soon found myself in the red. (I kept track of my portion of my brothers Party account separate by writing my balance in a notepad on the desktop) I realized that my whole strategy at 1/2 was wrong so Dave sat down with me and watched me play and taught me the real way to play it. I won $100 that session, but I knew it wasn't the game for me.

I started to play $5 SnGs again with a short bankroll. I had great success and moved up to the $10s very quickly. I really found my place at the $10s and played them throughout the summer until late August when I moved up to the $20s with a bankroll of about $800. I had a very good in the money % and a high ROI but I refused to move up to the $30s because I was intimidated by the stakes and the thought of flushing my bankroll down the toilet like I had done once before haunted me. I played $20s until I hit my worst streak of 13 out of the money finishes. I had become pretty frustrated by all the bad beats while on the bubble that I had suffered during my downswing. When my brother came home for Christmas break we decided it was time for him to try to teach me to play shorthanded again. Only this time it was 5/10. He had been playing 5/10 6max for a long time and had recently moved to 10/20. The idea of making money from rakeback even if I merely broke even was fascinating to me. I decided to make a jump into what I considered “the big game.” During the month of January I also took 3rd in a Party Poker Step tournament after starting at step 1. My brother had staked me in it and played one of the earlier steps, so we decided to split the profit. I took $1,000 and he took $800. I was also playing some 3 table $30 tournaments at the time to break the 5/10 grind. I hit a 7 game in the money streak in those tournaments which was a nice boost for my bankroll and got me interested in tournaments again.

I played about 12k hands at 5/10 and only made about $500 (not counting rakeback). I think my poor winrate was due mostly to bad luck but I was also still playing too tight. I started getting sick of losing up to $1,000 in a day so I took a few week-long breaks from poker. When I came back I hit my biggest win ever. I had been playing multitable touraments occasionally ever since I had started playing 1 table touraments. I had never hit it big, but March 15th was different. I entered a $30+3 MTT with 1100 entrants at 7pm and by 11:30 I was $7,000 richer. I took first of 1100. I felt I played really well, but I also need a little luck. With about 20 players left, my stack was down to ~5BBs. 1 limper and I pushed with KQo. It got folded to the BB who pushed over the top with KK, the limper folded and I found myself a 10-1 dog with my tournament life at stake. But I flopped a queen and turned another to give me a decent stack. I doubled up a few more times and got to the final table. When it got down to the final 10 I told myself that I didn't want to think back on this and regret not taking first. I wanted to win and if I didn't I knew I would "what if...?" myself forever. Anything but first was unacceptable. (I had been on the phone with Dave, who was at Canterbury and he been very effective in drilling this into my head). I had a huge hand against the other chip leader with AK vs his K5 and soon I was a monster stack. I rode my stack to the HU battle and won the whole thing with AK vs A6s. I didn't think about the money until the stack of 11 100k chips got shipped to me and I knew it was over. I was in shock.

I want to thank everybody who sweated me during the final table. The people cheering me on really gave me confidence and helped me relax. I knew I wasn’t going to fall asleep for a while but my mom came downstairs and told me to go to bed. I told her what I won and she said, "Money doesn't buy you happiness."


I haven’t played another hand of 5/10 since then. I decided to go back to tournaments. This time it was $100+9 SnGs. I have been now been playing them for a while and so far have been winning and an unsustainable rate, which makes me quite happy. I really think I have finally found a home and I will be there for a long time, but I never know for sure. I want to play what is fun, because if its a long boring grind its just not a game, its another crappy job that I will hate every time I sit down to play. This pretty much brings me to the present day. I am 4 tabling the 100s.

This has been a fun, interesting, and emotional(swing wise) learing experience for me. In 1 year I went from being a “.5/1 pro” to playing 4 tables of 5/10 6max. Went from $5 sngs to playing 4 $100s. In the beginning I would take $.5/1 very seriously and be shocked when I would open up a $200+15 SnG and watch them play for high stakes. Now I only play .5/1 to sit on ThaSaltCracka's left and 3-bet him everytime he comes in for a raise. I play $400 worth of tournaments at a time and don't break a sweat. When I look at the 5 figure number in my account the money doesn't seem real to me. Most kids my age are working crappy jobs for minimum wage. The people that know I play poker always ask me the same question, "OMG why don't you cashout??!??!" They are amazed that I have made so much so fast. I have just realized how much a 5 figure amount of money would mean to any other kid my age. I didn't expect to make this much money until after college but I have managed to di it during Jr High and as a freshmen in high school. I plan on cashing some of my money out, not to spend it, probably just to let it sit in the bank to earn interest in a safe place. I am not done playing poker and I am not scared of losing it all, I just have an overly big bankroll for the 100s.

I would like to thank my brother Dave firstly for getting me started in poker, teaching me and listening to all my bad beat stories and getting me through the tough swings. I would also like to thank Schneids and Justin A. And everybody else on the forums (mainly the 1 table tournament, multitable Tounament and ShortHanded forums). I have learned so much from reading and posting. I know I would not be the player I am with out the 2+2 books and forums. I am sorry if this comes off as a bragging post or something because that is not what it is meant to be. Thank you for reading, I hope it wasn’t too boring or long. Feel free to share your thoughts.



OGRE

[mantasm]

Congratulations, I hope you use some of your winnings taking out hot high school girls. See if you can get a senior.

[Emmitt2222]

Cool story, insane money for a kid your age. It must be nice to have an older brother to show you the ropes to playing poker. I would highly suggest asking older people around you about investing some of that money now because if you do, then by the time you get out of college you could be really set finacially. Don't let the money go to your head and good luck in the next year.

[r3vbr]

Almost every poker pro is young (under 25). I started out last year being 19yrs old. And lots of my friends that also play are 18-22yrs old. I guess nowadays, poker = young people taking money away from retired old americans that play recreationally to pass time

[jaxUp]

Congrats duder. Mantasm gave great advice on what to spend some of your $$ on. Try and get a threesome with the chicks in your bro's avatar.

[NLSoldier]

[ QUOTE ]
Congrats duder. Mantasm gave great advice on what to spend some of your $$ on. Try and get a threesome with the chicks in your bro's avatar.

[/ QUOTE ]

Haha, good call.

[WillMagic]

LOL.

Poker = the Anti-Social Security

Will

[ThaHero]

Nice post. Like everyone said, don't let the money and success go to your head. Hopefully your older bro will keep you in line! lol.

I agree with the other posters. Save it up, invest it, let it grow. By the time you graduate from high school, your college could be paid for. You may even have enough left over for a car, and we all know the guys wit cars in high school get all the girls, lol. But for heaven's sake, don't spend ALL your time playing poker!! lol

[morello]

Man, you are one lucky dude. I wish I was 16 and playing poker like I am.

First thing I would do would be to buy a kickass car (porsche maybe). Man..I really wish I was in highschool again, with this amount of bank.

Now that I'm an old man at 21, I have to think about the future. No car (I walk), no expensive toys. But if I was 16 I would do it in a heartbeat.

Good luck to you. The most important thing for you is to have fun. You're entering the last few years of your life where you truly have no responsibilities. Have as much fun as you can.

[jaym]

I don't know how much poker you are playing, but don't miss out on life too. High school is good times.

[Zetack]

Sweet. But talk to somebody about what to do with the money. Putting in the bank at todays rates isn't much better than putting in your sock drawer.

--Zetack

[Justin A]

[ QUOTE ]
I would also like to thank Schneids and Justin A.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh c'mon, my biggest contribution to your success has been to tell you to stop complaining about your 5/10 downswings. That's awesome that you are where you are at such a young age. Think of where you'll be by the time you get to college.

My advice to you is to enjoy some of the money you've made. It's not doing you any good sitting around, get out there and start acting like a high roller. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[ QUOTE ]
This time it was $100+9 SnGs. I have been now been playing them for a while and so far have been winning and an unsustainable rate, which makes me quite happy. I really think I have finally found a home and I will be there for a long time, but I never know for sure.

[/ QUOTE ]

Try not to think of it as a home. Poker gets too boring if you just do the same thing over and over and over again. Think of it as a main game, but then go back and play some 5/10 sometimes and keep getting better at it. Eventually you'll learn to crush those games, maybe when you're 16 or so.

Congrats on all your success.

[pshabi]

" agree with the other posters. Save it up, invest it, let it grow. By the time you graduate from high school, your college could be paid for."

This statement alone leads me to believe that everyone in this thread is under 21.

The only thing you can invest this kind of money into at 15 that's going "pay" for a college education 4 years later is drugs. I'm not talking about celebrex.

This thread is disturbing. Not to mention, only dorks thought cars were going to get them chicks in High School.

Kid,

If you're a pimply faced 15 year old you should get outside and run a couple laps around the block. You're going to get fat from sitting at a computer desk all day. 15, fat, pimply does not equal chicks. Doesn't matter if you're Bill Goetz in a fruckin space shuttle.

[FrontonPoker]

hey man, i can relate, i wa introduced to poker at a VERY early age when my great-uncle held his poker nights and i acted as "the chip changer/ money holder" and as i got older, was dealer, and eventually participated in the games.. as the years went by some of his poker buddies passed away, eventually he passed away, but the point is i had a foundation.. as time went on i drifted back and forth, playng for a while, staying away, and a move out of the country has put limitations on access to games, but i still enjoy it.. good luck with your play bro...

[cookie]

[ QUOTE ]
OMG why don't you cashout??!??!

[/ QUOTE ]
LOL
Im in highscool too, a little older than you though, but I've heard that comment quite a lot too.
I havent played fore as long as you, and is still looking foreward to the day me winnings gets 5 digit.
Its awesome what you have accomplished !!

[ QUOTE ]

Kid,

If you're a pimply faced 15 year old you should get outside and run a couple laps around the block. You're going to get fat from sitting at a computer desk all day. 15, fat, pimply does not equal chicks. Doesn't matter if you're Bill Goetz in a fruckin space shuttle.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this is retarded. Do some training if you feel like doing some training. And you should be able to both train and play poker. That guy mostly sounds like a 50 year old retard who is annoyed by the fact you have made more money than he ever will /images/graemlins/shocked.gif

[MEbenhoe]

So how long until you're making more than NLFish? <*(((><

[pshabi]

I'm 27, with a college degree from Purdue University, 2 kids, with a hot wife that I don't have to bang for a whole month if I don't want to.

I get paid a great salary to do "rewarding" work in the career I chose and I only work 9 months out of the year. Plus I've got poker income on top of that. Not to mention, I've got a credit line that could buy you. So shut yer trap youngin.

Everything you noted from my post had to do with if the boy EVER wanted to get laid. Fat, pimply, and 15 does not get you laid. Actually, even with clear skin, fat won't get you laid. Unless you don't mind banging fat chicks. Just exercise and enjoy your money. End of discussion.

[pzhon]

What impresses me most about your post is that you write far better than most high school students do. While you could be a good poker player, you can also succeed at many other things. Make sure you don't spend all of your time playing poker.

[ QUOTE ]
I plan on cashing some of my money out, not to spend it, probably just to let it sit in the bank to earn interest in a safe place. I am not done playing poker and I am not scared of losing it all, I just have an overly big bankroll for the 100s.

[/ QUOTE ]
$1 to a high school student means much more than $1 to someone after college. Spend it now! Also, buy your parents some thoughtful presents. After I took care of college (full scholarship), I paid for a second honeymoon for my parents.

If you can't pay for all of college, you might have to give up a large fixed percentage of whatever you have. This is a strong disincentive to save anything before college. You will have no problem rebuilding a bankroll during or after college.

[MEbenhoe]

[ QUOTE ]
with a hot wife that I don't have to bang for a whole month if I don't want to.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's just plain wrong man.

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
So how long until you're making more than NLFish? <*(((><

[/ QUOTE ]

Too late.

I've already given Dave [censored] for this too, haha. Maybe Ogre can teach him a thing or two about winning.

[cookie]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm 27, with a college degree from Purdue University, 2 kids, with a hot wife that I don't have to bang for a whole month if I don't want to.

I get paid a great salary to do "rewarding" work in the career I chose and I only work 9 months out of the year. Plus I've got poker income on top of that. Not to mention, I've got a credit line that could buy you. So shut yer trap youngin.

Everything you noted from my post had to do with if the boy EVER wanted to get laid. Fat, pimply, and 15 does not get you laid. Actually, even with clear skin, fat won't get you laid. Unless you don't mind banging fat chicks. Just exercise and enjoy your money. End of discussion.

[/ QUOTE ]

Im sorry, but I just thought your whole attitude towards the OP in your first post was pretty negative, though some of it probably is right.
My point was that he shoukd exercise, but also find time to play a little poker.

Plz dont hate me /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[JoeC]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm 27, with a college degree from Purdue University, 2 kids, with a hot wife that I don't have to bang for a whole month if I don't want to.

[/ QUOTE ]

Congratulations.

[ QUOTE ]
I get paid a great salary to do "rewarding" work in the career I chose and I only work 9 months out of the year. Plus I've got poker income on top of that. Not to mention, I've got a credit line that could buy you.

[/ QUOTE ]

Congratulations.

[ QUOTE ]
Everything you noted from my post had to do with if the boy EVER wanted to get laid. Fat, pimply, and 15 does not get you laid. Actually, even with clear skin, fat won't get you laid. Unless you don't mind banging fat chicks. Just exercise and enjoy your money. End of discussion.

[/ QUOTE ]

How did you establish that he is fat and pimply? And anyway, spending all your money is really a poor habit to get into. He might not be able to pay for ALL his college through investments but he can get a good portion of the way there. The fact that you're telling a 15-year-old kid to blow $10,000 rather than saving it tells me that you have little chance of escaping the middle-class rat race, whereas Ogre has the opportunity to start a nest egg now and be on a golf course in Florida when he's 32.

[Justin A]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So how long until you're making more than NLFish? <*(((><

[/ QUOTE ]

Too late.

I've already given Dave [censored] for this too, haha. Maybe Ogre can teach him a thing or two about winning.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is ironic.

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So how long until you're making more than NLFish? <*(((><

[/ QUOTE ]

Too late.

I've already given Dave [censored] for this too, haha. Maybe Ogre can teach him a thing or two about winning.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is ironic.

[/ QUOTE ]

+$1100 this week +$700 from rakeback from empire (with 3 more from eurobet on the way) and bonus'

Eat me.

[Justin A]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm 27, with a college degree from Purdue University, 2 kids, with a hot wife that I don't have to bang for a whole month if I don't want to.

I get paid a great salary to do "rewarding" work in the career I chose and I only work 9 months out of the year. Plus I've got poker income on top of that. Not to mention, I've got a credit line that could buy you. So shut yer trap youngin.

Everything you noted from my post had to do with if the boy EVER wanted to get laid. Fat, pimply, and 15 does not get you laid. Actually, even with clear skin, fat won't get you laid. Unless you don't mind banging fat chicks. Just exercise and enjoy your money. End of discussion.

[/ QUOTE ]

It has now become painfully obvious that you are an insecure, bitter moron. Apparently you're a teacher with a wife who won't have sex with you more than once a month, and you have to take out a huge credit line just to get by raising two kids on a teachers salary. And you're jealous because your extra poker income is less than a 15 year old.

The OP does just fine in his social life, and he is far from fat or pimply.

[Greg J]

[ QUOTE ]
What impresses me most about your post is that you write far better than most high school students do.

[/ QUOTE ]
He writes far better than most college undergraduates -- at least the ones I have taught. This kid is impressive on many different levels. That being said: don't let it go to yr head kid!

[nolanfan34]

A few thoughts:

- Congrats on your success! If I had that kind of cash in high school, the donuts would have been on me every day at our mid-morning break.

- As others have mentioned, it's refreshing to see someone under 18 who can write coherently.

- I hope you're finding a good balance between poker, school and free time. Sounds like you're smart enough to find what works best for you. I agree though that you should be enjoying high school while you can.

And the dating a senior suggestion really cracked me up.

[iluzion]

[ QUOTE ]

It has now become painfully obvious that you are an insecure, bitter moron. Apparently you're a teacher with a wife who won't have sex with you more than once a month, and you have to take out a huge credit line just to get by raising two kids on a teachers salary. And you're jealous because your extra poker income is less than a 15 year old.


[/ QUOTE ]

Post of the day.

[JoshuaMayes]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm 27 . . . with a hot wife that I don't have to bang for a whole month if I don't want to.


[/ QUOTE ]

Why wouldn't you want to bang your wife for a month?

[toss]

I'm glad he's so successful so far, but I'm depressed he already has made 5 figures through poker in such a short amount of time. I'm shamed as a poker player!

[cookie]

I think that this have a lot to do with the 5 figures
[ QUOTE ]
March 15th was different. I entered a $30+3 MTT with 1100 entrants at 7pm and by 11:30 I was $7,000 richer. I took first of 1100

[/ QUOTE ]
But it is still super nice

[gamblore99]

nice. That is some serious cash for a jr. high school student. As you grow older the money will be less and less significant as your peers get better jobs and such. obviously you should save some, but have fun. Be a big spender.

[A_C_Slater]

This kid is already light years ahead of his peers. In terms of financial security and verbal aptitude. Don't take the money and blow it on crap that you don't need. If I could go back to your age knowing what I know now (i'm 25) I would want to make sure my bankroll could keep growing so that I could play in bigger games (though I wouldn't keep it all in the online account, leave only 200BBs, and put the rest in the bank to possibly withdraw if you have to endure a big swing.) By the time he graduates High School, he could be multitabling the $100/200 on Pokerstars!

And that would just be sick.

[NLSoldier]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So how long until you're making more than NLFish? <*(((><

[/ QUOTE ]

Too late.

I've already given Dave [censored] for this too, haha. Maybe Ogre can teach him a thing or two about winning.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just because Ogre is a hot running little n00b doens't mean you guys gotta be playa hatin /images/graemlins/mad.gif

[Forbin]

[ QUOTE ]
This statement alone leads me to believe that everyone in this thread is under 21.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm primarily a lurker, but from most of the posts I see, the median age of people here on 2+2 sure seems to be 21 or lower. I know some places allow gambling at 18, but the ages here still seem awfully low.

If I owned this forum I'd be concerned when I read something like this and see that a 13 year old was encouraged to gamble by his also-underage brother, and that he was even given money to play with by other members of the forum. You may not agree with the current gambling age limit laws, but they are the law. Couple this with the fact that online poker legality is still a fuzzy area and it gets even worse. Stories like this are perfect for anyone trying to make gambling and online poker explicitly illegal or to enforce any existing laws that would "sort-of" prohibit it. I also doubt the publishers at 2+2 want their forum to be known as the one where all the underage players hang out and where it's easy to get yourself hooked up and playing. That just seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

If you want to play poker with your friends, by all means do so. Read and learn all you can. But don't flagrantly break the law/rules by playing online while so very underage and don't sneak into legitimate casinos. You gain a small amount financially, but when you're busted you wind up making things harder on everyone else.

[Ulysses]

This has nothing to do with you or your post. I just think it is pretty pathetic that people are so impressed that a high schooler can string together a few sentences. That's all.

[David04]

[ QUOTE ]
This has nothing to do with you or your post. I just think it is pretty pathetic that people are so impressed that a high schooler can string together a few sentences. That's all.

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't know if people are particularly impressed, but personally I think that his writing is at a higher level than that of the average high-schooler.

[NLSoldier]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This statement alone leads me to believe that everyone in this thread is under 21.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm primarily a lurker, but from most of the posts I see, the median age of people here on 2+2 sure seems to be 21 or lower. I know some places allow gambling at 18, but the ages here still seem awfully low.

If I owned this forum I'd be concerned when I read something like this and see that a 13 year old was encouraged to gamble by his also-underage brother, and that he was even given money to play with by other members of the forum. You may not agree with the current gambling age limit laws, but they are the law. Couple this with the fact that online poker legality is still a fuzzy area and it gets even worse. Stories like this are perfect for anyone trying to make gambling and online poker explicitly illegal or to enforce any existing laws that would "sort-of" prohibit it. I also doubt the publishers at 2+2 want their forum to be known as the one where all the underage players hang out and where it's easy to get yourself hooked up and playing. That just seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

If you want to play poker with your friends, by all means do so. Read and learn all you can. But don't flagrantly break the law/rules by playing online while so very underage and don't sneak into legitimate casinos. You gain a small amount financially, but when you're busted you wind up making things harder on everyone else.

[/ QUOTE ]

The gambling age in Minnesota is 18. When I was staked for a short time by a 2+2er I was 18 and was playing on party poker legally.

I think you are overreacting. But I do appreciate your concern because you do bring up a good point about how we are, in a way, playing right into the hands of the anti-gambling activists. And online poker becoming explicitly illegal would really suck.

[Ogre]

[ QUOTE ]
If you're a pimply faced 15 year old you should get outside and run a couple laps around the block. You're going to get fat from sitting at a computer desk all day. 15, fat, pimply does not equal chicks.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am 6'2" 130lbs with clear skin.

[Ogre]

[ QUOTE ]
I think that this have a lot to do with the 5 figures
[ QUOTE ]
March 15th was different. I entered a $30+3 MTT with 1100 entrants at 7pm and by 11:30 I was $7,000 richer. I took first of 1100

[/ QUOTE ]
But it is still super nice

[/ QUOTE ]

I would be close to 5 digits without that win.
But winning that got me into the 100s and allowed me to win more money.

[Ogre]

[ QUOTE ]
This has nothing to do with you or your post. I just think it is pretty pathetic that people are so impressed that a high schooler can string together a few sentences. That's all.

[/ QUOTE ]

NLSoldier helped correct it but I wrote the whole thing.

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This has nothing to do with you or your post. I just think it is pretty pathetic that people are so impressed that a high schooler can string together a few sentences. That's all.

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't know if people are particularly impressed, but personally I think that his writing is at a higher level than that of the average high-schooler.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, that's the problem.

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Now I only play .5/1 to sit on ThaSaltCracka's left and 3-bet him everytime he comes in for a raise.

[/ QUOTE ]

Forgot to mention that this cracks me up, I thought I was the only one who did this. I had a nice one the other day when I 3-bet him with 98 and flopped two pair. Heh heh.

[JKratzer]

Start lifting weights. 6'2" 130lbs = twig. Better than being fat but chicks dig muscles.

[Forbin]

[ QUOTE ]
The gambling age in Minnesota is 18. When I was staked for a short time by a 2+2er I was 18 and was playing on party poker legally.

I think you are overreacting. But I do appreciate your concern because you do bring up a good point about how we are, in a way, playing right into the hands of the anti-gambling activists. And online poker becoming explicitly illegal would really suck.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, so the second time you started playing you were 18. If the law in MN says 18, that is fine. Unfortunately you then let your 13 year old brother play on your account. He's your brother, so you would've let him play on your account without the prompting of any forum, online or off. Obviously 2+2 isn't directly to blame for letting this particular very young kid gamble online so easily (you are), but enough of the threads here deal with underage gambling (most portraying it positively) that it can *not* be good.

It may appear as an overreaction if you look only at this single thread, but if you add in all the others talking about similar topics I think the reaction is warranted. "How do I fund my online account while underage?" "Which casinos don't card?" "What do I do if I'm playing underage and they try to card me?" ... etc... etc... etc... The majority of posts in threads like that seem very pro-underage gambling (and I would expect that most of those same posts are from people 22/23/24 or under).

I may be 30 now (and, yes, it does feel old), but I do remember how much age limits sucked when I was underage. Can't drive a car, can't drink, can't buy porn, can't gamble. But those few years will go by much quicker than you imagine, and then when you finally do hit 18 or 21, you've got decades to do whatever you want. Unfortunately by doing it illegally beforehand (and boasting about it/getting praised for it) you greatly increase the chance that by the time you can play legally it will be much harder to do so (or impossible entirely), because, "won't someone please think of the children!" So you might be winning a couple years of playing while you are 13, but at the same time losing the ability to play for many, many years later on.

Sometimes the correct play is to give up a slight immediate +EV for a much larger +EV later on.

[Sponger15SB]

I have read at least 10x of posters on this and other forums letting their 7-12 year old children gamble online.

I don't think NLSoldier letting him play for a few bucks online is remotely close in badness to the above. Also, when NLSoldier turns 21 he'll probably be buying him beer too, are you gonna freak out about that as well?

[pshabi]

Dude,

Bravo! You're like 50% on, no [censored]! Anyway, I'm an Athletic Director/Coach. I'm in my 4th year out of college and I make 55k. You find me anyone else in education 4 years out of college hooping that and I'll eat my hat. 55k ain't filthy rich and I'm obviously not bragging. But, if you had your lifetime dreamjob that you were prepared to work at for far less you would be too (hell, for some of you, that may be poker).

Anyway, I had to take out a credit line to raise the first kid, you're right. I had him when I was 18. That debt's gone now (partially thanks to this wonderful game). I've got good credit and am getting a house this summer.

Kid #2 is a baby. He came under better circumstances. I don't make nearly as much as this kid, no, but I wasn't really sweatin him. I was just trying to get some laughs.

Your post was funny though man. Oh, and if you ever have a kid like my baby you'll understand why I don't get laid. Definitely, not by choice.

[Justin A]

[ QUOTE ]
This has nothing to do with you or your post. I just think it is pretty pathetic that people are so impressed that a high schooler can string together a few sentences. That's all.

[/ QUOTE ]

I got the impression that they were more impressed with his maturity level rather than his writing talent.

[ChrisCo]

Although I would not approve of the majority of kids under 18 gambling online I bleieve that their is a certain group that can do it responsibly. I am just like Ogre. I am a year older than him getting ready to take off for college and I have a healthy 6 figure roll. I am actively staking a 2+2er, I go snowboarding every other weekend, I drive a nice car, I paid for a trip to hawaii over spring break, I go out to eat if I want to, don't have to worry about money, don't have to work a shitty min wage job at a coffee shop ,etc. The lists goes on and on.

What I am trying to get across is that I do not support underage gambling. I would hate to see any of my friends start to play because I know that the majority of people at that age do not have the control, discipline, and intellect to handle poker. People like Ogre and I happen to be the exception.

You just got to keep your life in balance at this young of an age. Don't get to encompassed with the game that your a socail retard that doesn't get any chicks. I took a break for a couple months and am having the time of my life with the money I have. I am a senior in high school going to a good college next year with a fistfull of cash and not a care in the world. What could be better than that?

[Forbin]

[ QUOTE ]
I have read at least 10x of posters on this and other forums letting their 7-12 year old children gamble online.

I don't think NLSoldier letting him play for a few bucks online is remotely close in badness to the above. Also, when NLSoldier turns 21 he'll probably be buying him beer too, are you gonna freak out about that as well?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I figured I'd get this kind of response (at least once, probably more). It seems anyone who is against underage gambling on here does. It isn't just NLSoldier and his brother. They just happened to be the topic of this thread. For sure there are hundreds of other posts on this and other forums where people say they do the same thing, along with plenty of people who do it and have said nothing about it at all. They are all part of the potential problem. Just because his mother is cool with letting him gamble underage doesn't mean every other adult will be, and you'll find that Suzy Homemaker who is horrified by kids gambling will be far more vocal in her outrage than your parents will be in fighting for your right to continue gambling underage (or possibly gamble at all).

And I don't think a five figure bankroll really qualifies as "a few bucks."

I don't care too much if he buys his brother a few beers, much like this one particular instance of a guy letting his little brother gamble on his account isn't too big a deal. Repeatedly encouraging it so openly and praising those who take part is the problem. Continuing with the alcohol analogy, people over 21 buying beer for people under 21 has already made life annoying for legal purchasers. In a number of communities you can't buy a keg to put in your home keg-fridge and keep it for more than 7/14/30 days. If you do you'll be ticketed and have to pay a fine. That's a pain in the ass for people who might have a tap at home just so they can have a beer or three a day, and might have no real chance of finishing it in 14 days. But someone was "thinking of the children" and decided it was a good law.

I'm a libertarian, so in general I think adults should be able to do whatever they want to themselves and their property as long as it does not affect the same rights for other people. If you want to drink or do drugs or commit suicide or not wear a seatbelt/helmet, then by all means go for it. However with that comes personal responsibility. Your actions have consequences and you need to accept that. If let your little brother gamble in your online account and that gets publicized, along with dozens of other incidents, resulting in a crackdown in online poker (or gambling in general), you own some of the responsibility for that happening. So does he, but as a minor his decision making skills are not as developed and as the adult it was your responsibility to say no. How do you think NLSoldier would react if his entire online bankroll were confiscated or turned over to authorities (or something) for allowing an underage person to play on his account? Certainly both he and his brother have posted enough identifiable information in this public forum that someone from a poker site could easily find their exact account(s). It is just foolish and irresponsible to so openly boast about or praise this.

Our society considers you an adult at 18 (for most things), and before that you have far more limits on your personal freedoms. That sucks for you, but life is not always fair. Learning that now brings you that much closer to being an adult. Oftentimes you have to suck up and deal with things you do not like. In this case wait a few years and gamble when you are allowed to gamble. Stop being so short sighted and look at the larger picture.

[Sponger15SB]

Nice post. I don't agree with all of it, but it does give us all something to think about.

I am 20 btw, and I have played online (obviously) and at Commerce before.

[Ogre]

By making this post I was not trying to say "Hey, I can my X amount of money by playing poker underage and so can you!" I am not trying to promote other people to play like I do. I don't support underage gambling. Winning at online poker takes alot of discipline that 99% of people my age do not have. I haven't got any of my friends into playing online. Although many have asked I have always say no without thinking twice about it.

[NLSoldier]

Maybe could have avoided all this by leaving the "underage" part out of the title...oh well /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[ChrisCo]

I agree with everything you say Forbin but just place yourself in someone elses shoes. Imagine you are a 16 or 17 year old, pretty smart, level headed, and start to get into poker and you gain the ability to make this kind of money. It would be very hard for I think any teenager to turn this down. I took a break to get away from it for a couple months but I always new I would be coming back because I was simply giving up too much by not playing. When you have the ability to make $50/hr when anyother job at that moment is going to be paying you a max of $10/hr it starts to change your mindset.

Also, for people like me and Ogre it is a great way to get a headstart in life. Think of how much easier it would be to get off your feet once you get out of college if you have 100k to put towards a house, a car, a wife, or family.

But like I said in my last post, I do not support underage gambling because 90% of high school students are to stupid, cocky, impatient, and unfocused for poker. You have to be good enough for the positive effects to outweigh the negative effects that come along with poker.

[MEbenhoe]

[ QUOTE ]

But like I said in my last post, I do not support underage gambling because 90% of high school students are to stupid, cocky, impatient, and unfocused for poker. You have to be good enough for the positive effects to outweigh the negative effects that come along with poker.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not to be too much of a nit here, but saying 90% of high schoolers don't have the maturity, intelligence, attitude, etc. to be successful at poker is probably a huge underestimation. I'd say the number is probably closer to 99%. I'd say only about 10% of the entire general public has the intellectual makeup to be a winning poker player, and that it would be a much smaller percentage among high schoolers.

I'm only turning 20 next week myself, so it's not like I'm some old angry guy saying this to all the young punks. I was in high school just a couple years ago, I remember the poker games I had in high school, I see the poker games that go on on college campuses. The dedication, intelligence, and ability to put your ego aside that are necessary just aren't there in most people. You and Ogre are special cases like you said, and I wish you continued success, but like many people have said, there are very few people I'd advise to start playing as more than just a hobby.

[ChrisCo]

I agree, I was just tossing out a number there. id say it is somewhere between 95% and 99%. I don't have to much respect for the average high school student /images/graemlins/ooo.gif

[ggbman]

If I had any idea the reception for an underage poker player would be this warm i would have written "My first 9 months as an underage poker player" some time ago. Congratulations on the sucess Ogre, maybe it carry over to your second year.

[Klepton]

if i had that much money when i was your age i would go and buy every single lego set at the local toy store

i would then sleep in the pile of legos

p.s. - it's been said before, but seriously use the money + brains + older brother advantage to start hooking up with hot chicks

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
if i had that much money when i was your age i would go and buy every single lego set at the local toy store

i would then sleep in the pile of legos

[/ QUOTE ]

Tom Smykowski: It's a "Jump to Conclusions Mat". You see, you have this mat, with different CONCLUSIONS written on it that you could JUMP TO.

Michael Bolton: That is the worst idea I've ever heard.

Samir: Yes, this is horrible, this idea.

[toman8r]

Congrats. I turned 18 last month and finished my 7 month underage poker playing career. So far I have paid for my truck and a year of college and still have a healthy 15/30 roll. My goal is to have all 4+ years of college paid for before I go in fall. My advice to you: play well, play more limit, do well in school, and do well with chicks. Also, don't tell too many people about this.

[Riskwise]

[ QUOTE ]
Now I only play .5/1 to sit on ThaSaltCracka's left and 3-bet him everytime he comes in for a raise.

[/ QUOTE ]

haha this is a conversation that NLsoldier copied and pasted to me like 2min before i read this post:

ThaSaltCracka: oh [censored], now your brothers friend signed on
ThaSaltCracka: Riskwise...
ThaSaltCracka: probably to harrass me or tell me about some lame halo video

i have pretty much the same story as ogre excluding the $7,000 first time final table MTT win (10th and 6th, lost to coinflips both times, in my first 2 finals). we used to be a "MTT team" untill i quit and now play 5/10 short.

EDIT: NLsoldier: way to put your whole post in quotes idiot

[Ogre]

I have a 10th place MTT finish too. My next tournament after winning got to the final table but that time it wasn't as satisfying.

[NLSoldier]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a 10th place MTT finish too. My next tournament after winning got to the final table but that time it wasn't as satisfying.

[/ QUOTE ]

OK now you're just bragging /images/graemlins/mad.gif

[Ogre]

I had to respond to Riskwise stealing my thunder.

j/k

[Raydain]

Doesn't 2+2 ban posters under the age of 18?

[ThaSaltCracka]

well lookie here, we have another Dutch Boyd on our hands, a poker prodigy, and at such a young age. Warms my heart.

[BigBaitsim (milo)]

Having taught college classes at both ugrad and grad levels, I can safely say you write better than most college students. Clearly your talents extend beyond poker.

More importantly, your mother is right about the money.

[ThaHero]

[ QUOTE ]
" agree with the other posters. Save it up, invest it, let it grow. By the time you graduate from high school, your college could be paid for."

This statement alone leads me to believe that everyone in this thread is under 21.

The only thing you can invest this kind of money into at 15 that's going "pay" for a college education 4 years later is drugs. I'm not talking about celebrex.

This thread is disturbing. Not to mention, only dorks thought cars were going to get them chicks in High School.

Kid,

If you're a pimply faced 15 year old you should get outside and run a couple laps around the block. You're going to get fat from sitting at a computer desk all day. 15, fat, pimply does not equal chicks. Doesn't matter if you're Bill Goetz in a fruckin space shuttle.

[/ QUOTE ]

When I mentioned investing, there's plenty of ways he could go about this. One, is investing most of the winnings back into poker(which he has done) and I don't see why, if he keeps winning, he couldn't have college paid off before he graduates. Second, his mother knows about his winnings(or some portion of it at least) and so does his brother. Both, I'm assuming, are old enough to put money into some sort of small, short term investment. I don't claim to be a genius when it comes to investments, but there's business he oould fund, franchises, real estate, etc.

Also, even though having a car in high school wasn't a requirement to get girls(I rode the bus before senior year and got my fair share), and it's really the mouthpiece that is the major factor, having a kick-ass car definately helps and makes things easier. I know guys in high school that had tight cars, camaros, mustangs, etc. and it definately helped. I know having my car helped, although I was already quite popular. How you gonna go out on a date and you riding the bus? Or mommy is dropping you off? Pick the chick up, hit a party, a motel, whatever.

You're crazy if you think having a car doesn't make having a girlfriend(s) easier.

And, although we have no proof he's fat, I do agree, and mentioned, that he shouldn't sit at the comp playin poker all day. It's just not healthy. Not healthy for your eyes, your body, or your social skills. I try to get this same thing across to the kids I meet that spend 8 hours a day playing Madden online. Get out. Go party. Go work out. Play REAL sports. etc.

BTW, I'm 21.

[JimmyJazz1]

Nice post man. I'm a Freshman in college, played about a year of online poker and up 5 figures as well. Just keep in mind that youre entering your most important years in high school. I started playing when high school didnt really matter for me anymore, after I got into college. So just keep focus on the most important things: school, friends, and girls. Poker comes next. Anyways, congrats on your success thus far.

[NLSoldier]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
" agree with the other posters. Save it up, invest it, let it grow. By the time you graduate from high school, your college could be paid for."

This statement alone leads me to believe that everyone in this thread is under 21.

The only thing you can invest this kind of money into at 15 that's going "pay" for a college education 4 years later is drugs. I'm not talking about celebrex.

This thread is disturbing. Not to mention, only dorks thought cars were going to get them chicks in High School.

Kid,

If you're a pimply faced 15 year old you should get outside and run a couple laps around the block. You're going to get fat from sitting at a computer desk all day. 15, fat, pimply does not equal chicks. Doesn't matter if you're Bill Goetz in a fruckin space shuttle.

[/ QUOTE ]

When I mentioned investing, there's plenty of ways he could go about this. One, is investing most of the winnings back into poker(which he has done) and I don't see why, if he keeps winning, he couldn't have college paid off before he graduates. Second, his mother knows about his winnings(or some portion of it at least) and so does his brother. Both, I'm assuming, are old enough to put money into some sort of small, short term investment. I don't claim to be a genius when it comes to investments, but there's business he oould fund, franchises, real estate, etc.

Also, even though having a car in high school wasn't a requirement to get girls(I rode the bus before senior year and got my fair share), and it's really the mouthpiece that is the major factor, having a kick-ass car definately helps and makes things easier. I know guys in high school that had tight cars, camaros, mustangs, etc. and it definately helped. I know having my car helped, although I was already quite popular. How you gonna go out on a date and you riding the bus? Or mommy is dropping you off? Pick the chick up, hit a party, a motel, whatever.

You're crazy if you think having a car doesn't make having a girlfriend(s) easier.

And, although we have no proof he's fat, I do agree, and mentioned, that he shouldn't sit at the comp playin poker all day. It's just not healthy. Not healthy for your eyes, your body, or your social skills. I try to get this same thing across to the kids I meet that spend 8 hours a day playing Madden online. Get out. Go party. Go work out. Play REAL sports. etc.

BTW, I'm 21.

[/ QUOTE ]

Investing the money back into poker will have a far greater expected return than anything else and its really not even close.

PS-He plays football which I'm pretty sure most people would call a "REAL" sport, and tennis, which is debatable /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[pzhon]

[ QUOTE ]
I just think it is pretty pathetic that people are so impressed that a high schooler can string together a few sentences.

[/ QUOTE ]
How frequently do you correspond with high school students? A coherent paragraph from a generation used to typing "how r u?" on IM is not the norm. When I taught calculus at an elite university, clear writing sometimes indicated a solid understanding of the subject. However, it often indicated plagiarism.

[Yeti]

As usual, I'm inclined to agree with Diablo. I'm sure my quality of writing at 15 was as impressive. I suspect many posters feel the same.

However, I'm not taking anything away from Ogre. Sweet story. Best of luck with your money.

[AncientPC]

Very nice, sounds like you're handling yourself pretty well.

So why is Dave called NLSoldier if he plays SH limit?

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
So why is Dave called NLSoldier if he plays SH limit?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think he's a big Master P fan.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

[cookie]

[ QUOTE ]
PS-He plays football which I'm pretty sure most people would call a "REAL" sport, and tennis, which is debatable /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
With the stats he posted I suggest skipping tennis and start some powerlifting/weightlifting along with the football which I think really would improve his football /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[daveymck]

I think the 30 year old guy is forgetting when he was a kid or was at least in the minority of very good kids. In my experience whether its sex, drinking, smoking whatever people a couple of years under the legal limit participate/experiment in those things, for example I was drinking at times at 16/17 (limit is 18 here) even being in pubs etc its almost a part of growing up. I'm 32 so at a similar age to him.

Although that doesnt mean we should encourage all kids to gamble undeage, I think the op has a few things in his favour, based on his writing.

His brother and parents are aware and so can monitor his activity, better than him locking himself in his room and doing it secretly.

He does seem level headed and mature based on his writing and thoughts, it would seem he has been dillegent in improving and studying his game, hopefully not at the expense of his education but I suspect if that was impacted the family involvement would stop that.

I think that those saying about exersise are right but lets face it most 16-17 year old kids are sitting in front of playstations/tv's/computers getting kids that age out for runs isnt normal at least he is doing somthing productive.

For my part at that age I was earning $50 a week on Youth Training was starting to be rubbish at managing money and by 18 was getting into debt due to my lack of money management skills, the op is getting a good lesson in money management as well as giving himself a good start in life.

My stepson is 13 and getting to the stage where there are things that could go wrong, however out of anything I would rather he learned to play poker and waste some time doing that than hanging round street corners with gangs of lads drinking smoking and experimenting with drugs, there are worse things the op could be doing.

[TheKnife]

[ QUOTE ]
Congratulations, I hope you use some of your winnings taking out hot high school girls. See if you can get a senior.

[/ QUOTE ] lol

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
" agree with the other posters. Save it up, invest it, let it grow. By the time you graduate from high school, your college could be paid for."

This statement alone leads me to believe that everyone in this thread is under 21.

The only thing you can invest this kind of money into at 15 that's going "pay" for a college education 4 years later is drugs. I'm not talking about celebrex.

This thread is disturbing. Not to mention, only dorks thought cars were going to get them chicks in High School.

Kid,

If you're a pimply faced 15 year old you should get outside and run a couple laps around the block. You're going to get fat from sitting at a computer desk all day. 15, fat, pimply does not equal chicks. Doesn't matter if you're Bill Goetz in a fruckin space shuttle.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, girls at 15 are dorks too. It's not like he has to be James Bond to be slick enough. Will a nice car get chicks at 15? Hell, it doesn't hurt at 40.

P.S. -- we have to assume he's not a total disgusting cretin. Most people aren't. I'm not sure who you think you're aiming your advice to. I detect not a little jealousy.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What impresses me most about your post is that you write far better than most high school students do.

[/ QUOTE ]
He writes far better than most college undergraduates -- at least the ones I have taught. This kid is impressive on many different levels. That being said: don't let it go to yr head kid!

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. He writes better than a great many college kids do, too.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
This has nothing to do with you or your post. I just think it is pretty pathetic that people are so impressed that a high schooler can string together a few sentences. That's all.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, the public school system really is that bad. And in some of it(like in California), you literally don't even have to learn English for years on end.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
I have read at least 10x of posters on this and other forums letting their 7-12 year old children gamble online.

I don't think NLSoldier letting him play for a few bucks online is remotely close in badness to the above. Also, when NLSoldier turns 21 he'll probably be buying him beer too, are you gonna freak out about that as well?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd rather have my kid playing poker than: watching t.v., playing Nintendo or other PC/video games, hanging around with bad-influence type friends, exploring what drugs or alcohol are about, taking up most activities that didn't stimulate his mind or wasted his time for little reward, or generally doing a lot of the jerkwad things teenagers do.

I wouldn't want him playing poker so much that he became underdeveloped socially or physically. But that doesn't mean not playing poker at all.

As for the morality of it? It's a card game, that's all. It might be one of the most moral things in the world, since it's one of the few areas where being richer, more connected, handsomer, physically stronger, or even more socially adept mean nothing. Everyone starts out at the same level and nobody can cheat their way ahead in line while claiming the playing field was perfectly level. It's a model meritocracy where you can't cheat or be cheated, and everyone deserves exactly what they get. At least over time. /images/graemlins/smile.gif Where else in the world can you find that level of pure morality?

Morality isn't a strong point of kids; they're constantly showing off and trying to pull crap on each other and bully their way around or avoid the bullying around of others. Poker provides a better environment than lots of kids will ever come close to.

As long as they get out of the house enough to keep their social skills developing and stay physically healthy, I'd rather my kids were playing poker in their free time than doing most other things they'd do while hanging around the house. Besides maybe cleaning up their rooms and helping with yardwork.

[Blarg]

Funny thing is, I think some of the worst advice here comes from adults. "Spend your money, spend yout money!" I think they're in fantasy mode.

The value of money when you need it is enormous compared to when you don't need it. You should put aside as much of it as possible while you don't need it so that it will be there when you do, at which time the same amount of money will be worth vastly more to you. As someone moving from a life of no real responsibilities to one who will be on your own in a couple or few years, this definitely applies to you particularly clearly.

Also, the idea of adapting your personality to a high spending lifestyle can cripple even the very rich and make you unappreciative of what you have. It's basically taking on a liability that you have to pay interest on just like a debt. If you can't be happy with a $20,000 car instead of a $40,000 car, you'll always be spending $20,000 extra for just that area of happiness alone. And how many more things that make you happy could you find to distort by changing yourself so that you are only happy when you spend outsize amounts of money on them?

Your core values and outlook shouldn't be a function of your bank account. Just use your money to help fund a smart, stable, well-lived life, not to be a "big spender" and the kind of person who is "that guy with the money." It's much better to orient yourself in life as the guy who's happy and solid and figures he has extra than as the guy who never has enough and always wishes he had a little bit more, and quick. Your personality usually comes out much the better for it, too.

Have money, and make more. But don't lose the honest, decent kid inside. Blowing your cash is for suckers. Save it, invest it, and make more of it until you're blowing the interest instead. This is a capitalist system; it stinks without capital. Always think of your money as capital. Do that well enough and you won't be able to spend it fast enough. Treat it indifferently or foolishly, and you'll never have enough or spend enough to be happy.

[NLSoldier]

Blarg,

These last two posts are awesome. I hope Ogre gets as much out of them as I just did /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, the idea of adapting your personality to a high spending lifestyle can cripple even the very rich and make you unappreciative of what you have.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this is called the MC Hammer Theorem. (OP in this thread was barely even born then....sigh)

Great posts in this thread Blarg. I agree 100 percent. I'd be spending money on a few things to enjoy life, but man, if you can save enough money to not have student loans after college? That's huge.

[soundgarden4]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, the idea of adapting your personality to a high spending lifestyle can cripple even the very rich and make you unappreciative of what you have. It's basically taking on a liability that you have to pay interest on just like a debt. If you can't be happy with a $20,000 car instead of a $40,000 car, you'll always be spending $20,000 extra for just that area of happiness alone. And how many more things that make you happy could you find to distort by changing yourself so that you are only happy when you spend outsize amounts of money on them?


[/ QUOTE ]

This is the reason why I read 2+2, for these pieces of gold.
Everyone should learn to live like this. Thank you Blarg.

kevin

[JohnnyHumongous]

U R SMRT GUY 4 SURE

[lil_o]

P.H.D.

[Raydain]

What do you do about taxes?

[tdarko]

i don't think he was talking about Ogre turning down any opportunity to make money--especially money that most kids that age don't touch.

his post is about making it public and especially making it public at a place like 2+2. he is just making sure people understand that coming out parties about underage gambling can effect us all.

anyway ChrisCo and Ogre congrats on your success, i too made some money at an early age but for a different sport and not poker. money is nice and should be spent and in the same light its also nice to hear a kids that age talk about responsibility and the future.

very cool read to say the least, keep us updated.