[Blarg]

Poke doesn't beat feeling up teenage girls, but it sure beats t.v. and Nintendo.

It's often the functional equivalent to hanging around with your friends, because it can be very social. It can even introduce you to wider groups of people, and do it on a fair and equitable level, a big plus in the social development of teenagers.

Nothing's good if you do it all the time, and neither is poker. But hey, if it keeps you off the streets and you do it moderately and have some fun, it sure beats a lot of things it can substitute for. Think of all the crazy, stupid crap that teenagers do that is so much worse than playing poker with their buddies, or just vegging out in front of the t.v. or getting stoned all the time.