ESPN story - poker image takes a hit

[Wingnut]

Can't believe I'm the first one to post this. Just when poker is trying to upgrade its image, we get this. And apparently the article will be presented in video form on Sportscenter this evening.

ESPN Page 2 story

[Songwind]

I really don't think this is a "hit". Gambling of all types has always had that image, and, frankly, it's something that needs to be out there.

There *are* people who develop serious problems with gambling for a variety of reasons. There are people who go broke and lose their inheritance and spend their kids' lunch money and all that stuff. Pretending it doesn't happen is no better than tobacco companies pretending they aren't related to emphysema.

The only part of the article that I really had issue with was the suggestion that the level of skill involved in poker is trivial. That, and the implication by Adam that anyone who gambles is skipping down the slippery slope to addiction, but that's an attitude I find pretty universal among recovering addicts so it's not surprising.

[wayabvpar]

See my response linked below-
Linky to other thread

[M2d]

[ QUOTE ]
Poker can be studied and perfected to a greater extent than roulette or craps. But some say poker is more susceptible to problem gambling because it appears to take more skill than it really does.

[/ QUOTE ]

um, no. roulette and craps can be studied completely, since there's no human factor involved, and because the math involved is basic. you can easily come up with a best strategy for these games. the fact that they're -EV does not diminish this fact.

[RiverMel]

[ QUOTE ]
"I think we've all read Doyle Brunson's book 'Super System'," says Nahill, who will be attending Amherst College this fall. " I think we've all studied it as much as possible on TV -- studied the different ways they play, real aggressive, real conservative -- to find out who you like the best. And really as you go along, and you see so many hands, and you've played them, you automatically get better."

Almost everyone at the table talks about their favorite poker players, the way kids used to talk about their favorite athletes: Howard Lederer. Phil Ivey. Daniel Negreanu. Chris Moneymaker. Nahill's favorite is Phil Hellmuth

[/ QUOTE ]

[Kevmath]

Here's an article from just the day before in USA Today. It's odd that both are centering on the same thing (poker is bad for children)
USA Today column

Kevin...

[Sundevils21]

tonight on sportscenter they are running a story about kids and there addictions to poker. should be interesting(probably all the bad and none of the good about poker). I want to see the story about ZeeJustin and Eugene and how poker has ruined thier lives.(or mine for that matter, I play full time and I'm 19)

[jpym84]

[ QUOTE ]
"If we teach kids the mathematics behind the reasoning that will show them that they're not going to win in the long run," Ferguson said, "then I think we can keep kids away from gambling."

[/ QUOTE ]
Is Jesus implying that good players don't win in the long run!!?

[The once and future king]

"After downloading the rules of gambling onto his computer, Adam and six friends started playing with $10 buy-ins."

The rules of gambling !!! [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] Talk about a leading misrepresentative statement.

[afish]

I think this story is pretty good. Frankly, in the last couple of months, I've seen an explosion of posts talking about the ease with which large sums of money can be won on line. This struck me as totally bogus, and I think someone needs to deflate the balloon. Maybe there are a bunch of guys winning from poor playing high school students. If that is the case, people need to recognize that the presence of such dead money is a temporary situation.