Benjamin wants to learn how to play poker -- should I teach him?

[Dan Druff]

Up until a month ago, Benjamin showed zero interest in my poker play, aside from being aware I play it and that I leave sometimes to go to the WSOP and other cardrooms.

He does not know how to play, and did not express any desire to learn. In fact, in the past he has made negative statements about gambling, such as, "I wouldn't want to gamble, I would hate losing", and, "It would be too stressful."

Ben is close to 13 years old.

By contrast, I had a fascination with gambling and Las Vegas when I was as young as 6 years old, and in fact looked forward to the year 1993 -- the first time I'd be able to gamble legally. Most teens look forward to being 21, when they can legally drink. I never did for that reason. I had zero desire to drink alcohol or do drugs, which remains the case today. I wanted to be 21 so I could gamble!

Anyway, starting from about a month ago, Ben expressed the desire to "learn how to play poker". He then started taking more interest in watching for short periods of time when I played on Bovada, and also noted, "I don't know what's good or bad here, but I want to learn."

When I had A8 of diamonds and the flop was Q42 all spades, he said, "Even I can tell that's bad."

He once again asked last night if he can learn how to play poker this week.

There are upsides and downsides to this:

Upsides:

- He will understand my own play, including WSOP updates next year

- We can play an event together at the 2032 WSOP, as a father-son bonding activity

- He could end up winning a bracelet, making us among the few father-son bracelet holders (seriously, there aren't all that many)

- He can take over PFA when I croak



Downsides:

- He might end up an addicted gambler

- If he starts off well at age 21, he might get recruited by Matt Berkey and end up teaching at Solve For Why

- He could end up winning two bracelets, which would make me look bad

- If he keeps losing and needs more of a bankroll, he could end up murdering me for inheritance money like Ernie Scherer did to his parents



So should I teach him how to play?

FYI, I will not let him play for real money at this point, no matter what.

[Dan Druff]

Whoops, somehow double posted, one without a poll. Merged both threads. FYI

[sonatine]

game theory ftw.

[tgull]

I know everyone wants to think there kid is unique and not prone to self induced pitfalls in life, but getting a kid highly interested in gambling at the age of 13 is risky to say the least. I get there are always exceptions, but most poker players are degens, so you have to play the odds in that there is a significant chance he gets hooked to the action as he gets older. I had plenty of guys in my freshman dorm complex gambling hundreds every Sunday on football, and that was really before any meaningful gambling on the internet, I can only imagine what its like on college campuses now with all the online sports betting. I'd teach him chess.

[Texter]

Teach him the basics.

[SlowRoll]

There are so many entities out there trying to pull kids into gambling at a young age. Teaching him how to dissect a game and determine if it is beatable / profitable is a skill that seems like it would help not get caught up in the addictive behaviors being sold to children - which ultimately make them pretty susceptible to problem gambling.

Make sure he doesn't use his skills to hustle his friends. You don't want his friends' parents' asking why their son is making gambling related Apple Pay transfers to your 13 year old son.

[Pablo]

I would get him a better coach. Someone that didn't take 20+ years to break the 1 million dollar mark.

[BCR]

That’s a tricky one. Odds are he’s going to learn either way as all boys are going to want to learn why you’re doing what he’s seeing you do every day, so better to learn from a successful pro. Obviously you know how your kid is wired better than anyone else. If he is a kid who you have to drag off his Xbox to do his homework, I’d be inclined to steer him away. You have to drag them all off at that age, but I consider only having to tell him once without an argument healthy.

Delaware(rip) always called you a perfect pro, and I agreed as far as you have the temperament for poker and zero addiction issues as far as alcohol or pills and elite money management. If your kid is wired like you, I’d teach him. You’re pretty rare though and at that age, you can see which direction he’s heading, but he’s not there yet. I’ve seen 13 year olds be different humans at 16. Either way, I’d always downplay it as a career. Stress you were educated first. Stress anyone smart enough to beat the modern game is selling themselves short to not apply that intellect to the real world. I’ve been kind of waiting for this post for a few years.

[tyde]

[Sanlmar]

Ideally Ben is exposed to a variety of games and disciplines.

Ever play chess or backgammon with him?

Expose him to the stock market - perhaps even funding in a small way.

Give him a karate lesson.

He should sample as much as he can from the firehose

Discussion/debate and pahticipating with his father is obviously a critical element in his mind whether he is aware of that fact or not.

He is beginning his journey toward independence. That’s the main thing. If the idea of mini me is at all present that needs to be snuffed.

[Sanlmar]

Was just thinking girls are twice as hard. I have no damn idea how she or I made it.

She remembers EVERYTHING though. I was always screwing with my kids either overtly or directly. Lots of random stuff. I had no notion how everything would be remembered down to the tiniest detail.

Ella Fitzgerald came up the other day. I played that randomly on some mix tape/cd just to be annoying and she remembers the exact day.

I don’t understand millenials not wanting kids. Was amazing

[dwai]

I would get him a better coach. Someone that didn't take 20+ years to break the 1 million dollar mark.

[Sanlmar]

I did set them up with poker when they were far younger than 13 during the poker boom. I funded their accounts. I wrote a great deal about this.

I gave my son a book on poker. Try to remember who.

I wrote a great deal about this over the years.

Daughter ended up in Vegas and dated a musician and grinder. (Luck-boxed into Zappos IT while there.)

She spent an afternoon at Matt Berkey’s poker mansion watching SOCCER

She had zero.zero interest in anything gambling. Rather hated Vegas.

Son played in college and in local games but has no interest anymore. Sports wagering with pals. We NEVER discuss gambling. Did fantasy as a kid and recently said he doesn’t have time for it.

Poker is dead - certainly not pop culture anymore

[simpdog]

Poker is fine, but he can also learn probability, bluffing, etc from a ton of board games/card games.


Crazy how time flies, soon enough he will be the only mod here.

[Sloppy Joe]

Is he starting from scratch? Most people I know grew up playing silly variants like 5 card draw with wild cards for quarters or whatever. When the boom hit ESPN I knew hand rankings but nothing else.

At his age if I recall school the notion of odds in poker overlaps with math class stuff? Could be a way to see that brought to life. Seems unlikely you're introducing him to something that could become problematic given how you're wired.

If he really takes to it then only tell him how faggot poker can be and what the grind entails - long fucking hours sitting with losers and fails, scumbag criminals and welchers that operate with no consequences, lonely nights in hotels, long streaks of losing etc.

Probably will be fun for you to teach as well.

[sonatine]

guys hes not dropping his kid off at a casino to fend for himself.


he just wants to play poker with him.

[gut]

With the caveat that I lean much more into "nature" over "nurture", I highly doubt that you teaching him poker will have any sort of impact on if he becomes a degen. If he has that degen "gene", which seems doubtful, he'll find his way there one way or the other.

What percentage of his allowance will you deduct for the lessons?

[nunbeater]

you should teach your son how to play poker

then you FUCKING CRUSH HIM

[Sanlmar]

With the caveat that I lean much more into "nature" over "nurture", I highly doubt that you teaching him poker will have any sort of impact on if he becomes a degen. If he has that degen "gene", which seems doubtful, he'll find his way there one way or the other.

What percentage of his allowance will you deduct for the lessons?

Poker is an insidious thief of time.

I didn’t have to deal with kids glued to their screens. My kids just escaped that by a year or two. I also credit my decision to keep dial up until 2 years ago.

I would be guarded about stoking screen time with poker.

Ben & the covid generation gonna be quite the follow.

[tyde]

HU 4 ROLLZ