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

[Dan Druff]

First lesson was tonight. He watched me play some 30-60 limit holdem on Bovada while I explained what was going on, what I was looking for, etc. I knew he was getting it when he was saying things like, "You should call him down with ace high."

Tomorrow we will play with real cards with each other, and he will get some experience actually playing for himself, rather than just watching me.

[Dan Druff]

Actually he probably doesn't remember, but he did once play holdem in a casino when he was 1: https://pokerfraudalert.com/forum/sh...casino-in-2011

[Pooh]

Every male child wants to be like their father. Yours happens to be poker. Mine was golf. Here I am at 48 still a scratch golfer for over 30 years. I say teach him poker.

[pagelpoker]

This is a question only you can answer. Every kid is different.

My advice would be to measure his current emotional intelligence and maturity levels vs his peers.

I would think an attempt to completely shield him from the game would be the quickest path to defiance and then degeneracy.

[Deal]

One way to support the interest is to encourage him to write software to simulate the game.
Get him a dedicated Raspberry Pi for the project. Suggest writing in JavaScript or Python. Show him samples from github.
Keep adding requirements as he learns. Support different games, add a simple bot to play against, calculate odds, etc.
The best way to learn to code is to write a game you are interested in. It's the love of coding you want to encourage.

My first program was a Craps simulator my degenerate grade 10 teacher wanted for himself. Written in Basic on a Commodore PET.
My payment was a free pass to skip all classes as well as a 100 in the course.

[country978]

Have you run into any situations yet like tomatoes on the side where you've allowed Ben to chew out the workers or managers at any establishments? Dan Druff's kid is most definitely gonna know how to handle a situation I presume.

[Dan Druff]

One way to support the interest is to encourage him to write software to simulate the game.
Get him a dedicated Raspberry Pi for the project. Suggest writing in JavaScript or Python. Show him samples from github.
Keep adding requirements as he learns. Support different games, add a simple bot to play against, calculate odds, etc.
The best way to learn to code is to write a game you are interested in. It's the love of coding you want to encourage.

My first program was a Craps simulator my degenerate grade 10 teacher wanted for himself. Written in Basic on a Commodore PET.
My payment was a free pass to skip all classes as well as a 100 in the course.

He has to learn the coding basics before any of the above is possible.

If you were in grade 10 when the PET was being used in your school, you're probably about 7-10 years older than me. The PET was released in 1977, and was discontinued in 1982. I got a VIC-20 in 1982 (at age 10), and my mom signed me up for a BASIC programming class that summer. We were programming on VIC-20s, but I noticed PET computers in the room, as well. I didn't get to actually use any of them. The class was taught by a woman, surprisingly, and from what I remember, she was fairly attractive. Definitely would've been interested if I were 20 years older.

[Dan Druff]

Have you run into any situations yet like tomatoes on the side where you've allowed Ben to chew out the workers or managers at any establishments? Dan Druff's kid is most definitely gonna know how to handle a situation I presume.

lolz

Ben has watched me deal with customer service issues, but I would not have him deal with any himself at this point. Kids get absolutely zero respect in a business setting. Elderly people also get very little respect (they're dismissed as senile, out-of-touch, or chronic complainers), but kids get significantly less than even the elderly do.