Stakes are high in teenage poker

Steven Pope
popesp@uwec.edu

The term poker may conjure images of smoky backrooms and stone-cold faces.  The term poker players may bring to mind either whiskey-drinking cowboys or sneaky Las Vegas cardsharks.  But some groups of modern-day poker players replace chips with wagers of lunch money and dares.   

These subgroups of poker players can be found in the halls of local middle schools. Students like Mikey Dekan of Eau Claire’s Northstar Middle School testify to sneaking poker games into study halls or the lunchroom.  Outside of the school, these students congregate at garage games that consist of up to fifteen students, with a majority of them between the ages of 12 and 13, Mikey said.  While these students don’t have the finances of the big time players, they work on the skills and mentality it takes to be poker players.  But as the game transcends popular culture and affects local youth, certain questions are raised: are middle school students able to responsibly handle the game of poker, which has long carried the connotation of being a vice?

The emergence of younger poker players coincides with the increasing popularity of the game.  Poker has swept the nation by storm with over 50 million people currently playing recreationally or professionally, according to Card Player Magazine.  Television is packed with airings of live poker games, and each network provides its own twist on the sport. The BRAVO network airs “Celebrity Poker Showdown,” where entertainers play Texas Hold 'Em.  Fox Sports Network airs the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament and “Monte Carlo Millions Poker Club.”  ESPN airs the “World Series of Poker” alongside its more standard programming.

But TV shows don’t seem to be the main influence on students to play the game.  While Northstar students Mikey and Troy Schulner can name TV poker shows, they cannot list particular poker players’ names.  For the most part, they said the TV shows didn’t interest them.

“I’ve seen (TV poker) a few times,” Troy said.  “But after awhile, it gets boring.”

Mikey agreed.  “It gets old,” he said.  Poker is only fun when you’re playing it or close to a real game, he said.

The reason for the game’s skyrocketing popularity has more to do with its level of competitive excitement.  People play poker to achieve a buzz that results from playing with unknown consequences, said Dr. Richard Boyum, a former psychologist and counselor at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire.

"The individual (poker player) may feel a rush," Boyum said. "They may feel their endorphin levels increase and they want to replace or repeat that particular experience."

Indeed, some of the Northstar middle school students find that they enjoy the thrill of gambling, whether it is for nickels or bragging rights, as the central draw of the game.

"I think it's the rush when you have a pretty good hand," Mikey said. A showdown between two players provides the greatest thrill, Mikey said.

There are several different settings where students hone their poker skills.  Some school settings are the lunchroom or study hall, where students wager with whatever items they can dig out of their pockets. 

“They’re usually pretty cheap,” Mikey said.  Students resist the temptation to bring real poker sets and use nickels and dimes instead of chips, he said.  The games usually don’t last long because middle school faculty interfere and confiscate the cards. 

Besides in-school games, the students also meet at friends’ houses and some have regular poker nights.  Mikey participates in a poker group that meets bi-weekly, and the group can consist of up to 15 players, he said.  The group breaks into two separate tables that play until the emergence of a winner on each table.  At that point, the two winners meet at a middle table and play for around $24 worth of money, Mikey said. 

“Everybody puts in $2,” Mikey said.  “The second place winner gets their $2 back and the first place winner takes it all.”

While Mikey plays with friends, other students, such as Troy, play with family. 

“It makes for a good poker game,” he said.  “Especially when I win.”

Troy, like many other poker players, has learned to capitalize on inexperienced players.  He enjoys poker because it allows him a chance to win from his less experienced family, he said.  After losing a game, the younger siblings soon forget they lost money and wager again, he said. 

Learn the rules of the game Poker Hands and Rules has all the information you need to get started.

Do you feel you have a gambling problem? The National Council on Problem Gambling may have the information you need to help you stop.

You read the rules and now you want to try to play Card Player magazine offers free poker on their Web site.

Photo By: Steven Pope

Teenage poker players Blake Core, Mikey Dekan, Troy Schulner and Buck Gullerad pose for a photo.

Listen to audio clips from interviews in this story:

Listen to Troy Schuler talk about reasons why poker is part of teenage life.

Mikey Dekan talks about why he plays poker.

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