Kids, poker not always bad combo

Annette Clifford
Florida Today

Annette Clifford

My Baptist-raised grandmother was fond of claiming there had never been a playing card in her house. Meanwhile, the visiting grandkids were upstairs playing gin rummy.

So I have no moral grounds on which to stand in deploring the poker craze that's running like a straight flush through the nation, notably among young men who've seen the Travel Channel's "World Poker Tour" and gone gaga for gambling.

Since we, too, had poker paraphernalia under the tree this Christmas, my only honest option is to look for the silver lining in the phenomenon. What good could possibly come from the poker rage?

It may encourage more communication between parents and children.

Such as when a parent says "Just what is this Texas Hold 'Em thing you're doing every Friday night with your friends?"

And the child, by way of answer, explains that he needs an advance on his allowance.

Which brings us to financial negotiation, another skill that may be improved in players of poker or the parents thereof.

This is good because it will teach kids just how hard it will be later in life to get a loan from a bank when you have no collateral and are unemployed.

The poker craze can even be used to encourage, of all things, reading. Bookstores now carry informative books for poker beginners, which parents will need to read to get the new jargon about folds and flops and Fourth Street.

Who knows? The kids may want to read them, too.

Poker playing also is touted as a way to boost kids' math skills. There's no proof this is true, but because no calculators are allowed around the poker table, it may at least tone up the mental math area of their brains.

And figuring the odds you're going to draw that ace of diamonds might translate into ease with percentages.

Discipline and self-control can also be taught through poker. For instance, the desire to yell "Yee-haw!!" or "You're toast, dude!" upon drawing a straight flush is something most players quickly learn to suppress.

This ability to dissemble true feelings, sometimes called bluffing, is an important social skill, and practicing a poker face is as good a place as any to start.

Memory skills also may be tweaked by playing poker. Some kids can easily train themselves to remember every card that's been played by opponents, in order to whup 'em good.

Maybe that talent will spill over into remembering to do their chores.

And while some say poker encourages kids to take dangerous risks, might they not actually become more risk averse after losing their pocket money a few times to the neighborhood card shark?

The downside to kids playing too much poker is all too obvious and shouldn't be dismissed.

Some kids, like some adults, will become compulsive about it, perhaps find their way to Internet betting parlors, waste tons of money, get in legal trouble or possibly become gambling addicts.

But parents, alas, get to worry about the potential bad side effects of whatever questionable new activity kids take up.

Remember Pokemon? Buckets of cash were blown on that truly weird enthusiasm, now largely passe.

Perhaps the poker thing, too, shall pass.

Meanwhile, if the home casino is open, at least the kids are where they can be supervised, not out getting into mischief.

Write to Annette Clifford at Florida Today, P.O. Box 419000, Melbourne, FL, 32941-9000 or e-mail at acliff123@aol.com.