High School Kids Are The New Card Sharks

Something to make all high school parents confident: Kids are now playing poker for big money at school. The Post notes that kids from Bed-Stuy to Stuyvesant are losing up to $300 as they try to emulate their role models on the World Series of Poker, playing during lunch and after school. One Stuyvesant senior, Max Last-Name-Withheld, said

That's my aspiration. It's like somebody wanting to get in the NBA. I'm going to earn a living and have a stable lifestyle and hopefully win a couple of tournaments, then get into the World Series.

Man, your kid gets into Stuyvesant, but he's dreaming about the World Series of Poker. Haven't these kids seen Rounders? Oh, wait, probably not, since it stank. Another Stuyvesant student says, "After school, we all get together at Burritoville and play for higher stakes than in school." Clearly, it's time for Gothamist to get a Mystic Frisco burrito and check out the scene. The idea of gambling at school takes on an intriguing meaning when you think about how Governor Pataki wants to use gambling proceeds to fund NYC schools.

Some good films about gambling: Bob le Flambeur and its underrated remake, The Good Thief.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on October 11, 2004 8:19 AM

Comments [rss]

Daniel Harvey

They're more dedicated than that. I was in one of new york's members-only gambling dens over the weekend playing in a no-limit hold 'em tourney and the place was packed with Russian kids.

More on that here.

tien

i remember gambling in the student union at stuy a couple of times. sure, it wasn't high stakes no limit hold em, but it was still gambling. fun times, fun times.

Dan

Remember when the "latest craze" in inner city high schools were shootings and muggings? Boy, NYC really HAS changed. For the better. What's next, the Canasta Crips?

dahl

ha, they're just discovering this now? when i was in high school at another prestegious new york high school, gambling on poker was definately a common practice among a certain crowd at schoool. and that was definately more than a few years ago.

TeddyKGB

I gotta defend Rounders. The character development and the strategic showdown at the end of the movie alone made the film a classic. Best gambling movie I've seen. And you can quote almost every line from that movie:

"Worm : I guess the saying's true. In the poker game of life, women are the rake, man. They are the fuckin' rake."

BrianVan

"Haven't these kids seen Rounders? Oh, wait, probably not, since it stank. "

Aaaagh! How could you say that? It's a fantastic movie! Just highly underrated, with a few key underwhelming performances and slow spots in the movie... and a couple of huge gaps in credibility as well... but stank? Hell no.

Next thing, you'll be outraged that kids at Stuyvestant sell drugs to one another, too.