1. 2008-01-22 07:52:28

   Poker is Bad mmmmkay: The Generation Gap

   I had a bit of a revelation the other day when reading this article. A couple of choice quotes:

   When police found out the issues stemmed from a gambling operation, Alcantara said, they were obliged to look into it, along with state gambling control officials. Seeing adults gambling against a minor was the clincher, he said.

   "If the adults are not going to look out for the welfare of this kid, we have to act."

   It's unclear from the article who "Alcantara" is, but I assume he is a police officer connected to the case. Here's another:

   Cary Weist, president of the local neighborhood association, said the problem has grown over time. "People want to come home and see it as their sanctuary, and all of a sudden there's anywhere from 20 to 40 cars in a one-block area – and they stay till the wee hours of the morning."

   Residents have also noticed a jump in burglaries since the games began, Weist added.

   I'll relate one more personal anecdote that tied everything together for me. I visited my parents over Thanksgiving, and we had a lovely dinner with my parents and grandparents - sans wine, but that's a different topic. They haven't seen me in a while, so we were discussing what I was up to. Naturally, the topic of this site, my work on it, and poker came up. "But it's gambling," my grandfather said. I defended that we're just tracking what people do legally in their own homes, and that was the end of it.

   And now we get to my probably-obvious-to-most-of-you revelation: people over the age of 50 or so have this idea that poker is some kind of sin that will undoubtedly lead you quickly to alcohol, drugs and thievery to pay for your multiplying vices.

   These people clearly have not thought about it much and are just acting out of some kind of preconceived notion that they assume we all share. Let's look at that first quote above, particularly the bit about "adults gambling against a minor." Now, how many 13 year old kids do you know who hang out with their mom on a Saturday night?
   Most other 13 year olds are experimenting with each other or harassing shopkeepers. Instead, this 13 year old was learning adult interaction in a safe environment with a parent. Throw in a bit of math and some money management, and you've got the makings of a well-adjusted young adult. So, Mr. Alcantara, how was this kid's welfare being jeopardized?

   Now take the quote by Weist. What she's saying is that a group of Silicon Valley professionals with full time jobs and discretionary incomes broke in to people's houses in the area before, during, or after their seedy poker games. That undoubtedly included prostitutes. Or something. It's preposterous! Her inborn inhibitions against gambling then spill over to parking near her and having the gall to leave late. "Late", here, is around 11:30, since tournaments were nearly always done by then, and most people left after losing.

   It's like everyone who was born a generation or two before mine hears about poker in someone's home and immediately thinks, "Egads! There's a den of iniquity in a suburban neighborhood! We can't have that, send in the police!"

   What clearly goes along with believing that poker is a sin is that those who do it are somehow degenerates. The police press release about the raid called them "unwitting participants." Let's ponder that for a moment. Of all the groups to label as unwitting, poker players playing poker should be about dead last on the list - perhaps between nuclear physicists and whoever invented duct tape. Every halfway decent poker player I've ever met is sharp witted, good with mental math, hard to trick, and can can spot a fake most of the time. Above all, they know how money works. If Bert (the group's organizer) were trying to pull a fast one on them, they would have been the first ones to call the cops.

   The final piece to the puzzle is the reaction by the police department and the county DA. Much like an angry old man demanding that youngsters at a dance stop having fun, they brought the full force down to bust the place. How easy would it have been, and how much money would it have saved, if the cops had just knocked on the door and told Bert to knock it off or he'd be in real trouble? Hell, why waste their time? Just send a cease and desist letter, then check up a couple of weeks later. There are a few explanations. Here are the first two that come to mind:

   1. The sheriff, DA, and a bunch of cops believed that poker is about three inches from drugs, gang bangers, and prostitutes.
   2. The sheriff, DA, and a bunch of cops needed some new equipment for their weekly game.

   Nearly everyone from my generation and most of those from the one immediately before see poker as a game that normal, law abiding adults should be free to practice in the comfort of their own homes. I wish I knew what the source of all this prejudice was.

   Posted by Ethan at 2008-01-22 07:52:28

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Comments on “Poker is Bad mmmmkay: The Generation Gap”

1. • Posted by uzjedi (unverified) g 2008-01-23 04:41:46
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   • The clarity of logic is too often beyond those who've already made up their "moral" minds. Good post. :)

2. • Posted by Nick L (unverified) g 2008-01-22 19:48:14
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   • Great point I get that from my friends as well about how I am addicted to poker and I have a gambling problem. People don't understand that poker can make you smarter in situations and learn money management with having fun with your friends in the process.

     I don't get this talk about how you would have to commit robbery to keep playing this is not drugs.

3. • Posted by Jason M g 2008-01-22 07:58:03
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   • I guess I won't write my blog post that was going to say pretty much this, minus the grandpa. :p