Child Poker Prodigy Kids Who Play Poker

Monday, May 16, 2011

Child Poker Prodigy Kids Who Play Poker

It seems not a year goes by when we do not hear of an underage player being dobbed on by competitors and busted for being underage, or even winning a big tournament - a really big tournament only to have their funds ceased as they are booted and disqualified (as such) for breaking policies and laws. Children as young as 8 years of age have been caught playing poker and kicking the butts of some of the worlds best players. How do these children get this good? How do they become elite at such a young age?


I was studying what makes a good poker player and whether it is in their genes at one stage last year. I had a lot of feedback with most players saying they believed it was both a case of daddy see daddy do and also genetics that contributed to a poker players ability. Since this time I have watched the progress of my own children in home games and the older ones on poker games on my iphone and the xbox. They also walk in as I am playing and watch and say fold, fold, call, raise and annoy the crap out of me with most of the time the right decision seemingly being made.


The progress of my 6 year old daughter on her poker game has been amazing in the last year. Certainly children are sponges at this young age. She has gone from knowing that K's beat Q's to what flushes, straights and straight flushes are.


More amazing is the progress of my 14 year old son. He is talking value bets, percentage of a person winning and equations that even I have no clue on determining hand strength and probabilities. He of course reads poker on the internet and listens as I tune into to various poker radios and plays a lot with his mates.


I look at so many stories of poker players who are underage who seemingly effortless smash the living brains out of adult players to win cash that some of us can never even dream of. I remember reading about a child who cashed on pokerstars, it was around $500,000.00 - This child poker prodigy took one of the biggest online poker tourneys down in history only to have his money seized as per the terms and conditions of playing on the site.


A facebook friend contacted me about his fabulous young daughter Alexa. Alexa Fisher's passion for poker started when she was only three years old when she viewed it on TV. Her dad had also been using playing cards and chips to teach her how to count so she had become adept at the rules and basic strategy of Texas Hold’Em by the time she was five. Alexa has clashed heads with some of our finest, you can read about her just about anywhere on the net.


Many a university and college / high school student have been found wagging school, skipping classes and lazing in bed earning their parents monthly wages before being busted and banned until they are of age. How do these children do it? They watch, they learn, they sock in game theory, mathematics, strategy and tactics just like Alexa and alike my own children have. Many also study the game on their own.


It is quite expected that if you can play poker and your children witness this and find a love and passion for the game, they also will. Here is hoping my children (if they want to) are up and coming poker prodigy's and hit the felt at 18 years of age and kick some butt!