The same name kept popping up in conversations.
"Talk to Jason," they would say. "He's the best."
That would be Jason Modar. College student. Pizza delivery guy. Dedicated boyfriend. Christian. Gambler ...
There you come to a screeching halt.
Did you say Christian? Gambler?
Ky Dally did. A senior at Vacaville's Will C. Wood High School, he gathers once a week, either on Friday or Saturday night, with about 10 young men to play poker. Usually Texas Hold'em.
And Modar is the star.
Modar's a relative novice to the game, like most of his friends. He started playing in February after watching a rerun of ESPN's broadcast of the "World Series of Poker" from Las Vegas. He wasn't the only one watching.
Ask any of his playing partners if they know who Chris Moneymaker is, and they will tell he's the 2003 World Series of Poker champion. They will also tell you what his winning hand was - a full house. <!-- cdaFreeFormDetailByName.strSQL = FreeForm_GetTextBySectionIDPaperID @Name = 'ArticleAd', @PaperID = '295', @SectionID = '30159', @ArticleID = '2563820', @Filter = 'Section', @LiveFilter = '1', @DateTimeContext = '11/28/2004 10:11:59 AM' --><!-- ArticleAd not found -->
Poker, Texas Hold'em particularly, is hot among teens and young male adults. So hot that many teens play weekly tournaments. And usually, cash betting is part of the game.
Bed Bath & Beyond recently dedicated the first four pages of an advertising supplement to gambling gifts, mainly for poker players. It isn't the only retail store cashing in on the craze. Most of the teens playing poker own their own poker tables, professional chips and cards.
While most see this teen poker rage as benign fun, others feel adolescent gambling will only lead to adult heartbreak.
One of them, oddly enough, is Modar.
"I've heard of kids playing for money, or taking their parents' credit card and playing online," says Modar. "That scares me. They have no concept of money management."
One 16-year-old told The Reporter he plays every week, and often brings his 14-year-old brother with him. While they do bet, he says the amount is small. His parents requested his name be left out of this story. Their concern?
The stigma attached to gambling.
"I trust my son and his friends," the mother said, but expressed her concern for what others might think or say.
"I can't blame them," Modar says of her apprehension.
Even Modar's parents were alarmed when they heard their son was playing poker. But after he explained to them he handled his money responsibly, set reasonable limits, won often and tithed part of his winnings to the church, they supported him.
"They trust me," he says. "They know I've never made any ridiculous choices in my life."
For instance, Modar doesn't smoke, drink, swear and abstains from sex.
"I figure I've lasted 20 years, I can wait until I'm married," he says.
Still, a gambling Christian?
"I had a personal struggle with that," admits Modar.
He prayed. Asked God for direction. But the game captivated him. As did the competition, the camaraderie and the strategy involved. Winning wasn't too bad, either.
So a determined Modar set out to learn the nuances of poker, devouring books on the subject. During his research he came across one book written by one of the best poker players in the world, Doyle Brunson. In Brunson's book, Modar discovered a kindred spirit.
Brunson was a Christian.
"It made me feel a lot better that, hey, there's someone out there with faith that gambles," he says.
And what about those people who would question the faith of a n gambling Christian?
"I think it's just silly," Modar says. "There's definitely worse things I can be doing."
Beware, says one recovering gambling addict.
Ben Z. beat his addiction 30 years ago. He says with the proliferation of Indian casinos, state lotteries and scratchers, bingo halls and the stunning popularity of online gambling, gamblers no longer belong to a counterculture, they are now part of mainstream America.
When asked if he thought the public should be concerned over poker-playing teens, his response was unequivocal: "Not healthy. People are making a big mistake here."
Ben Z. requested his real name not be used, but he's witnessed firsthand the ravaging effects compulsive gambling leaves on people. He sees the future, pardon the pun, as loaded dice, and predicts the number of people with gambling addictions will skyrocket.
"The world's gone crazy," he says. Especially California.
According to the California Council on Problem Gambling, more than one million adults and 100,000 juveniles have compulsive gambling problems.
Problems, says Ben Z., like "Missing appointments. Not going to school. Not going to work. Not going home to your family and when you're reluctant to use gambling money for normal expenditures."
And those gamblers on ESPN's "World Series of Poker"? Are they addicts?
"Absolutely," Ben Z. says. "They just haven't hit rock bottom yet ... I've never met a person who was a professional gambler who wasn't in the money one day and out the next."
One parent says views like Ben Z.'s are extreme.
Brian Bright's 17-year-old son, Chris, plays poker with Modar, one of two teens under 18 allowed to play. The other is Ky Dally, Bright's friend at Wood. Bright's father says he implicitly trusts Modar and his son, and isn't troubled by Chris' poker playing.
"We've made it quite clear to Chris the dangers of gambling, but to me, this is no different than hearts or rummy," Chris' father says.
While he himself can't fathom the allure of poker, he appreciates the fact that he knows where Chris is every Friday night, and that Chris is with a group of friends who don't drink or do drugs.
But he is gambling.
Chris claims he's careful with his money, like most of card-playing partners. They they value their hard-earned money. They also don't cotton to sloppy bettors.
"We don't like people throwing away their money," says Chris. "It's just not cool."
Modar says if someone isn't being careful how they bet, the other players will coach them. If poor betting continues, the player isn't welcome.
Dally, Chris and Modar agree the focus of that night is about poker. But the social aspect of the evening is just as enjoyable. With school and work, there's not much time to see friends, says Modar. This is his one shot a week to see his buddies.
"We get there and we talk all the time," says Chris. "But we're there to play poker."
Chris began playing Texas Hold'em a year ago when a friend invited him to a game. Sometimes, he says, his nights last only an hour. That's how quickly $20 can go if a player's hands goes south.
All three say they've learned something from the game - patience, the ability to read body language and tame emotions.
Recalling his early gambling days, Modar says, "I was a jerk. Horrible. Critical. Mean-spirited ... If you don't learn to handle it, you're not going to be a good poker player."
Now, he says, "I'm laid back, and I try not to talk too much when I play, staying emotionally calm as possible. My girlfriend's even mentioned I've done sort of a 180."
He credits poker and his girlfriend, 19-year-old Stacy Enos, as maturing influences in his life.
Still just a baby in his poker life, Modar is planning on playing in June at the 2005 World Series of Poker championships in Las Vegas. He won't be sitting at the big table, with poker studs like Moneymaker or Brunson. That game is a $10,000 buy-in.
Instead, if he saves his money, Modar plans to be at the $1,500 buy-in tables at the Rio.
"I won't guarantee I'll win," he says, his University of Arizona baseball hat jauntily perched on his head, "but I'll make a showing."
And if he happens to run across Brunson?
"I would love to ask him a question of faith," Modar says.
Faith and gambling.
It seems the two are unlikely companions - like snakes and children. Sounds like a fable straight from the Old Testament.
How to play
Everyone says Texas Hold'em is one of the easier poker games to play. Each player is dealt two cards face down, followed by five community cards dealt by the dealer. After the third community card is turned face up (this is called "the flop"), betting begins. Betting also occurs after the fourth ("the turn") and fifth ("the river") cards are turned face up.
Players use their two cards and the five community cards to make a five-card poker hand. During tournament poker, players will often go "all in," betting everything, on one hand. Luck is huge in Texas Hold'em as is a player's ability to bluff.
ESPN broadcasts (repeatedly) the "World Series of Poker." Cable network BRAVO also broadcasts a Texas Hold'em show called "Celebrity Poker Showdown," where celebrities play for their favorite charities.
thereporter.com
"Talk to Jason," they would say. "He's the best."
That would be Jason Modar. College student. Pizza delivery guy. Dedicated boyfriend. Christian. Gambler ...
There you come to a screeching halt.
Did you say Christian? Gambler?
Ky Dally did. A senior at Vacaville's Will C. Wood High School, he gathers once a week, either on Friday or Saturday night, with about 10 young men to play poker. Usually Texas Hold'em.
And Modar is the star.
Modar's a relative novice to the game, like most of his friends. He started playing in February after watching a rerun of ESPN's broadcast of the "World Series of Poker" from Las Vegas. He wasn't the only one watching.
Ask any of his playing partners if they know who Chris Moneymaker is, and they will tell he's the 2003 World Series of Poker champion. They will also tell you what his winning hand was - a full house. <!-- cdaFreeFormDetailByName.strSQL = FreeForm_GetTextBySectionIDPaperID @Name = 'ArticleAd', @PaperID = '295', @SectionID = '30159', @ArticleID = '2563820', @Filter = 'Section', @LiveFilter = '1', @DateTimeContext = '11/28/2004 10:11:59 AM' --><!-- ArticleAd not found -->
Poker, Texas Hold'em particularly, is hot among teens and young male adults. So hot that many teens play weekly tournaments. And usually, cash betting is part of the game.
Bed Bath & Beyond recently dedicated the first four pages of an advertising supplement to gambling gifts, mainly for poker players. It isn't the only retail store cashing in on the craze. Most of the teens playing poker own their own poker tables, professional chips and cards.
While most see this teen poker rage as benign fun, others feel adolescent gambling will only lead to adult heartbreak.
One of them, oddly enough, is Modar.
"I've heard of kids playing for money, or taking their parents' credit card and playing online," says Modar. "That scares me. They have no concept of money management."
One 16-year-old told The Reporter he plays every week, and often brings his 14-year-old brother with him. While they do bet, he says the amount is small. His parents requested his name be left out of this story. Their concern?
The stigma attached to gambling.
"I trust my son and his friends," the mother said, but expressed her concern for what others might think or say.
"I can't blame them," Modar says of her apprehension.
Even Modar's parents were alarmed when they heard their son was playing poker. But after he explained to them he handled his money responsibly, set reasonable limits, won often and tithed part of his winnings to the church, they supported him.
"They trust me," he says. "They know I've never made any ridiculous choices in my life."
For instance, Modar doesn't smoke, drink, swear and abstains from sex.
"I figure I've lasted 20 years, I can wait until I'm married," he says.
Still, a gambling Christian?
"I had a personal struggle with that," admits Modar.
He prayed. Asked God for direction. But the game captivated him. As did the competition, the camaraderie and the strategy involved. Winning wasn't too bad, either.
So a determined Modar set out to learn the nuances of poker, devouring books on the subject. During his research he came across one book written by one of the best poker players in the world, Doyle Brunson. In Brunson's book, Modar discovered a kindred spirit.
Brunson was a Christian.
"It made me feel a lot better that, hey, there's someone out there with faith that gambles," he says.
And what about those people who would question the faith of a n gambling Christian?
"I think it's just silly," Modar says. "There's definitely worse things I can be doing."
Beware, says one recovering gambling addict.
Ben Z. beat his addiction 30 years ago. He says with the proliferation of Indian casinos, state lotteries and scratchers, bingo halls and the stunning popularity of online gambling, gamblers no longer belong to a counterculture, they are now part of mainstream America.
When asked if he thought the public should be concerned over poker-playing teens, his response was unequivocal: "Not healthy. People are making a big mistake here."
Ben Z. requested his real name not be used, but he's witnessed firsthand the ravaging effects compulsive gambling leaves on people. He sees the future, pardon the pun, as loaded dice, and predicts the number of people with gambling addictions will skyrocket.
"The world's gone crazy," he says. Especially California.
According to the California Council on Problem Gambling, more than one million adults and 100,000 juveniles have compulsive gambling problems.
Problems, says Ben Z., like "Missing appointments. Not going to school. Not going to work. Not going home to your family and when you're reluctant to use gambling money for normal expenditures."
And those gamblers on ESPN's "World Series of Poker"? Are they addicts?
"Absolutely," Ben Z. says. "They just haven't hit rock bottom yet ... I've never met a person who was a professional gambler who wasn't in the money one day and out the next."
One parent says views like Ben Z.'s are extreme.
Brian Bright's 17-year-old son, Chris, plays poker with Modar, one of two teens under 18 allowed to play. The other is Ky Dally, Bright's friend at Wood. Bright's father says he implicitly trusts Modar and his son, and isn't troubled by Chris' poker playing.
"We've made it quite clear to Chris the dangers of gambling, but to me, this is no different than hearts or rummy," Chris' father says.
While he himself can't fathom the allure of poker, he appreciates the fact that he knows where Chris is every Friday night, and that Chris is with a group of friends who don't drink or do drugs.
But he is gambling.
Chris claims he's careful with his money, like most of card-playing partners. They they value their hard-earned money. They also don't cotton to sloppy bettors.
"We don't like people throwing away their money," says Chris. "It's just not cool."
Modar says if someone isn't being careful how they bet, the other players will coach them. If poor betting continues, the player isn't welcome.
Dally, Chris and Modar agree the focus of that night is about poker. But the social aspect of the evening is just as enjoyable. With school and work, there's not much time to see friends, says Modar. This is his one shot a week to see his buddies.
"We get there and we talk all the time," says Chris. "But we're there to play poker."
Chris began playing Texas Hold'em a year ago when a friend invited him to a game. Sometimes, he says, his nights last only an hour. That's how quickly $20 can go if a player's hands goes south.
All three say they've learned something from the game - patience, the ability to read body language and tame emotions.
Recalling his early gambling days, Modar says, "I was a jerk. Horrible. Critical. Mean-spirited ... If you don't learn to handle it, you're not going to be a good poker player."
Now, he says, "I'm laid back, and I try not to talk too much when I play, staying emotionally calm as possible. My girlfriend's even mentioned I've done sort of a 180."
He credits poker and his girlfriend, 19-year-old Stacy Enos, as maturing influences in his life.
Still just a baby in his poker life, Modar is planning on playing in June at the 2005 World Series of Poker championships in Las Vegas. He won't be sitting at the big table, with poker studs like Moneymaker or Brunson. That game is a $10,000 buy-in.
Instead, if he saves his money, Modar plans to be at the $1,500 buy-in tables at the Rio.
"I won't guarantee I'll win," he says, his University of Arizona baseball hat jauntily perched on his head, "but I'll make a showing."
And if he happens to run across Brunson?
"I would love to ask him a question of faith," Modar says.
Faith and gambling.
It seems the two are unlikely companions - like snakes and children. Sounds like a fable straight from the Old Testament.
How to play
Everyone says Texas Hold'em is one of the easier poker games to play. Each player is dealt two cards face down, followed by five community cards dealt by the dealer. After the third community card is turned face up (this is called "the flop"), betting begins. Betting also occurs after the fourth ("the turn") and fifth ("the river") cards are turned face up.
Players use their two cards and the five community cards to make a five-card poker hand. During tournament poker, players will often go "all in," betting everything, on one hand. Luck is huge in Texas Hold'em as is a player's ability to bluff.
ESPN broadcasts (repeatedly) the "World Series of Poker." Cable network BRAVO also broadcasts a Texas Hold'em show called "Celebrity Poker Showdown," where celebrities play for their favorite charities.
thereporter.com
