Student searches for poker jackpot

HIGH ROLLER—Oak Park resident Peter Neff, 20, takes his poker game very seriously. The UC Irvine student (with sunglasses) has won as much as $45,000 in a single day by playing the game. Thought by many to be a risky behavior for teens and young adults, poker has become a passion and possible career for Neff. While poker can be a dangerous pastime for some, Peter Neff, a 20-year-old resident of Oak Park, has transformed the risky game into a profitable enterprise.

Currently a sophomore at UC Irvine, Neff has won as much as $45,000 in a single day by playing his cards right.

With the opportunity for average Joes to win big money, there seems to be no limit to poker’s popularity. And even though games such as Texas Hold ’Em, Omaha, Five Card Stud and other varieties were originally meant to be played by adults, poker has found an ever-growing niche in the adolescent market.

Television networks and marketing companies are cashing in on the trend and retailers that target children, such as Toys-R-Us, are even beginning to sell poker sets for kids.

In a study conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, researchers discovered that 2.9 million people between 14 and 22 years old gamble on cards every week with 80 percent of the young gamblers being male.

Some parents are excited about the newfound popularity of poker because they say it encourages their teens to stay at home with friends where they can be supervised. But others are worried that the game may turn into an addiction for their children.

Studies by the National Council on Problem Gambling note a strong correlation between gambling and risky behavior, citing that 50 percent of kids who gamble will binge drink and 75 percent will smoke marijuana.

Poker may pose a problem for some, but not for Neff, one of the game’s poster boys.

Neff started playing poker three years ago after he and his friends became hooked on ESPN’s “World Series of Poker.”

The competition dates back to 1949 when Nicholas “Nick the Greek” Dandolos challenged Johnny Moss to a high stakes poker marathon. Bonny Binion, the man who sponsored the tournament, was astounded by the event’s popularity and turned it into a regular competition in 1970.

Today, the “World Series of Poker” is one of ESPN’s highest rated shows and one of the most popular competitions in the cardplaying world. In 2002, there were nearly 7,595 entries into the tournament, compared to only a handful during the formative years. The 2002 pot was worth more than $19.5 million and continues to grow.

“My friends and I watched poker on TV and then we started playing,” said Neff, who became flush with success after winning his share of big hands.

Neff and his friends would rotate among houses and meet once or twice a week to play No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, one of poker’s most popular games.

“(No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em) is more exciting because you never know when there’s going to be a big hand,” said Neff. “At any time, you can have all your chips riding on a couple of cards.”

Shortly after he started playing cards with his friends, Neff turned to online poker. It didn’t take him long to realize that he had a natural talent for the game.

“I was making a lot of money off of it so I became determined to play consistently,” said Neff, who added that his gains have definitely outweighed his losses.

While some view poker as just an excuse to hang with friends, Neff likes playing the game because he can perfect his craft. And while some players spend years and hundreds of dollars on books and seminars trying to master the the game, Neff is completely self taught.

He attributes his success to the fact that he treats every hand seriously.

“I don’t mess around and I don’t throw away money,” said Neff. “I stay focused on making the correct play every single time.”

For this young man, poker is much more than a game, it’s a possible career. Neff says that one day he’d like to join the ranks of card cowboys such as Chris Moneymaker, an amateur player who once transformed a $39 entrance fee into $2.5 million after winning the “World Series of Poker.”

“When I turn 21, I definitely plan on playing in some bigger, live tournaments,” said Neff.

In January, Neff went to the Bahamas where 18-year-olds are allowed to gamble and rubbed shoulders with poker pros such as Mike Matasow and Jean Robere. While in the Caribbean, Neff played in his first World Poker Tour tournament and came away with $12,000.

Hopefully the chips will remain stacked in his corner.