Mike Mcdonald AKA Timex wins EPT Dortmund (underage poker is it right???)

[George2Loose]

Mike Mcdonald- one of the internet new breed has just taken down EPT Dortmund at the age of 18.

The guy is on a heater. He won an event at the Aussie millions as well as cahing in 3 other events.

Also cashed in the last 2 EPT"s and he even has enough money to enter the 100k tourney in OZ!!!!

I know Mike from the net- we chopped a very big tourney online (paradise power). I thought at the time is was a 40 year old player- he later revealed to me he was just 16 and had already been playing poker for 18 months.

It amazes me how these young players get so good so quick.

Bit of ethical question- Mike"s parents bought him his first chip set at the age of 15 and activeley encouraged him to play (something I"m sure they are happy about now!)  Would you do the same and is it something that should be encouraged. Is it any different than the WIlliam"s sisters Father taking his kids out at the age of 13 and teaching them how to play tennis?  Or are the perils of "gambling" too risky.

I"m sure for every Timex theres 99 others who are degen broke gamblers

Thoughts?

[WarBwastardo]

They probably encouraged him to play as it was clear to them he had natural flare for the game.  I"d rather see parents encouraging their kids to pursue a lifestyle they"d be happy with and be good at, than force them into something they were either not happy doing or no good at in the first place.

I think telling your kids they can achieve anything if they put their mind to is, is very misguided.  You used the Williams" sisters an example.  I bet there are more kids out there who were pushed into a career or encouraged to play sports cause their parents saw a big pay day (in America anyway) but ultimately failed, than have been encouraged to play poker. 

Poker isn"t gambling anyway - it"s a skill game  

[WarBwastardo]

Incidentally, surely the thing to do once you discovered his true age was to shop him in to the appropriate authorities and claim the chopped prize money that he would probably only have spent on sweets anyway.

[RioRodent]

What makes it "underage"?

In many countries / cultures "gambling" is illegal at any age. In the UK the government has drawn a line at age 18 in the US it is 21... these are just arbitrary numbers that law makers pluck out of air.

I would suggest that the best time to find out if someone has flair for poker might be before they have money (income) of their own and access to bank accounts, credit cards etc. If they have to rely on a parent to add funds to an online account then that parent will soon know if they have a winning player in the house.

[bigalhx3]

yes all perents should tell there kids to save up there spending money and put it on a horse or go down the casino with it as soon as they can get in one they should be lessons at school on how to fill in a betting slip

[ThePiranha]

to be fair, i started playing poker when i was 15 because my dad actively encouraged me to play because i kept rinsing him and his friends on the kitchen table on a saturday night.

he bought me into comps at the grosvenor when i was 18, and now, ive just turned 20 and i bought him a new car with the 60k i had in my titan account.

so, give and take you know, i personally have no problem with this. think i would be a bit of a hypocrite if i did. after all, hes not hurting anybody