The Water Cooler: Poker News Weekend Ending Nov. 28

by Bodog Poker | Nov 29 2010

New Zealand

The Wanganui Chronicle is reporting that two players have broken Phil Laak's record for single session poker play, besting his 115-hour run in the Bellagio Poker Room by two hours. Christie Teki-Reu and her opponent "Chopper" (whose name gives the staff here a bit of pause) were playing in a tournament and apparently the Teki-Reu refused to bust her opponent out after they'd hit a certain point in the event.  The single-table poker tournament that doubled as a record-breaking attempt started last Monday at the Grand Hotel. While they have multiple witnesses saying that they bested Laak's record, Guinness is refusing to acknowledge the event, as there was no observer on-hand.

"When you have practically worked with someone for a week and you get to know them, you get to trust them," Teki-Rue told the newspaper.

In addition to Guinness's denial of the event's significance, there were other conditions that make the attempt less impressive, including mandatory five-minute breaks on the hour that could be banked for the players to use later. Teki-Reu reported that Thursday and Friday nights were the hardest, but she was kept going by meals brought in by her partner Kevin and the support of her family.

Washington, DC

A high school poker club in Falls Church got national attention when the Washington Post profiled the group of students and their teacher, William Snyder. Academics and parents have tussled for years over the idea that poker can be included as part of the curriculum, especially as the game provides a strong, practical tutorial in statistics and probabilities even as many young people overestimate their abilities in the game and find themselves gambling instead of playing. Some groups, such as the conservative think-tank Focus On The Family, believe that the game is, for all intents and purposes, evil, but other points of view seem to be holding sway.

George Mason High School's principal, Tyrone Bird, believes that the program is valuable. "We know the kids could play outside of school, but when they're here, we have the opportunity to show them how to play responsibly and to show them how the game relates to their education," he told the Post.

The school divides its poker club between two groups of players: one for rookies and one for the more experiences players.  "The older kids realize that it's about odds and probability," Snyder said. "The younger ones just want to win."

Jay Rodock, a senior who was the co-founder of the club, admits that he and his friends play for small sums outside of school but that math is the real focus of their interest in the game.  He takes over the chalkboard for a few minutes in every meeting and teaches the assembled players a bit about what makes poker a true sport versus gambling, reviewing odds and going through how ratios inform players of what their next step should be.

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