Well one of the most important things that penny-ante poker taught me growing up, is to not gamble unless you can afford to completely lose all the money you walked in with.
As a kid I played card games with friends and family (poker, black-jack, rummy, pinoccle, fan-tan). Taught numbers, addition, strategy, and good sportsmanship. Used chips and toothpicks to keep score. Maybe. if kids used regular cards vs those with pictures and were supervised, they would actually learn something.
Icdrlar: You can learn all those, plus division, probability (which was a college course in my day), history, strategy, anthropology, mythology, physics, creative writing, and a few other things with table-top role-playing games, and not lose any money.
Cartoonacy: Everybody in the group doesn’t need all those books, just the GM. You can write your own scenarios (thus creative writing in the list). Mythworld (sort of a cross between RuneQuest 2 and GURPS, although it was published before GURPS) is available complete for $35.00, although shipping outside the US costs as much as a textbook. Some of Lou Zocchi’s “beer and pretzel” games are less that half that, although hardly serious systems (Awful Green Thing from Outer Space, etc.).
linsonl about 12 years ago
Depends on the parents, I guess. As long as it doesn’t become an addiction, I see nothing wrong with a little wagering for fun.
sleeepy2 about 12 years ago
Teaches valuable life skills. I can’t imagine a parent being against penny-ante poker.
monkeyhead about 12 years ago
Well one of the most important things that penny-ante poker taught me growing up, is to not gamble unless you can afford to completely lose all the money you walked in with.
ossiningaling about 12 years ago
The grandparents’ son is the kids’ father. And I think they live next door. And they play poker all the time.
lcdrlar about 12 years ago
As a kid I played card games with friends and family (poker, black-jack, rummy, pinoccle, fan-tan). Taught numbers, addition, strategy, and good sportsmanship. Used chips and toothpicks to keep score. Maybe. if kids used regular cards vs those with pictures and were supervised, they would actually learn something.
Stephen Gilberg about 12 years ago
Will she ever learn to lie convincingly?
hippogriff about 12 years ago
Icdrlar: You can learn all those, plus division, probability (which was a college course in my day), history, strategy, anthropology, mythology, physics, creative writing, and a few other things with table-top role-playing games, and not lose any money.
elysummers about 12 years ago
It’s just penny ante, besides it does help make the brain work, far better than a six year olds video game or too much tv.
calvinsfriend110 about 12 years ago
Best idea.
hippogriff about 12 years ago
Cartoonacy: Everybody in the group doesn’t need all those books, just the GM. You can write your own scenarios (thus creative writing in the list). Mythworld (sort of a cross between RuneQuest 2 and GURPS, although it was published before GURPS) is available complete for $35.00, although shipping outside the US costs as much as a textbook. Some of Lou Zocchi’s “beer and pretzel” games are less that half that, although hardly serious systems (Awful Green Thing from Outer Space, etc.).
snugharborman-catalog about 12 years ago
I taught MY kids how to play Poker and Blackjack – it was only fair for all the games like “Go Fish”, “Old Maid”, “Candyland”, etc. I had to play.
iced tea about 12 years ago
Grandma’s wisdom at card playing!