[basementproject]

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...possibly the most dangerous aspect in this debate going forward is that one of the most important skills in making a successful player also flies directly in the face of said player planning for the future. The ability to disregard the importance of winning/losing large amounts money. This, in my opinion, is the main reason we see all these frivolous car purchases, broke players with hundreds of thousands in winnings, etc. Is there any good advice on keeping said devaluation on the tables? I have always been fairly frugal in my life away from poker so I havent ever really had this problem myself, but I think this is a central issue in the future of many of the young players.

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Until kids stop defining 'rich' as having tons of money and material posessions, this will always be a problem. Kids are brought up to value money. They are taught from middle school that they can't have anything without money, and they are also taught that society rewards people who have more cash than the 9-5 guy. Therefore, from middle school, the race is on to get more stuff than the next guy, in any way possible.

Hence the drug dealer kids. And the kids working 2 jobs while trying to get A's and scholarships. And the kids playing poker. And all of those kids not saving their [censored], but throwing it away on shoes and movies and whatever. It's just the way it is.

Honestly, the problem IMO is not a maturity thing as somebody suggested- it's a societal thing. The generation coming up is dripping with materialism, and it's not really their fault. Spending your cash without real long-term thought can no longer be considered immature, it's just the norm, it's what kids are being encouraged to do.

I'm not like this myself, but I can attest to it, having gone through the system pretty recently.