Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

Background:

Kid turns 18 in a month. He has had some poker experience playing NLH in home games. Good Risk, Monopoly, Starcraft, and MTG player. Multiple judo and karate titles, and had done well in getting over major defeats early on as a fighter. IQ of 148. Top 10 percent in high school. Trained in Neurolinguistic Programming.

I want to bankroll him $1,000 on his 18th birthday under a few conditions.

Here are the conditions:

Read Theory of Poker, Poker and Emotions section of Inside the Poker Mind, HOH I and II before turning 18.

Once 18, give him a small bankroll with choice of games and limits under my strict supervision. He will play 100 1 table SNGs, 100 shorthanded SNGs, then play 500 heads up SNGs. Probably on Fulltilt.

After playing all of the above games, he'll read Poker Tournament Formula, Kill Phil, and Making the Final Table, maybe the Fulltilt tournament book as well.

Mission accomplished! He gets $1,000 bankroll from me no strings attached.

Please critique my conditions.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

I can't tell if this is a joke or not.

Assuming it's serious...has your kid asked you for a $1,000 bankroll? Is this something he wants, or you want? Does he like to play HU SNGs?

And finally, am I the only one who notes the irony:
[ QUOTE ]

He gets $1,000 bankroll from me no strings attached.

Please critique my conditions.


[/ QUOTE ]
(Hint: "conditions" is a synonym for "strings")

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

My concern is that the number of matches I have him play are inadequate.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

Ok,I will point out the obvious- SNG play is not the same as real poker. I think he would be better off playing 10K hands of .01/.02 ring games than low buy in SNG.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
Ok,I will point out the obvious- SNG play is not the same as real poker. I think he would be better off playing 10K hands of .01/.02 ring games than low buy in SNG.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok,I will point out the obvious- .01/.02 ring games are not the same as real poker. Give the kid a decent bankroll and let him play "real poker" at the Big Game at the Bellagio.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

If you are going to have him play SnGs, have him read Sit N Go by Colin Moshman (Great Read). Also you need to have him somehow develop a nonchalant attitude toward money (Your $1000) being used for poker.
Best Regards

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

SNG's have such a low ceiling and are much harder to beat nowadays. Note: even years ago the ceiling they had was so much lower than cash games.

I'd completely rearrange and reorganize and have cash games be the focus. Here's some good reading:

http://www.pr0crast.com/2+2.NL.Anthology.v1.htm



And btw the # of games was inadequte.....at least when it comes to determining a winrate. When I played sng's 100 was 2 or 3 days. Now I play 4000+ hands of cash in a day. Nobody in STFF will start taking your results seriously until 500 sng's and 1000 is so much better but still not really that large a sample.


Edit: Oh just like to say...if you're still gonna have him play sng's which I think is silly have him read the STTF here, have him learn ICM, and have him get sng power tools or a similar program.

P.S.

Btw how can one be a good monopoly player?

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

I'd definitely swap the "Poker Tournament Formula" for "Sit 'n go Strategy" at this stage.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
Btw how can one be a good monopoly player?

[/ QUOTE ]
Build on Boardwalk, ldo

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

A high IQ and the ability to play monopoly isn't enough to make you a good poker player.

Does the kid want to play or are you forcing him?

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Btw how can one be a good monopoly player?

[/ QUOTE ]
roll doubles good, ldo

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

btw If he's into it, this is a cool idea. I don't think it matters so much where he starts his journey, I just hope you let him move into the games and structures that he wants to.

I wish someone had really shown me poker 10 years ago.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Btw how can one be a good monopoly player?

[/ QUOTE ]
roll doubles good, ldo

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]
If he rolls doubles good, bring him to a craps table!

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

Unless he steals his first bankroll he will never know the value of money.

but really, are you kidding me? Let him earn his own money to blow at poker. You are enabling a minor to get into a habit which can be an addiction.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

lol at encouraging donk'n'go abuse

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

bad idea

put him into a field that helps the world

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
bad idea

put him into a field that helps the world

[/ QUOTE ]

He already does a lot of community service in school and will continue to do so. He's been doing community service since cub scouts, student council, Key Club (Kiwanis), etc.

He will be learning a lot of life skills by playing poker, as the Sklansky/Schoonmaker article last month indicated so.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
You are enabling a minor to get into a habit which can be an addiction.

[/ QUOTE ]

The neurolinguistic programming training ensures this does not happen.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
btw If he's into it, this is a cool idea. I don't think it matters so much where he starts his journey, I just hope you let him move into the games and structures that he wants to.

I wish someone had really shown me poker 10 years ago.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can you critique my original post? Thanks.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
A high IQ and the ability to play monopoly isn't enough to make you a good poker player.

Does the kid want to play or are you forcing him?

[/ QUOTE ]

A relative has guaranteed him 11/hr. at Walgreens. I told him to consider poker first before going for it. He can always get the job anytime he wants to.

I made it clear that my offer is an offer. Not a command or a request. He says he will take the offer. He is a very good student.

The reason I made the post is to hopefully get some advice on how I should go about maximizing his learning in the least amount of time. Purely self taught without any instructions from me.

I never told him that it should be a career. It's just another subject in school but with a potential for income. But not a career.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

I'd agree that SNG's are probably not the way to start unless he will be a tourney-only player. Start with cash, and, as has been said, .01/.02 is just no fold'em hold'em for stakes that are inconsequential -- might as well start off with playchips if you're going to play micro-limits.

I would add that I don't think "cutting your teeth" online is the way to go, either. Start off playing live, see what PEOPLE do at the tables, get a feel for player types by looking at faces, clothes, etc. Then, those people-game skills can be transferred to the online environment. I don't think this is as successful the other way around.

Finally, I don't think that a $1000 bankroll is enough to start being serious about poker. You need 200 buy-ins to start building a real roll, so $1k would be enough to buy in for $5, and, again, those limits are a joke. Maybe this is why you were thinking about starting with SNG's?

Here's my suggestion: Give him $5,000 when he's 21 (near the end of college) and start him out playing 1-3 stud in a real cardroom. Until then, let him play his own money online if he wants to.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]


A relative has guaranteed him 11/hr. at Walgreens. I told him to consider poker first before going for it. He can always get the job anytime he wants to.

I made it clear that my offer is an offer. Not a command or a request. He says he will take the offer. He is a very good student.

The reason I made the post is to hopefully get some advice on how I should go about maximizing his learning in the least amount of time. Purely self taught without any instructions from me.

I never told him that it should be a career. It's just another subject in school but with a potential for income. But not a career.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are giving him an income opportunity. Don't ride him like a horse who has to make profits for you. Give him the money, an let him make his own choices from there. Regarding your OP and specific advice.

[ QUOTE ]
I want to bankroll him $1,000 on his 18th birthday under a few conditions.

Here are the conditions:

Read Theory of Poker, Poker and Emotions section of Inside the Poker Mind, HOH I and II before turning 18.

Once 18, give him a small bankroll with choice of games and limits under my strict supervision. He will play 100 1 table SNGs, 100 shorthanded SNGs, then play 500 heads up SNGs. Probably on Fulltilt.

After playing all of the above games, he'll read Poker Tournament Formula, Kill Phil, and Making the Final Table, maybe the Fulltilt tournament book as well.

[/ QUOTE ]

(1) The "syllabus" for this endeavor should be, in no particular order:

* TOP
* SSHE
* HOH1 and HOH2
* PNLv1
* SnG by Moshman
* something on BR management

(2) Do not pick what games he will play! Let him read the literature, try out the games, get a feel for what he enjoys, and get a feel for where he has edges. Let him decide which edges are most +EV for himself, and allow him the autonomy to pursue them.

(3) Do not dictate how much he should play! Every poker player is different. Some multitable 20 SnGs at a time, other's single-table ring games, etc., etc. Again, by granting him autonomy for deciding how often and how much he plays you maximize both the probability and the ceiling of his success.

(4) Give him a poker bankroll, not money. Do not let this ever be money. (At least until he's an established winner and wants to cash out some money for toys. If you want to give him money, give him cash to do with what he pleases, which at 18 should be crappy used car.) Set up the poker account yourself, and on his 18th birthday give him access to the account with a thousand dollars in chips already in it. Stress that this is "free" play and a gift from you, and that there is no shame or guilt about losing it all, while simultaneously emphasizing good BR management and that the goal of this "game" is to not go bust. I would suggest Full Tilt Poker, mainly because the $600 first deposit bonus will provide a nice cushion as he learns the games and learns to deal with variance.

If this kid is as bright as you think he is what you want to do is give him the tools to pursue his interests and let him run free. You want to minimize any limitations as much as possible. Trust me.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

Oh, two last little things.

$1000 is fine for a starting bankroll. Its enough to get into $5 tournies, .25/50 LHE or 25NL. Levels where the risks are small, but the wins can actually be real.

And last but not least, if you do this at FTP don't forget to sign up for rakeback. This is crucial.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

sounds like an intelligent, driven, and competitive kid; if he studies poker with the same tenacity that he does his schoolwork and extracurricular activities, he should be able to figure out NLHE pretty well within a year or so.

Like so many other posters, I recommend you direct him to the cash side of things. Tournies are great, but a run of bad luck is highly underscored by the survival nature of the tournament payout structure. In cash games an edge is an edge, so you don't have to play each hand with the larger concerns of your tournament equity affecting every decision. Just based on your description, this kid seems to have a lot of the characteristics that make for solid advancement in poker.

Personally, I would suggest the following books, to be read in order.

Phil Gordon's "Little Green Book"

Angel Largay's "No-limit Texas Hold 'Em: A Complete Course"

Sklansky's "No-limit Hold Em; Theory and Practice"

Flynn & Mehta's "Professional No Limit Hold Em: Vol. 1"

Guerrera's "Killer Poker By the Numbers" (esp. if his math aptitude is above average)

For tournaments:
"Harrington on Hold em" is extremely valuable and readable
"The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide" is deep, unique and superb
"Sit and Go Strategy" - Moshman - the only good text on the subject
"Kill Everyone" - Nelson, Rodman, Streib... not yet released but I expect it to be quite good, although it may rehash existing concepts

For limit and general poker:
"Theory of Poker" - Sklansky
"Real Poker II: The play of hands" - Roy Cooke
"Winning in tough hold em games" - Stox
"Weighing the Odds in Hold Em Poker" - Yao

Hope this helps.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

Does your kid play poker now?

What is he into?

I told one person a while ago, that if he is going to start into poker, play one day of each form of poker (play money pref, but whatever), decide what he likes best, then study the living S out of that game. There is no reason for him to focus on so many games from the get-go. Don't be fooled by "SNG": HU is very different than 9-handed.

Every one on this site has a preferred game. The reasons we each like our individual game is not because it is the first one, but because it is what we are comfortable doing. I have different reasons for playing HUSNGs than the other posters on the forum, and I think many people agree that 9-handed SNGs are an insane way to try and make an income.

It sounds to me like you are asking your kid to attempt different options for making a living. I didn't know that Walgreens paid this much, but I guess that is because you know the manager. I don't see why he can't have the job and also play poker. Seriously, his next job offer is going to be $7 an hour max if he has to find it himself.

Did you ever consider that he won't like to play poker?

Having a job is good too, because it is a good experience for the kid. He isn't going to be friends with his high-school crop for more than 3 years (LOL), and meeting new people would do him good. I really think you are enforcing the idea that it is better to work on his own than to get a "real" job. There are pros and cons to both. I don't see how working on his own at 18 is going to turn out better. Ultimately, I think you should be attempting to nurture both sides of this, and trust him to make the best decisions about weather to work 9-5 or not, about what form of poker to play, and the choice to use his paycheck to refill his playing account.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

Why don't you buy him a cardrunners account as well? Or at least select a few of the better videos available in unl or ssnl. Videos are a pretty good way to learn, might wanna put that into your conditions too.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

Can you name specific no limit holdem video titles? No abbreviations if possible. Thanks.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You are enabling a minor to get into a habit which can be an addiction.

[/ QUOTE ]

The neurolinguistic programming training ensures this does not happen.

[/ QUOTE ]
O RLY?

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
how can one be a good monopoly player?

[/ QUOTE ]
You me and one of your friends play monopoly for $1k each. I give you each 3% vig.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
Can you name specific no limit holdem video titles? No abbreviations if possible. Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://www.roulettenburg.com/poker/videos.html

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

the kid sounds like he doesnt need you, and is smart enough to know it

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
the kid sounds like he doesnt need you, and is smart enough to know it

[/ QUOTE ]

This is exactly the objective behind this project. To get him to a level where he won't need me. What I failed to mention is that this poker thing is just part of a bigger project that hopefully would make him totally independent and successful. Here are the books that I had him read during his senior year and during the summer vacation (I paid him 30 bucks per book on top of his allowance and I believe him that his comprehension rate is at least 90%):

Persuasion:

Maximum Influence by Mortensen

One Minute Salesperson by Johnson

Personal finance:

The Wealthy Barber by Chilton

Young Fabulous and Broke by Suze Orman (video version)

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Ecker

The 21 Secrets of Self Made Millionaires by Brian Tracy

Entrepreneurship:

E-Myth Revisited by Gerber

Go It Alone by Judson

Cashflow Quadrant by Kiyosaki

Multiple Streams of Income by Robert Allen

Personal Effectiveness:

Focal Point by Brian Tracy

Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy

Self-Help Psychology:

Success Principles by Jack Canfield

Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins

Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl

Leadership:

One Minute Manager by Blanchard and Johnson

The One Minute Manager Builds a High Performance Team by Blanchard

Who Moved My Cheese by Johnson

Strategy:

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

The Concentrated Essence of Strategy and Tactics by Liddell Hart

Genghis Khan and Sabutai from Great Captains Unveiled (Liddell Hart)

But the reason why this poker project is so important is that it is CLEAR and PRESENT. Most of the above reads would take years to implement while the poker reading and playing project could be implemented as early as next month.Plus, poker can teach him self-discipline, logic, reading situations, the concept of EV, the importance of thinking long term, emotional control, etc.

I thank all of those of you who have given advice. I am definitely adding cash games to his hands on experience pool.The object, really, is to have him have enough knowledge of no limit holdem in all its forms so that if he chooses to, he can integrate poker into his income streams. To make him knowledgeable and competent enough to have poker as a REAL option if he chooses to do so.

As of now, I still have not come up with the proper sequence of books for him to read, and the combination of competitive contexts through which he can learn to apply the knowledge. I'm more confused than ever. So far the first phase looks as follows but it is still not final:

Watch Final Table DVD by Gordon on "beginner's mode", listen to the audio version Little Green Book twice over, then re-watch Final Table DVD but this time on "advanced mode". Finally, have him read the first three chapters of TOP as well as the "Poker and Emotions" section of Inside the Poker Mind.

Second Phase would probably be:

HOH 1, then HOH2, then probably the Largay book.

Third Phase would envolve playing, playing, and playing. Cash games, MTTSNGs, STSNGs (full game), Six handed SNGs, Heads up SNGs. During this stage, he can't decide what to play. I will tell him. Hopefully, you guys can help me decide what competitive contexts and in what order he should play. Cash games first? MTTs second? etc.

The fourth phase would have him exposed to different playing styles: SSII, Making the Final Table, Kill Phil, etc. And general theory books: TOP, NHTP, PNL1.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
how can one be a good monopoly player?

[/ QUOTE ]
You me and one of your friends play monopoly for $1k each. I give you each 3% vig.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok. Let's make it happen.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

I don't know why you want to mix up games so much.

Cash games are very different from tournaments and multi table tournaments are very different from single table tournaments and headsup play is very different from everything else.


You're gonna have him learning like 7 different things and it will take a long long time to do that. And he probably won't grasp any of them as well as he would if he focused on fewer things.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know why you want to mix up games so much.

Cash games are very different from tournaments and multi table tournaments are very different from single table tournaments and headsup play is very different from everything else.


You're gonna have him learning like 7 different things and it will take a long long time to do that. And he probably won't grasp any of them as well as he would if he focused on fewer things.

[/ QUOTE ]

What do you recommend "step number 1" should be?

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I don't know why you want to mix up games so much.

Cash games are very different from tournaments and multi table tournaments are very different from single table tournaments and headsup play is very different from everything else.


You're gonna have him learning like 7 different things and it will take a long long time to do that. And he probably won't grasp any of them as well as he would if he focused on fewer things.

[/ QUOTE ]

What do you recommend "step number 1" should be?

[/ QUOTE ]


Good players don't have as big an edge in SNG's as they do in cash games. This is due to the fact that in sng's there is very little play on later streets. Also the average player has improved at sng's and it's actually not that easy to beat the rake at $60 and $100 levels and to play higher then that successfully you need to make like near perfect ICM push/fold decisions.

(Even BigJoe2003, regarded by many as the best sng player has an ROI of 3% with an average stake of $350 at sng's.)


In cash games good players have a bigger edge because they are playing with bigger stacks which allows more play on later streets. Cash games have a higher ceiling as far as profits go. And I think that most people feel the edge is bigger in 6max games rather than full ring because you can play more hands and also many people don't adjust well to shorthanded games.


So I would suggest focusing on cash game play (once again this just excellent: http://www.pr0crast.com/2+2.NL.Anthology.v1.htm) - Much better than most poker books IMO. No Limit Holdem Theory and Practice was pretty good though I guess. I haven't really read anything else geared for cash games besides Super Systems and I wouldn't really recommend it.


I really don't see any reason to get into sng's at all. I have completely stopped playing sng's....I have made over $10K having played 5500 sng's in my lifetime: I made $10K in my first 3500 sng's and $0 in my last 2000 sng's. Perhaps that shows a little how much tougher they did get.


Maybe mix in some MTT's with cash games if you want to do that, which could make reading the HOH books to get started a good idea.

And if you are going to play a decent number of MTT's then maybe you want to familiarize yourself a little with the sng concept of ICM, which can help at the final table of MTT's....so then maybe play a few sng's to practice that (but honestly you can study ICM without needing to play sng's).




But I would certainly advise the majority of the playing to be done at cash games. Personally I now spend 90%+ of my poker time at 6max cash games. The rest is playing some MTT's specifically anticipated events and honestly this is probably less than 10% and cash more than 90%.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
I can't tell if this is a joke or not.

Assuming it's serious...has your kid asked you for a $1,000 bankroll? Is this something he wants, or you want? Does he like to play HU SNGs?

And finally, am I the only one who notes the irony:
[ QUOTE ]

He gets $1,000 bankroll from me no strings attached.

Please critique my conditions.


[/ QUOTE ]
(Hint: "conditions" is a synonym for "strings")

[/ QUOTE ]

What he means is there are conditions to get the money, but no conditions once the kid gets the money. Understand?

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
the kid sounds like he doesnt need you, and is smart enough to know it

[/ QUOTE ]

This is exactly the objective behind this project. To get him to a level where he won't need me. What I failed to mention is that this poker thing is just part of a bigger project that hopefully would make him totally independent and successful. Here are the books that I had him read during his senior year and during the summer vacation (I paid him 30 bucks per book on top of his allowance and I believe him that his comprehension rate is at least 90%):

Persuasion:

Maximum Influence by Mortensen

One Minute Salesperson by Johnson

Personal finance:

The Wealthy Barber by Chilton

Young Fabulous and Broke by Suze Orman (video version)

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Ecker

The 21 Secrets of Self Made Millionaires by Brian Tracy

Entrepreneurship:

E-Myth Revisited by Gerber

Go It Alone by Judson

Cashflow Quadrant by Kiyosaki

Multiple Streams of Income by Robert Allen

Personal Effectiveness:

Focal Point by Brian Tracy

Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy

Self-Help Psychology:

Success Principles by Jack Canfield

Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins

Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl

Leadership:

One Minute Manager by Blanchard and Johnson

The One Minute Manager Builds a High Performance Team by Blanchard

Who Moved My Cheese by Johnson

Strategy:

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

The Concentrated Essence of Strategy and Tactics by Liddell Hart

Genghis Khan and Sabutai from Great Captains Unveiled (Liddell Hart)

But the reason why this poker project is so important is that it is CLEAR and PRESENT. Most of the above reads would take years to implement while the poker reading and playing project could be implemented as early as next month.Plus, poker can teach him self-discipline, logic, reading situations, the concept of EV, the importance of thinking long term, emotional control, etc.

I thank all of those of you who have given advice. I am definitely adding cash games to his hands on experience pool.The object, really, is to have him have enough knowledge of no limit holdem in all its forms so that if he chooses to, he can integrate poker into his income streams. To make him knowledgeable and competent enough to have poker as a REAL option if he chooses to do so.

As of now, I still have not come up with the proper sequence of books for him to read, and the combination of competitive contexts through which he can learn to apply the knowledge. I'm more confused than ever. So far the first phase looks as follows but it is still not final:

Watch Final Table DVD by Gordon on "beginner's mode", listen to the audio version Little Green Book twice over, then re-watch Final Table DVD but this time on "advanced mode". Finally, have him read the first three chapters of TOP as well as the "Poker and Emotions" section of Inside the Poker Mind.

Second Phase would probably be:

HOH 1, then HOH2, then probably the Largay book.

Third Phase would envolve playing, playing, and playing. Cash games, MTTSNGs, STSNGs (full game), Six handed SNGs, Heads up SNGs. During this stage, he can't decide what to play. I will tell him. Hopefully, you guys can help me decide what competitive contexts and in what order he should play. Cash games first? MTTs second? etc.

The fourth phase would have him exposed to different playing styles: SSII, Making the Final Table, Kill Phil, etc. And general theory books: TOP, NHTP, PNL1.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can I call you Daddy?

You paid your son $30 a book ON TOP of his allowance? That is sure to make the kid independent of you. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

He should be reading for the joy of reading, for the joy of learning. Not because daddy is paying him.

Personally, it sounds like you are trying to live through this kid vicariously and trying to mold him into what you wanted to be.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

"Personally, it sounds like you are trying to live through this kid vicariously and trying to mold him into what you wanted to be."

All I'm doing is giving him the most possible number of options. The rest is all up to him. Whether its the priesthood, the military, starting a company, it's all entirely up to him what he wants to become. But he will have a lot of options to choose from.

If you look at the books that he has already read, notice that a lot of the knowledge from all of them can be applied practically to any field. Persuasion, personal effectiveness, strategy, management of teams, etc. Poker would add even more strategy, discipline, long term thinking, math(which he is very strong at), people reading, etc.

Its up to him what he wants to do with the stuff. After this poker project is done, its on to real estate, sales (Dale Carnegie training), internet marketing.

Summer next year, he must leave the house period. I'm not trying to mold him into anything. He can do whatever he wants. And he will have all of the options.

"He should be reading for the joy of reading, for the joy of learning. Not because daddy is paying him."

The whole point is to get the knowledge and skill sets in his brain and behaviors, and that is exactly what's happening. Too late to get it out of his head regardless of how it got put in there to begin with. Kids in school get paid with grades and they study for the grades not the knowledge. But guess what? The knowledge stays and become part of the database inside the head. I just made the rewards extra money not grades. The idea is to have the knowledge inside the head no matter what, at a very young age if possible. Once he joins the workforce or starts a business or joins the Peace Corps, he won't have as much time to study. Better to put in the stuff in the brain before he even gets started.

Re: Bankrolling 17 year old kid
 

Wow! More and more, I'm convinced it should be cash games first, then tournaments. I wonder how the revamped edition of Sklansky's tournament book looks like. I hope it does an even better job of teaching the cash game player how to adapt to tournaments.

Oh, BTW. Your link does not work.

So what is your advice for a cash game no limit holdem reading list? Seems to me like HOH 1 and 2 should still be must reading as it covers a lot of poker environments. What do you think of Largay's book? NLHTP is sounding really good.