Bankrolling 17 year old kid

[JustCuz]

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.