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Texas Hold ‘em: Lidle just one of the Phillies who’s into the game
Published: 2006-01-03
 One of the burning debates out there is whether or not poker qualifies as a sport. Sure enough, when the idea of doing a weekly poker column for the Daily Times was conceived, there was some discussion about whether or not it belonged in the sports section.
Obviously, it did land in the back of the paper. While poker’s designation as a sport is debatable, there is no question that poker is a competition of the highest order.
Several Phillies have embraced poker as a competitive outlet, but none might be as fervent as Cory Lidle. The right-hander is almost always willing to talk cards, and for the second straight year he is going to turn his love for the game into a way to raise money for his favorite charity.
The second annual Cory Lidle Celebrity Poker Tournament will take place Jan. 14 at The Palms Casino in Las Vegas, with the proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Among the baseball notables expected to be there are Jason Giambi, 2005 World Series MVP Jermaine Dye, David Wells, Adam Dunn, Eric Chavez, Bret Saberhagen and teammates Mike Lieberthal, Chase Utley and Randy Wolf.
Other celebrities from beyond the diamond include poker professional Thomas "Thunder" Keller and FOX Sports Lisa Guerrero, who happens to be featured in the latest issue of Playboy. What does that have to do with poker? Nothing. However, there will be at least one celebrity at each of the 20 tables in the tournament, so that gives you a 1-in-20 shot of being at the same table with her.
Yes, there are seats remaining in the tournament. It will cost you $1,200 to play, with $600 going to the prize pool and $600 going to charity. A full house -- 200 players -- would mean a $120,000 prize pool.
Last year Lidle had 103 players for the inaugural event and he already has reached that threshold. Those interested in taking part can sign up at www.CoryLidleCelebrityPoker.com, or call 615-321-0726. There will be a cocktail party for the tournament players Jan. 13 in The Palms’ Ghost Bar, and there also will be a silent auction of sports memorabilia to raise money for Make-A-Wish.
The bad news is that if you were hoping to see plenty of pro poker players at the tournament, there probably won’t be that many. The Australian Championships and a World Series of Poker Circuit Event coincide with the tournament, so many of the top players are going to be out of the country. The good news is that if you hoped to have a snowball’s chance of winning the thing, then the absence of rounders just improved your odds.
Lidle said that last year’s tournament featured a 50-50 split of solid players and fish.
"You’ll see some good play and you’re going to see some horrible play," Lidle said. "There’s a chance you could be at a table with a bunch of strong players, or that you’ll be at a table with a lot of dead money."
When asked who the best player is out of the celebrities, Lidle gave the right answer -- Cory Lidle. (If you don’t sit at a poker table believing that you are the baddest player on the planet, then you are instantly behind the 8-ball.) Lidle said that he considers Wolf a strong player, but that he didn’t want to place any more credit on top of his teammate’s poker ego. Asked if he hopes to have a final-table showdown with Wolf, Lidle said, "Oh yeah."
To contact Dennis Deitch, e-mail dendeitch@aol.com.
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Teen poker worries addiction experts
Published: 2006-01-02
 Game has spread fast among young
JOHN JOHNSTON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
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It takes more than luck to win at Texas hold 'em, Eric Rothman says.
That's why the 18-year-old high school senior enjoys putting his poker-playing skills to the test.
For classmate Buzzy Adriatico, 17, poker's appeal is "the adrenaline of (having) a big hand."
"Looking down at a good hand is a great feeling," agrees Josh Morgan, 19, a University of Cincinnati student. "And winning money is good, too."
Seven teenage friends gathered at Rothman's Batavia, Ohio, home on a recent Sunday afternoon and plunked down $10 apiece to play the popular poker game.
Such scenes have become common, and there are few regulations that prohibit friendly games.
National studies show the number of young people gambling on poker and other card games has skyrocketed in recent years.
And while poker is a harmless diversion for most teens, experts caution the risks of gambling addiction are being overlooked.
"Most people can drink and they don't become alcoholics. Most people can gamble and they don't become compulsive gamblers," says Dr. Lori Rugle, a clinical psychologist and president of the Ohio Council on Problem Gambling.
"But for that small percentage, which is comparable to the percentage that develops serious drug problems - (gambling addiction) is a life-threatening disorder," she says.
About one-fourth of people in compulsive-gambling treatment programs attempt suicide, she notes.
Michael R. Stone, executive director of the Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling, says studies have shown nearly 4 percent of teens are pathological, or compulsive, gamblers.
In any given week in this country, about 2.9 million people ages 14 to 22 are gambling on cards, and more than 80 percent are male, according to a report released this fall by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
The center has tracked teen gambling rates for several years.
The center's recent survey of 900 young people found that almost 42 percent of males say they gamble on cards at least once a month.
That's up 20 percent from summer 2004.
The survey's margin of error was plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Rugle and Stone say few parents take potential gambling problems seriously.
"Most parents know you don't sponsor beer parties," Rugle says. "But they're happy as clams to sponsor poker parties. They just don't appreciate the risks of it.
"(Gambling) is not a risk-free activity, but the government supports it, the church (games like bingo) supports it and now it's being glamorized on TV," Rugle says.
Cable channels bring poker tournaments and savvy poker veterans into homes nationwide.
Last year, 2.8 percent of cable TV households watched the World Series of Poker finale on ESPN.
The show out-drew almost all other programming on the network except NFL, baseball playoff and high-profile college football and basketball games.
Watching Texas hold 'em on TV sparked Rothman's interest in the game.
His father, Larry Rothman, says teens "know these (TV poker) players like they know baseball players."
Eric asked his parents' permission before he began playing poker a couple of years ago. Last summer, a group of about 15 friends sometimes held games two to three times a week.
"I think we all like to think we're in control of our gambling habits," Eric says.
His father says the low $10 buy-in "makes it a little more comfortable in my mind."
He adds: "They could do a lot worse things than sitting in my house playing cards for five hours on a Saturday night."
Some experts agree.
Karen Gail Lewis, a marriage and family therapist, says she wouldn't condemn poker simply because it's a form of gambling.
So is playing marbles, she notes.
But it's important, she says, that parents watch for signs that a teen's poker playing has become a problem.
Warning signs include:
• Spending undue amounts of time gambling
• Withdrawing from friends and family
• Losing interest in other activities
• Having less (or more) money than normal
• Becoming secretive
Worried parents should seek a therapist's help, experts say.
DO YOU HAVE A GAMBLING PROBLEM?
The following test for youths is from the McGill University International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors in Montreal. Answering "yes" to four or more questions might indicate a gambling problem; in that case, call a gambling help line or see a therapist.
In Tucson, the gambling Hot Line is: 1-877-921-4004, or call La Frontera at 884-9920.
1. Do you find yourself thinking about gambling activities at odd times of the day and-or planning the next time you play?
2. Do you find the need to spend more and more money on gambling activities?
3. Do you become restless, tense, fed-up or bad-tempered when trying to cut down on or stop gambling?
4. Do you ever gamble as a way of escaping problems?
5. After spending money on gambling activities, do you play again another day to try to win your money back?
6. Do you lie to your family and friends to hide how much you gamble?
7. In the past year, have you spent your lunch money or money for bus fares on gambling activities?
8. In the past year, have you taken money from someone you live with, without their knowing, to gamble?
9. In the past year, have you stolen money from outside the family or shoplifted to gamble?
10. Have you fallen out with members of your family or close friends because of your gambling behavior?
11. In the past year, have you missed school to participate in gambling experiences (five times or more)?
12. In the past year, have you gone to someone for help with a serious money worry caused by participation in gambling activities?
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