Book or gift on poker for a teenager?

December 10, 2024 4:27 PM

My 14 yo is enjoying the poker club at school. Can you recommend any gifts for the budding poker enthusiast? Chips, yes. Maybe a particular book?
posted by Ollie to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (8 answers total)

Best answer: Not poker, and it is apparently exaggerated more than a little, but the book about MIT blackjack card counters, Bringing Down the House, is a fun look into the weird world of gambling.
posted by wnissen at 4:37 PM on December 10, 2024 [2 favorites]

Does he have any way to play video games? If so, Balatro would be a solid choice.
posted by saladin at 4:51 PM on December 10, 2024 [1 favorite]

The Education of a Poker Player by Herbert O. Yardley. A classic available in cool old hardbound editions wherever you get your used books!
posted by stet at 4:56 PM on December 10, 2024 [1 favorite]

Best answer: If they need cards, make sure to get real poker cards, which are plastic not paper. Copag and KEM are two well known brands. Makes a huge difference.

For chips, you want some made from "clay" (or whatever composite is actually used). These can get really expensive but even a cheap set like this is better than the plastic toy chips.
posted by mullacc at 5:04 PM on December 10, 2024 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Doyle Brunson's Super/System is the Bible.

You can get a poker table that will fold up, or a topper that fit atop another table in your house, rather than giving over a permanent corner of your house to a dedicated poker table.
posted by foursentences at 8:53 PM on December 10, 2024

I recently read The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win (2020) by Maria Konnikova and recommended to the Poker Family in my life. They all independently said of course I've read that already, it's good.
Older and much more British is For Richer for Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker (2009) by Victoria Coren Mitchell [Guardian review]
posted by BobTheScientist at 10:33 PM on December 10, 2024

Best answer: Yeah Super/System (2) is really the only solid choice for a book. You can get a bunch of biolgraphical "how I made money playing poker" books but they're not very good or helpful.

Clay chips are quite expensive and also excellent.
posted by Happydaz at 10:50 PM on December 10, 2024

Response by poster: Thanks all. I got Super/System, Bringing Down the House, and the Amazon chips that mullacc linked. All are huge hits. Christmas has been dominated by mandatory games of Texas Hold 'Em.

I'll hold the other suggestions for the next round of birthday gifts, if the interest sticks.
posted by Ollie at 4:12 AM on December 28, 2024