Texas Hold 'Em

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Now that his high school football season is over, Zak Coppinger has been playing poker every chance he can get.

With his mom's blessing, he's turned the family dining room, complete with green walls and a chandelier, into a poker parlor for himself and his buddies. He also keeps a deck of cards at school so he can play impromptu games during class or lunch.

"It's better than homework, I can tell you that," the 18-year-old from Austin, Texas, says with a chuckle.

He's just one of the many young people who have become avid players of Texas Hold 'Em and other poker games -- a trend sparked, in part, by TV shows that feature tournaments for celebrities and professional poker players. But gambling opponents wonder if some teens, and the adults who let them play, are taking it too far.

"It's fun. It's exciting. It's glamorized on TV and in the media in a way that other addictions are not," says Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. "There's the impression that through skill you can beat the odds. But randomness is always going to have a bigger factor in determining the outcome than your skill.

"And unfortunately, that's not the message these kids get."

I enjoy playing - and watching - the game. But I do fear the effect it's glamorization is having on the public. As with all media, the pitfalls and dangers of the act are glossed over to make it appear more alluring than it actually is. It's like watching the show "Las Vegas" with it's beautiful women, amazing backdrops, and cool characters, then heading over to the Argosy Casino to play blackjack with 70 year olds with oxygen tanks, betting their Social Security checks with the hope that they get a big hand.

The gambling subculture is mostly sad and pathetic. But hey, it's a fun game.