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Being the 2004 grand-prize winner of a $15,000 scholarship through the College Poker Championship changed Grant Coombs' life. "I am strongly considering playing poker professionally after school is over," says the Washington and Lee University (Lexington, VA) pre-law senior. Grant has made even more money playing cards online, as well as in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

Looks like gambling's the way to go? Not so fast -- there are a number of factors to consider first, warns Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council of Problem Gambling. In fact, he says, playing poker for scholarships sends misguided messages.

"It encourages people to use gambling as a good way to invest or make money," he says. "At best, it's recreation. Over time, people lose all the money they won gambling."

A Booming Business
Grant is not the only one betting on a college education. The last couple of years have marked an explosion in college poker tournaments offering scholarships as prizes. These contests include face-to-face games as well as online sites with look-alike names such as "College Poker Tour Events," "College Poker Championship," and similar URLs.

Although most of the contests take place online, some are face-to-face events; one is even in the form of a touring poker championship that travels from school to school.

The gambling industry has the best marketing in the world, as its reputation has moved from the negative image of gambling to the entertainment value of "gaming," claims Jeffrey Derevensky, Ph.D., co-director, International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High Risk Behaviors at McGill University (Montreal, Quebec, Canada).

"Because of the widespread TV coverage of card games like "Celebrity Poker," coupled with gambling on the Internet, this has become a worldwide phenomenon," Derevensky explains. "The winner's face gets plastered all over the place. Most kids know Chris Moneymaker [He won the World Series of Poker].

"College players are the fastest growing segment of online poker participants. Derevensky attributes this to students having access to parents' credit cards and computers, and the tendency of young people to have a false sense of security and safety -- an "It'll never happen to me" mentality about addictive situations.

And according to Whyte, the number of gambling-related Web sites has doubled over the past five years. Now there are more than 2,000.

"Ten years ago this industry didn't exist," he adds.

Why Go "All In"?
The most obvious gain is winning money to cover expenses and alleviate financial anxiety.

For Jeremy Olisar, a 4.0 honor student at Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA), a $15,000 scholarship from Absolute Poker's free "Win Your Tuition" tournament has made a major financial difference. "Having the tuition enabled me to pay off some of my school loans," says the senior music major.

While Jeremy recognizes that students can lose sight of their studies once they get involved in activities like poker, he vows he won't fall into that trap. "I am keeping my priorities straight and keeping up on my schoolwork," he says.

Benefits beyond the financial include:

• Challenge. "I love the competitive environment, the one-on-one aspect as well as the intelligence that goes along with it," says Grant.
• Entertainment. To offset the tedium of continuous study, many look to a poker break for stimulation, especially online. The colors, the movement, the lights, the competition, the drama, and the risk.
• Social contacts. In face-to-face competition, attending school activities presents the opportunity to meet people and develop new friendships. "One mother told me her son was a social isolate," says Derevensky, "until he started playing at the poker tournaments." She claimed it helped her son get out more and finally make a few friends. Then Derevensky asked her, "What happens when he stops playing poker?"

When to Fold
Experts are quick to point out that many people can play poker as well as engage in other types of gambling with little problem. But there are some who fall into the trap of addiction.

Companies that run scholarship championships present their events as "non-gambling," as opposed to playing poker for money. In addition to awarding educational funds, some of them also donate to the winners' favorite charities.

However, professionals in the field of gambling addiction have long pointed out that the motive for wagering is seldom money, but instead lies in an unhealthy quest for excitement, escape, and control.

The National Council of Problem Gambling claims that the younger the player is, the more likely he or she will get hooked. According to the January 2005 issue of Addiction Professional, teenagers and college students are three to four times more likely to suffer serious gambling-related difficulties during their lifetime compared with adult-onset gamblers.

"People have trouble believing college kids may have a gambling problem," Derevensky says. He cites a PBS program he was on in which a college woman who had been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to go to Spain was discussing her gambling patterns. She admitted to playing for six hours a day.

When questioned about how that would impact her future college plans, she replied, "I don't have a problem with it." When asked if she had ever tried to stop, she said yes. She claimed she had stopped once for two days.

Sure Bet
There's an old saying that the best way to avoid becoming an alcoholic is to never start drinking. The same could be said of gambling, claim those opposed to such activities.

Derevensky recommends young people assume personal responsibility and work at self-awareness. "Gambling problems are a progressive disorder," he says. "Students need to watch themselves, to respect their limits over time."

When confronted with the question of whether or not to become involved with poker tournaments or other gaming pursuits, Whyte suggests being in the know:

• Know the Law. "Despite the claims these organizations make," Whyte says, "the legality is not clear."
• Know the Risks. Among them, losing money and developing a gambling problem.
• Know the Warning Signs. The three biggies: preoccupation with gambling; chasing (trying to retrieve) your losses; and losing control (not being able to consistently determine when or how much you bet).
• Know Where to Get Help. Check out www.ncp gambling.org or www.gamblersanonymous.org.

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