<p>For all of my highschool years my greatest passion has been the study of no limit texas hold' em. I've read many books on the topic and consider myself to be a bit of an expert. Unfortunately this passion doesn't neatly fit into a college essay like the study of math or music, as there is undoubtedly a bit of a stigma on poker and poker players in general. Now what attracts me to poker is the fact that it is such a skill game. It contains a combination of psychology, math, and logic that simply does not exist anywhere else. I would ideally like to create an essay that emphasizes the intellectual aspect of hold' em, but am a bit concerned. Now my question is do you think that an admissions officer would take a poker essay seriously or do you think they would just look at the title and immediately dismiss it?</p>
<p>It should be noted that i will not speak of money in the essay. I will talk of it as a purely intellectual persuit.</p>
<p>If you’re excited about it (and you sound like it) and it’s your passion, then get that passion down in your words and they’ll be sure to take notice. Adcoms (hopefully) don’t throw away essays just because they don’t like the title.</p>
<p>My boyfriend wrote his college application essay on poker. He took a few years between high school and college off, and played poker for a living. The focus was a bit different, on poker as a unifier of class and status around the table, but I wouldn’t immediately dismiss it as a topic. The essay did get him into UChicago. Good luck!</p>
<p>If you can make your enthusiam and passion shine thru, go for it! Make sure you talk about yourself more than the game–what excites you about it, what you’ve learned, etc.</p>
<p>go for it! your essay will definitely be unique and admissions officers will be able to tell you’re passionate about it. plus, like you said, poker really is a game of psychology, math, and logic. that’s all academically related so it works really well!
good luck!</p>
<p>I wouldn’t. The view of poker in today’s more difficult economic times is likely to be far dimmer than the already dim view it held recently. IMHO most who read it will see an immature, get rich quick mentality that is anathema to the college learning experience. Sure there will always be exceptions but as a general matter, I’d stay away from it.</p>
<p>Further, in many, if not all, states, if you’re playing, you’re probably playing illegally so that’s another strike against taking this approach.</p>
<p>Finally, saying that you’re just in it for the theory is like saying you read Playboy for the articles.</p>
<p>^He says he will not speak of money in the essay, so he’s not admitting to breaking the law. And even if colleges think he gambles, who cares? I’m sure the OP isn’t a guy that bets Gs on one game, and a lot of college admits drink, smoke pot, etc. No one is going to reject a guy for thinking that he gambles 10 bucks once a week. </p>
<p>Poker is not luck. It is a game that requires strategy, diligence, and skill. I’m in it for the “theory” and the game itself. I hate gambling. I do gamble because it really is the only way to get a halfway decent game, though. </p>
<p>And is poker really viewed that poorly? You seem to be clearly exagerrating here. No college is going to assume, that because a guy writes an essay on how he read a few poker books, that he is going to become addicted to gambling or have immature ideas of how much money he can win. In fact, it’s kind of the opposite. Those that don’t play poker think they can just become pros by going online a few times. But those that learn all the skill and strategy involved know that it is not nearly that simple. And how does the economic downturn affect perception of poker. This guy didn’t just lose his job at GM, he’s still in high school and will be applying to colleges. No reason to think that he is playing poker because he fears that in six years he may not have a job upon graduation from college. </p>
<p>You seem to have a clear bias against poker. I don’t know why. </p>
<p>Anyways, OP, I think that would make a great essay idea. Studying poker is a very challenging pursuit. And you are right about the combinations that poker offers. It is similar to golf in some ways. Golf not only combines the skill, but there is also the ethics and mental game, probably moreso than any other sport. And golf makes a great essay topic. Poker is similar to golf. It’s not like blackjack where the moves are somewhat forced. Or like slots where it is all luck. And there are so many different things you could write about, the intellectual pursuit being one of them. I think what is essential is for you to establish your authority very early on in the essay. So the adcoms do take it seriously. They won’t take seriously some guy that plays once a month and doesn’t know if a full house beats a flush. And until you tell them (explicitly or strongly implied) how you are an expert, they will assume you are just the recreational player.</p>
<p>Why so hostile? OP asked for an opinion and I gave mine. We can disagree agreeably. I think poker as an essay topic is risky, and the fact that it ignited such pointed responses here reinforces that opinion. If you write this essay, you’re taking a gamble. IMO it is not a wise gamble, but hey, that’s poker I guess - you make choices and live with them.</p>
<p>For the record, I play, both live and online, and love the game.</p>
<p>^Was I really being hostile? I thought that I was being pretty civil, considering how many broad generalizations and assumptions you made in your first post. And the only pointed opinion going against the essay idea was yours. Versus about 9 people saying to go for it. So, by your logic, it seems like there is a 90% chance that, if written well, the essay will be taken positively. Yeah, that is a terrible gamble!</p>
<p>I agree with spehei. You may be able to pull it off, but it’s risky. Gambling may be legal in many places, but not for minors. And it often carries somewhat unsavory or disreputable connotations for everybody.</p>
<p>It’s a risky topic. You might want to research how many of those telling you to go for it are teenagers, and how many telling you to reconsider are adults. Whether poker is good or bad, what’s important to you is what adult adcoms at your schools will think about it. I think many of them will be turned off.</p>
<p>Poker not a good essay topic? There are dozens of poker articles, written by real scientists, published in scientific journals. When you run out of poker books to read, try those journals. They will give you a real mental workout. </p>
<p>Math / Economics - Has anyone heard of game theory?</p>
<p>Statistics - Duh … </p>
<p>Psychology - This one should really just be obvious.</p>
<p>Law and Government - The poker lobby is growing in strength daily, due to the political involvement of people who love the game. People who don’t even vote get passionate about protecting their right to play a game</p>
<p>Counseling - Yes, poker can be addictive.</p>
<p>Beside’s who is to say that a passion for poker has any less value than a passion a student athlete has for his sport. I’m sure admission officers read “My learnins from the football game”, until their eyes roll back in their heads.</p>
<p>I would recommend that you keep it light, original, and tie it into whatever you want to study.</p>
<p>Poker is a very unique topic, and one that I too am considering for my essays, but make sure you keep it about the strategy, the skill, the face-reading and the detachment required in Poker. If you go into $$$/Competition/Sex/Greed/Drink/Drugs, that could leave a slightly cloudy impression on a risky essay. The result could be negative. </p>
<p>If you did go with it, I really hope you got in! Poker is an AWESOME game.</p>