Over the last few years Terry Elman has seen a growing cause for concern among problem gamblers; teenage fascination with poker and poker pros, such as Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu. Their very appeal to teenagers, that “every day folk” who are not physical superstars or movie-star beauties can become celebrities and wealthy by playing poker, is also what makes them a danger, according to poker critics.

Teenagers, who do not have access to a lot of disposable income, can quickly get in over their heads if they become gambling addicts. According to organizations like Elman’s, the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, teenagers are one of the fastest growing at-risk groups for compulsive gambling.

"The more people who play, the more problems there are," said Elman. "It's gotten to epidemic proportions."

Elman does admit, however, that a relatively small portion of people who play poker become problematic.

• Noble Poker
• Party Poker
• Pacific Poker