THE MILKY BAR KIDS

POKER AND THE “Y” GENERATION – THE “YERS”. THE RISE OF THE MILKY BAR KIDS.
My God I hate to be told I’m playing badly, especially by that young guy who keeps winning all my money. Well life has changed dramatically over the last fifty years and I’m told that younger is now smarter? It appears that where the Internet and poker is concerned that may be on the ball. The new generation is getting it right. Sometimes without manners or diplomacy but always with confidence.
Shannon Shorr USA, Venad Medic Canada, in last years 2006 Millions; Mark Vos, Russell Davies, Marcus Collins, Emad Tahtouh, Arul Thillai, Rayan Nathan, Sarah Bilney, Everstaad and the sensational Jeff Madsen from the States all pointing to long term poker success, without even mentioning the stable of 30 or so young Aussie players who are backing up at the turn towards the finish line of Poker stardom. 2006/07 will be the year of the Milky Bar Kids?
What brought this to mind is ‘Management/Conflict Theory the “Y” generation’ and the affect it is having on contemporary leadership and corporate activities. This mirrors the generation gap in our current poker world between “then” and “now” and how the generations handle each other in situations of risk conflict such as we see in poker.
The clash of generations in conflict is a common social phenomenon, which has been going on since Pontius Pilate played full back for Jerusalem. Sometimes aggravating and always challenging the affect on older poker players in our tournaments is now accentuated by modern influences of Internet online poker, club/pub free poker, Television support and lots and lots of prize money.
Poker is now accepted not only as an entertainment for the player but for the spectator as well. It is a Billion dollar industry with massive rewards for the winners. This in itself is manna for conflict but throw in the generation gaps between players and we have a magic pudding of potential unrest in this race for the Golden Boomerang of Poker Success.
Older people tend to live in the past and plan for the future. They are group cohesive whereas younger are group disruptive except within their own age group where leadership is quickly established by performance. They may be brash, undiplomatic, anti authoritarian, super confident and highly innovative.
No wonder there are occasional chips and chairs flying in poker rooms. Egos, young and old, are easily bruised in the public spotlight. The younger players believe this is their generation and they intend to make their mark on the poker lists. They should be full of confidence and dreams. If you don’t believe this then please read Ryan Heath’s “Please f**k off. It’s our turn now” recently published.
If we relate this conflict to contemporary Australasian Poker and in particular the Aussie Millions, we have four generations currently involved in poker tournament and cash events in Australasia. There will be representatives of all in the major events during the Crown Aussie Millions.
The “Has Beens”
These are the players who were born before the fifties, and were part of the depression and later a World War. The bread and dripping, work ethic, save for the future and respect authority generation. They were the true believers of poker in Australasia, first coming together at the Adelaide Championships 1987. They retain a few good poker players in tournaments today but are best suited to SNG NLHE shootouts or various style limit games of short duration such as HORSE or DROSHE. Full pack Aussie Blind Poker half pot or Manilla limit are their favourites. “The Old Gray Mare she ain’t what she used to be” but never under rate them on their own home ground. Often seen sucking a warm whisky at the poker room bar complaining about the young players who are winning all the money. Also can be seen at the Rhino and other late night venues but only because they have lost their way home. Soon to be an endangered species.
These players were prominent in the Adelaide Championships and the formative days of competition poker in Australasia. They were not necessarily great players but they were great competitors. Some, of course, did go on to world fame and remain in the rankings today pending retirement.
Not favoured for the Millions, as they tend to break down in the straight or miss the start. Peter Mordaunt and Maurie Moore might make it with hormonal help.
The “Baby Boomers”
They were born during the war and carrying through to the early sixties. These are the new seniors of poker, raised in the idyllic fifties/sixties running free on foot or bicycles with little experience of divorce or femininity. Later they championed social causes such as basic human rights and the sexual revolution. They entered a work force where “jobs were for life” and the boss knows best. They play poker in the same style as the Has Beens but with a little more energy and modernity. The best of them have accommodated the current changes in Poker. They have a lot of bracelets under their belt and enough money, skill and experience to remain a challenge. They are proven performers in multi skilled poker and tend to mix with the “has beens” to see what it’s like to grow old.
These players were also prominent in the later days of Adelaide and Canberra and include some notable poker legends. They have 20 years of competition poker under their belts and are a lot smarter than their grandchildren/children think. These will show up on the final day of the Aussie Millions. There are too many names to mention although Lee Nelson must head this list.
The X generation or “Xers”
. These are an age cohort born between the sixties and late seventies and playing in the late nineties. Some see them as the “Me” generation, too selfish and self absorbed to commit to marriage, children or even a permanent job. This is a deeply pessimistic generation that grew up fearing the cold war, nuclear annihilation, unemployment and AIDS with little confidence in the future. They seem to be trapped between two generations but yet young enough to enjoy and maintain leadership. This is the generation, which clashes most with the “Yers”. It is a father son clash rather than grandparent. They have a need to prove themselves in poker vis a vis the “Yers”. Both groups tend to be antagonistic towards each other at the table in the battle for reputation and ego.
Often seen trading bad beat stories and berating examples of lucky play by “Yers”. They form a large part of our player pool. Their names are on the honour boards at Canberra and Crown.
There will be many Xers in the final day at the Million. Aged between 30 and 50, the problem is to separate the Boomers from the Xers. They are either young Boomers or old Xers? The stars would be Joe Hachem, Sammy Khouiss, John Homann, Martin Comer, Leo Boxell, Michael Guttman, Sam Korman, Gary Benson, Mick Stanton, Fred Saliba, Steve Hegyi, Billie Argyros, George Mamacas, John Maver, Nick Georgoulas, Graeme Putt, Tino Lechich, John Wylie, Mel Judah, Mike Ivin, Andrew Dimock, Brian Hull on 2006 rankings.
The Y generation or “Yers”
These confident, arrogant and successful players very truly represent the characteristics of a younger adult social order. They are all around 30 years or below of age. They grew up in an age of uncertainty and complexity, constantly changing technology and mobility and have adapted to its needs very quickly. They are our most educated and skilled generation to date, able to multi task easily but are at times intensely individual. They are not afraid to be contradictory and as such generate conflict with perceived bad manners.
What a boon to them all when along came “Online Poker” accessible 24/7 on their PC or NB, giving them entry to the biggest pool of sporting money available for the smallest entry fee in history. These players excel in today’s competition poker and have already racked up bracelets and championship trophies. In Australasia they burst on the scene with the Baltic invasion of the 2003 Crown Aussie Millions.
They have specialised in No Limit Holdem, a game that requires the daring, aggressiveness and risk taking best suited to their characteristics and age. I doubt whether the majority of the Baby Boomers will ever be able to take them on in this game. It simply requires too much energy and target orientation. There are some Poker freaks of course such as Lee Nelson and his ilk who remain intellectually and physically young in spite of the absence of Shangri La.
I would however contest the Yers ability to handle the patience, observation, know how, economy of effort and deceit (POKED) necessary to succeed in the limit games, draw, stud, Omaha and the HiLo variations that remain the province of the Boomers and Xers at present.
These young Yer players are often seen at the end of three-day events planning to enjoy their victory at the Rhino rather than worry about tomorrow’s events. They are invincible? They target the present rather than the future, which apparently looks after itself?
\They are here to stay and will repeatedly challenge all players at the WSOP and the Millions. Keep your eye out for Emad Tahtouh, Mark Vos, Arul Thillai and a dozen or so other Yers such as Russel Davies, Marcus Collins, Rayan Nathan, Jonny Vincent, Toby Atroshenko, James Potter, Han Liu, Jovan Skekic, Dusan Stoevsky, David Saab, Eric Assadourian, Ricky Gov, Ben Savage and Baden Logan, who are setting the poker world on fire at an early age. They are the Kings of Cyberspace. The key to modern NLHE is cyberspace poker excellence. “Youth is such a wonderful thing. Why waste it on children?”
Should we worry about the difference between the generations? Of course not. It is not something to worry about but rather to enjoy. Fortunately in Poker there is room for all of us. Good, bad, young, old, rich, poor. There are still many occasions when the old bull gets the good-looking cow whilst the young gets the bad beat.
This year Crown Aussie Millions 2007 will expose a few surprises. With an estimated 700 Main Event entries, 400 online and 120 big name players the majority of the final table could easily be unknown and young online satellite winners.
Argyrol and patience versus the Milky Bar and stamina? Your guess is as good as mine. The future?
I suppose in many ways the current format of the WSOP and the Crown Aussie Millions may also change in the future due largely to this age gap and the creation of an elite “professional” group of players who play poker for a career rather than for fun and an occasional windfall. Some of these will now be new stars as well as old.
The WSOP NLHE main event with satellite and online entry with its associated Million-dollar prize pool will remain the same. It is too much of a popular and TV spectacle to lose but it also is a bit of a luck box, which makes it hard for the professionals to win. They lose their edge, which no pro can happily accept.
Other events such as Challenge Invitationals for High Stakes or high skill HORSE events will eventually come aboard. Television will demand high profile players with a reputation and not unknown players who hit the jackpot once only. Television is the key to ongoing poker popularity as is the battle between the old and new guard. It is a timeless battle that does not lose its appeal with the ages.
As a “has been” I enjoy the excitement of today’s poker and the rise of newer and younger stars. I also enjoy watching the older more experienced players take them on. The Yers are the subaltern heroes of the Poker War of the future.
REMEMBER
The Milky Bar Kids of 1987 were Jason 'Pocket Aces' Gray, Jeff Lisandro and Tony Guoga Many of us will just have to become adjusted to lying down and dying when our Poker Time comes. Nothing is forever.

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