Penn State Students Major in Gambling

"I've got a straight," said Matt Smith with a grin as he flipped his cards for the other players to see. Combined with three of five community cards in front of the dealer, the two cards in his hand were in consecutive order - 5-6-7-8-9.

One player at the table had matched Smith's bet. Justin MacDougal smiled as he too turned his cards.

"What?!" Smith stood up and looked at all the cards on the table. "Oh my God. You have the bigger straight." Accepting the loss, he took his seat. He lost the hand, and over 20 dollars, to MacDougal's higher straight - 6-7-8-9-10.

"Sorry," said MacDougal as he gathered his winnings.

That's poker.

Smith and MacDougal are freshmen at Penn State University and this is how they spend their free time. And they're definitely not alone. Thousands of students are poker enthusiasts on some level. Some play on the internet, others play with friends. Smith and MacDougal are regulars at a daily poker game in the freshman dormitory complex, East Halls. Each night between 25 and 50 people meet in the activity room of Findlay Commons to gamble.

One player in particular stands out among the many gamblers in the activity room.

"I am the greatest player!" he said, his voice carrying throughout the room. "Kabam!"

The player is Danny Cherlow, a freshman from Virgina. He is unofficially the leader of the poker players. Tall and thin with bleach-blonde hair, Cherlow runs the show. He admittedly spends about 10 hours a day playing poker, seven days a week. Most other students would find it difficult to balance a major in astrophysics with 70 hours a week at the poker table, but Cherlow said he has no trouble at all.

"I do ok," he said. "I had good grades in high school and I pass all my exams now, so that's all the matters."

Even when he meets with a group to study or do homework in the computer lab, Cherlow just ends up playing poker online. All conversation revolves around poker. His unique look and his voice draw attention, especially in the quiet computer lab.

In the lab, more people recognized him and a group of spectators soon crowded around the computer station on which he was working.