Virtual Poker Faces - Tuition Giveaways

February 24, 2006 - For most people a game of poker is guys sitting around a table, smoking cigarettes, throwing back some beers, and constantly contemplating their next move based on the hand of cards they've been dealt. While the potential loss of valuable money and time is often associated with this classic game of cards, the recent growing trend of online poker, especially among college students, proves these negative associations wrong.

Many online poker companies such as AbsolutePoker.com now sponsor online tournaments for tuition giveaways. Winners of these tournaments receive a reimbursement of their tuition for a full semester. Philip Francis, a business development manager for AbsolutePoker.com, said the "Win Your Tuition terms" sponsored by the company give students the opportunity to enjoy something they're interested in while having the chance to pay off their tuition at the same time.

"We get contacted by a lot of colleges that deal with this type of charity. I think that shows just how popular this is," Francis said.

While some people may think that the popularity of these tournaments encourages laziness with academics in some students, this is quite the opposite for a recent winner of a tuition giveaway from AbsolutePoker.com.

Twenty-one-year-old Jeremy Olisar, a student at Carnegie Mellon University, recently won the "Win Your Tuition" Hold 'em tournament sponsored by AbsolutePoker. An honor student with a 4.0, Olisar normally helps his parents pay for his tuition by teaching every Saturday at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music's Preparatory School.

He had only been playing the game of Hold 'em for two years when he rose to the top to beat out all players in the tournament - from more than 300 colleges around the world - and had his tuition reimbursed for a full semester. Olisar claims that he was in complete shock over his first tournament win.

"I've been playing all sorts of card games for as long as I can remember, but I only started playing Texas Hold'em recently. I never imagined that my first tournament win would be as big as this!" Olisar said in a press release.

With all the opportunities out there to pay for tuition whether through scholarships, grants, or other awards and cash prices, how practical is online poker for this purpose?

"I wouldn't say it's the most reliable way to pay your tuition, but if you can do something you're good at and get your tuition paid for, why not?" said sophomore Ben Sutphin, who has been playing online poker for a little over a year. "It's a win-win situation. If it's free, there's nothing to lose."

Other Clemson students familiar with the game of poker agree.

"If it is legal, then I see no problem with it," senior Chris Tully said. "If the student can keep his grades up while logging the long hours demanded by these tournaments, then it's a good way to try and reimburse tuition."

The AbsolutePoker.com company was started three years ago by guys who were just out of college.

The tuition tournaments sponsored by AbsolutePoker.com are completely free for any student wishing to register and try their luck at winning free tuition.

"The tournaments are arbitrary," Francis said. "They are totally free for college students. Everything's played with virtual chips."

"I think this is a good thing," senior Will Galloway said. It's free, you've got nothing to lose, and it's a chance to win, so why not take it."

The tuition tournament series for this semester began Jan. 31. Francis said the final, which determines the winner for reimbursement of spring 2006 tuition, will be held on May 4.