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<<Online Poker Drove Student to Rob Bank, Lawyer Says

The college sophomore needed to cover $5,000 in gambling losses, his attorney says. The son of a Baptist minister faces 20 years in prison.

By Matt Assad, The Morning Call


ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Somewhere in a hectic schedule that included being president of his Lehigh University sophomore class, playing second-chair cello in the university orchestra and working at the chaplain's office, Greg Hogan developed a secret habit.

For 14 months the polite, energetic finance and accounting double major from an affluent Ohio suburb used online poker to blow off steam.
But the hobby quickly became an addiction that led Hogan to lose about $5,000.

It was that addiction that led him last week into a Wachovia bank in Allentown, where he handed a teller a note and calmly walked out with $2,871 that wasn't his, says his lawyer, John J. Waldron.

Allentown police said Hogan confessed to the robbery.

Now the 19-year-old son of a Baptist minister faces up to 20 years in prison on bank robbery charges, and his lawyer says the nationwide poker craze is partly to blame.

"This is one of the nicest kids I've ever met, but his gambling addiction led him to make a terrible, terrible mistake," Waldron said. "There's so much good in this kid. It easily outweighs this one bad mistake."

District Judge Carl L. Balliet will get a chance to consider that Jan. 31, when Hogan has a preliminary hearing on felony charges of robbery, theft and receiving stolen property.

According to Allentown police, Hogan went into the bank Friday, handed the teller a note saying he had a gun and walked out with the money. He hopped into a waiting sport utility vehicle and rode away with two members of his fraternity.

The two men in the vehicle with Hogan said he told them he was cashing a check, and both told police they knew nothing of Hogan's plans. Neither has been charged and both declined to comment Tuesday, as did the bank teller.

A witness wrote down the SUV's plate number and police arrested Hogan at his fraternity house.

The arrest shocked Hogan's classmates.

"There are some students here that you just wouldn't be surprised to see arrested," said Pat Thornton, one of Hogan's friends. "But Greg wasn't one of them. Greg's just a friendly, energetic guy. You'd have trouble finding anyone who didn't like him."

At Lehigh, students liked him enough to elect him sophomore class president. He showed enough skill on the cello to be named second chair and he worked part time in the university chaplain's office, Waldron said.

Hogan is a graduate of a private high school in Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland. His father, Gregory Sr., is a minister at the First Baptist Church of Barberton, Ohio, and his mother, Karen, holds a doctorate in nursing.

Hogan's parents and grandparents met with Waldron for 90 minutes Sunday and talked about the addiction Hogan had been keeping a secret.

Waldron said he had hired a forensic psychologist to evaluate Hogan.

"That's the million-dollar question," Waldron said. "Why would such a good kid with so much promise do this? We know he had a gambling addiction, but why didn't he seek other options? That has everyone scratching their heads."

William N. Thompson, professor of public policy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, isn't among them. Thompson said the poker craze had arrived and Hogan was another of its victims.

What used to be played by middle-age men in smoky backrooms is being played by college and high school students.

If players can't find a live game, online poker is a mouse click away, and they need only a computer and a credit card whose credit limit hasn't been maxed out.

"It's everywhere and now it's even on the Internet, where there is almost no controls," Thompson said. "You can expect it to get worse, and you can expect to see more and more college students fall into it."

Dub13

"Where the fcuk do you get this sh1t....?";)

Sangre

OH MY GOD PLEASE DONT SHOOT!! HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT??

I'll put you all in.

ionapaul

All joking aside, a family friend attempted suicide after losing tens of thousands of euros gambling - his family or friends had absolutely no idea the scale of his gambling addiction, they all knew he liked a flutter on the gee-gees but couldn't see his problem. I am fairly sure that the advent of online gambling (particularly casino games and online slots, more than poker) will facilitate more ruined lives. If only there were some way to stop / discourage those lacking discipline from gambling.

Daithio

ionapaul wrote:

If only there were some way to stop / discourage those lacking discipline from gambling.

These people are the reason so many can support themselves off playing poker. It's bad but it's the truth of the matter. Without the losers there would be no winners.

PPP-Pit Boss

Ion is right though. There are those of us who play because we enjoy the challenge, make some money, lose some money but not enough for it to do any significaant damage. Some of us drink a little, a lot, not at all. Some people however sadly become addicted and end up in a spiral off loss.
Sorry to be so serious about it but it is a very real problem that must be addressed. Here is a good place to start if you know someone who may have a problem.
http://www.gamcare.org.uk/

ionapaul

I know that I would much prefer to play poker / blackjack / whatever in an establishment that would gently advise people to take a break if the management thinks they are in way over their head and about to get into serious trouble. I like that fact that if you ask to be banned from a casino in Vegas, that's it (or is supposed to be it), you won't be getting back in the following week when you come back and tell them you've changed your mind and want to play.

I'm not saying there shouldn't be consistent, heavy losers - not at all - I'm just saying it would be great if the facilitators of gambling (bookies, casinos and online operators) took steps to help those who simply cannot afford the losses they experience. As far as I know, almost all online operators already do, Ladbrokes will freeze your account if you ask them to I think.

I like Nikki's comparison with drink - I think everyone should be able to drink alcoholic beverages (post the age of 18! ), should learn to enjoy drink if they do, and be helped stop if they abuse alcohol, even if this takes the form of a gentle nudge in the right direction. Same with gambling. I'm sure many will disagree with me here.

Very serious stuff for a Thursday afternoon coming up to Christmas! And I'm looking forward to visiting the SE tonight...:)

roryc

what game is on tonight/.

DubTony

I wonder if this means that the guys jumping the counter soon will be brandishing a pair of Aces instead of a gun? Sorry, bad taste

Fair dues to Pit Boss for the link, but what does it say about a country when it's biggest bookmaker points people to a foreign web site to find out about help with a gambling addiction?

PPP-Pit Boss

DubTony wrote:

I wonder if this means that the guys jumping the counter soon will be brandishing a pair of Aces instead of a gun? Sorry, bad taste

Fair dues to Pit Boss for the link, but what does it say about a country when it's biggest bookmaker points people to a foreign web site to find out about help with a gambling addiction?

I couldnt agree more. It is a sad state of affairs that we do not have an Irish equivalent. Good old Catholic-brush-it-under-the-carpet-we-dont-like-your-divinci-ad-Ireland

mewso

Well there is http://www.gamblersanonymous.ie/ but then for poker players in case of debate you might need a skillgameanonymous.

hotspur

I'm not going to go into a speech, but in addition to Nikki's Gamecare link here are some others may may be of use to you or others who may be concerned about their gambling:

An online version of a widely used psychological test for problem gambling:
http://www.gov.ns.ca/health/gambling/IsThereAProblem/SouthOaks/

An English site where you can get information, advice and even online counselling for gambling problems:
http://www.gamblingtherapy.org/

One of many general sites about problem gambling from America:
http://www.ncpgambling.org/about_problem/

Yes GA is the only show in Ireland in terms of a support / helpgroup but it is better than nothing, unfortunetely it is less geared towards poker players' personalities.
The Rutland Centre in Dublin provides good gambling addiction counselling :
http://www.rutlandcentre.org/

For Nikki and others in the industry here is a link to the current top academic thinking about promoting responsible gaming in society:
http://www.ncrg.org/assets/files/Reno_Model_JGS_2004.pdf

Please feel free to pm me in confidence if anyone would like any further information or advice on anything related to this issue.

Doc Farrell

nice one hotspur.

I wrote about people getting in over their heads last spring and nobody believed me or believed it could happen to them.
Another year goes by and another dozen people I play against have disappeared to be replaced by two dozen more who believe they can beat the odds.
don't get me wrong, I want you to lose everytime when I'm around. But I can't be quiet if someone asks me about the losing side of this game. Very few break even so congratulate yourself if ur in that camp. And if you're ahead then the only thing that can beat you is your own arrogance. Unfortunately, that single weakness, bred in victory, can take you to the cleaners.

gl guys and have a fun Christmas.

Imposter

Doc Farrell wrote:

nice one hotspur.

I wrote about people getting in over their heads last spring and nobody believed me or believed it could happen to them.

In fairness Des I don't think that's how people reacted. It may have had something to do with your drunken and/or negative ramblings on the game. I would hope everyone here would help a friend if they thought they had a problem, maybe not at the table but in private.

One of the mods should copy hotspur's post into the relevant stickys!

califano

'A friend in need is a friend no more':p .

ionapaul

rounders123 wrote:

'A friend in need is a friend no more':p .

'A problem shared is a problem doubled'

Anyone want to hear the story of AKs vs. A5o? No...? Alrighty then....

califano

ionapaul wrote:

Anyone want to hear the story of AKs vs. A5o? No...? Alrighty then....

lol. full report on way.

youcantseeme

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