Few are immune to the worldwide poker craze, not even pint-sized Chinese whiz kids. Indeed, Zhang Xinyang, the child who made headlines last year for becoming the youngest college student in mainland China, is also a poker fan. When he's not hitting the books at Tianjin University of Technology and Education, Xinyang is hitting the poker felt. Poker is just one of the activities little Zhang enjoys when he's out of the classroom.

At 10 years of age, Xinyang plays poker against his “peers," most of whom are about twice his age. The mental exercise afforded by poker seems to be paying off, with Xinyang being among the top in his class. Ranked third in his class academically, the child phenom is in the running for a university scholarship. Xinyang was quoted as saying that, when he studies, he tries to understand material instead of simply memorizing, a virtue that will likely help Xinyang in any future poker pursuits.

Source: Poker777 Staff

Monday, 30 January 2006