This Chinese New Year, one of the coolest things I saw was watching my 6-year old relative play blackjack. She played hand after hand, elbows on the table, her brows furrowed in concentration. Whenever she hit 21, she would smile, proudly show her cards and go “YAY!!”.

I was fascinated by this young lady who could quickly add up the values of her cards, strategically decide to hit or pass, and bet reasonably. As someone who only really got interested in gambling and statistics in college, I clearly missed several important life lessons from not learning to gamble as a kid.

I’m not a parent yet (and to everyone my wife and I saw this CNY – okay, okay, we get it.), but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that it’s so crucial to teach your kids to gamble.

Yes, I know. Gambling could ruin your life. If left unchecked, it ...