Halifax Gentlemen's Poker Association

"We're as honest as gambling men can be."

Friday, October 13, 2006

Poker with world leaders?

OK, here's a challenge for you HGPA blog readers: tell me what kind of players you think world leaders would be in a no-limit hold'em tournament, and what your strategy for dealing with them would be.

Here's some sample leaders, along with my answers, but feel free to use other leaders as well:

  1. George W. Bush - U.S. President

    Chris' read: Believes he is personally in touch with God, proudly not a member of the “reality-based” community.

    Chris' strategy: Dude thinks he can do no wrong, and the Lord will provide. He’s going to be heavy on any draw, because he thinks he’ll get his magic card. Any time I have a decent made hand and put him on a draw, I will bet hard. He might hit now and then, but in the long term I will clean him out.


  2. Kim Il-Jong - North Korean Supremeo

    Chris' read: Haircut, jump suits, family history, poking the tiger. Nuts. He’s a big bluffer. Nuclear test my ass.

    Chris' strategy: Treat him like Cal when he's drinking.


  3. Ehud Olmert - Prime Minister of Israel

    Chris' read: Justifiably insane; you’re not paranoid if they really are out to get you. He'll be tight agressive.

    Chris' strategy: Mostly get out of his way, unless I’m on the nuts. Mix in occasional strong bluffs, to try to trigger his “tight” characteristic.


  4. Hugo Chavez - President of Venezuela

    Chris' read: Hugo knows the score, and it drives him nuts. He’s so pissed at Bush that he's started making moves that are less strategic than previously. Somewhat loose agressive.

    Chris' strategy: The key here is to put him on tilt, so he starts making mistakes. Ideally I would do this by making him extremely upset with another player at the table, and then sit back and play off of both of their mistakes.


  5. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - President of Iran

    Chris' read:Panders to his base as much as Bush, but doesn’t actually believe the shit he says. Knows just how far back to strand when poking the tiger.

    Chris' strategy: Watch out for traps, and wait until he makes his big play on a hand when I’m in the weeds with the nuts.


  6. Muammar al-Gaddafi - "Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya"

    Chris' read: Dude in a dress or not, he knew when the time was right to get “terrorist supporter” off his resume. You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

    Chris' strategy: I have to make him think I’m a threat, so he will respect my bets (especially my bluffs). Since he’ll fear me, I’m going to get out his way when he raises back (he must have the nuts), and dime him down with bluffing.


  7. Vladimir Putin - President of Russia

    Chris' read: Deeply screwed by economic hit men & the nomeklatura, but not at all insane. Pretty hard to make him flinch.

    Chris' strategy: Just get him drunk. I.e. the MacFarlane strategy.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home