Craps vs. Poker: Who's Going to the White House?

Filed in archive Poker Blogs on July 6, 2008

(image from Time.com)

While this is not a political blog in the least politics and government do tend to weave into the world of poker and online poker. Case in point the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act made huge online poker running for shelter across the pond (Party Poker and Cryptologic) leaving U.S. players with less options for their virtual fix of cards.

Time magazine's online sister publication Time.com is currently running a piece on the gambling habits of the future President of United States and how their choice in games may point towards what type of leader we will see in the White House for the next four years. On the casino floor its easy to tell the difference between the card player (Obama) and the craps player (McCain). One rides the rushes for all they're worth, the other waits patiently for the right timing to make the profitable move.

Below is a small clip from the article, for the complete post click here

The casino craps player is a social animal, a thrill seeker who wants not just to win but to win with a crowd. Unlike cards or a roulette wheel, well-thrown dice reward most everyone on the rail, yielding a collective yawp that drowns out the slots. It is a game for showmen, Hollywood stars and basketball legends with girls on their arms. It is also a favorite pastime of the presumptive Republican nominee for President, john mccain.

The backroom poker player, on the other hand, is more cautious and self-absorbed. Card games may be social, but they are played in solitude. No need for drama. The quiet card counter is king, and only a novice banks on luck. In this game, a good bluff trumps blind faith, and the studied observer beats the showman. So it is fitting that the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama, raked in so many pots in his late-night games with political friends.