The Politics Game (as per Poker)

Perspective from Howard Lederer, political donkeys

I\’m surprised to see poker people still speculating on the #ReidBill\’s chances for bringing the poker industry a Christmas present or leaving us a lump of coal … as if any of us could be more than donkeys in a game where that word alone means something totally different.

The guys at Wicked Chops are saying \”two outer\” as if they have the same level of expertise as Pokerati. Dudes, we\’ve done more than just take a tour of the White House … we ponied up the extra $9 for an audio guide!

(OK, you\’re right, I can\’t prove that … but if I had a receipt it would be an easier tax deduction for us than you! And true fact: I did ride paddle boats outside the Jefferson Memorial more times during the Carter administration than I saw Star Wars at a drive-in, so …)

Though just semi-experienced at best, I have been down this special-interest road before … where you\’ve got a bill on the table but are running up against a semi-arbitrary not-clearly defined session clock — go Texas poker \’09! Which is why Pokerati is setting its line for #Reidbill passage firmly at somewhere between 8 and 88 percent.

Book it. We should know for sure by Tuesday or Monday or Wednesday-ish.

Though no one in the so-called \”poker industry\” has much if any political experience prior to Harry Reid\’s current term … some poker-biz donkey-pols have learned a thing or two along the way to get us here. For a little perspective, here\’s \”the Professor\” Howard Lederer learnin\’ us some Political Science 101 last year at a high-society charity tourney in Washington DC, providing an overview of the game at hand … particularly for small-time players hoping to satellite into a bigger Beltway event: