Poker Players For Democracy
Poker Anorak
/
Editor /
12 March 2008 /
Leave a Comment
A poker game in New Mexico has decided the outcome of an election.
It is democracy in evidence.
Well, it beats deciding who wins on Hanging Chads.
Over in the United States, Josie Richards has a pair of nines.
The game is five card stud.
Michelle Dunlap is holding her cards.
The call. Richards wins. She is now a town trustee in Estancia, New Mexico.
There had already been a vote to decide on which woman should take up the post. But it has ended in a tie. What to do? A dual with pistols? Fisticuffs? A mud wrestle?
Not yet. Under New Mexico law, in the event of a tie, the winner is chosen by a game of chance.
Calm, yourselves. Chance. Not skill. Much can me made of that.
"I was very nervous," says Richards. "I'm a big competitor and I wanted this position."
This isn't the first time poker has settled an election draw in Estancia.
In 2001, the mayor of Estancia James Farrington was re-elected to the town's top job when he won a single hand of poker against Richard's sister, JoAnn Carlson.
In 2006, Edgewood's mayor was chosen by card draw. Some elections in the state have also been settled by a coin toss.
The question boils down to: Do you want tout leader to be the better poker player, or lucky?
Either way the answer must be yes...
Vote now and vote often - play online...
Read More Poker
Betfair pros prepare for heads-up battle
Fresh from their World Series of Poker Europe and EPT London exploits, Betfair pros Annette Obrestad and John Tabatabai will tonight be sitting down and taking on some of the world's best No-limit Hold'em players in a Heads-up Grand Slam....
Annette Obrestad in last 24 of EPT London Main Event
It took just under 11 hours of play to whittle down 111 players to the final 24 in the £5,000 EPT London main Event. Each of the remaining players is guaranteed to go home with at least £17,000 but they...
Betfair Poker By Numbers
In an effort to answer the age-old question of whether poker is a game of skill or luck, Betfair Poker have been crunching through the stats on their site, and the results are intriguing. Below are some of the more...
Poker Hands: Four Fives
Continuing the Poker Anorak's look at poker hands: Four Fives......
