In The World Of High Stakes Poker

The World Series of Poker began last week. The event has grown to gargantuan size - there were over 22,000 players in its "Colossus" tournament, and the entire event is being played over 51 days.

Shuffle up and deal!

In other news of high stakes gambling, the ongoing negotiations over Iran's nuclear program are ongoing. However, due to his bicycle accident, John Kerry has returned to Washington to nurse his broken femur.  

The good news is, this will limit John Kerry's involvement in the negotiations at least to some extent. The bad news is, there really is no one in the Obama administration who would be much better.

The scary news is, what if Obama were to get more directly involved.  Back in May, the New York Times wrote about the negotiations in terms of Obama's legacy:

“Right now, [Obama] has no foreign policy legacy,” said Cliff Kupchan, an Iran specialist who has been tracking the talks as chairman of the Eurasia Group, a consulting firm. “He’s got a list of foreign policy failures. A deal with Iran and the ensuing transformation of politics in the Middle East would provide one of the more robust foreign policy legacies of any recent presidencies. It’s kind of all in for Obama. He has nothing else. So for him, it’s all or nothing.”

All in, you say? How many chips is Obama even holding at this point?

Today the Times informs us that Iran isn't exactly holding up its end of the nuclear fuel bargain even while negotiations are proceeding: 

WASHINGTON — With only one month left before a deadline to complete a nuclear deal with Iran, international inspectors have reported that Tehran’s stockpile of nuclear fuel increased about 20 percent over the last 18 months of negotiations, partially undercutting the Obama administration’s contention that the Iranian program had been “frozen” during that period.

The overall increase in Iran’s stockpile poses a major diplomatic and political challenge for President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, who flew back to the United States from Geneva on Monday for treatment of a broken leg he suffered in a bicycling accident, as they enter a 30-day push to try to complete an agreement by the end of June. In essence, the administration will have to convince Congress and America’s allies that Iran will shrink its stockpile by 96 percent in a matter of months after a deal is signed, even while it continues to produce new material and has demonstrated little success in reducing its current stockpile.

How does the administration view this problem?

Administration officials said nothing publicly about the atomic energy agency’s report. But several officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the Iranians understood that under a final agreement they would commit to giving up almost all of their fuel and maintaining a small stockpile for 15 years.

“How are they going to do it?” one senior American official said recently when asked about the negotiations, details of which Mr. Kerry and his team are trying to keep confidential. “We’re not certain. It’s their problem, not ours. But it’s a problem.”

Nonetheless, officials say they expect the radical reduction of Iran’s stockpile to happen in the opening months of any agreement, either by shipping it out of the country or changing it into a form that would make it impossible to re-enrich and use as a weapon.

It's not our problem? I'd like someone in the administration to consider it our problem - rather than blithely assert that we expect the Iranians to do something that they've shown no interest in doing. Maybe we could even work toward becoming certain how the Iranians would reduce their stockpile, and - I'm mean I'm just spitballing here - devise a program through which we could verify that the reduction actually takes place.

I'd like to ask if that would be too much to ask, but I'm afraid an honest answer from the administration would be depressing.

Well, if one were to imagine Obama going toe to toe with Iran's lead negotiator Mohammad Javad Zarif in a poker match - and pushing all in - I fear it might look something like this:

To paraphrase a favorite Instapundit line, the country's in not holding the very best of hands with this president and those in his administration in charge.

 

Link to Last Page of Thread.

Comments

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--It’s kind of all in for Obama.--

I agree.
Kerry and Barry's negotiating refrain with Iran; "Are you in?"

[henry]

Does the deal stink? Or is it Obama?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Lehigh University religion professor hands down ‘10 Cracka Commandments’ for whites.

I thought it was a satirical list at first but....we live in impossible to parody times.
Just take a look at the latest glam spread in VF.

[Jack is Lightning⚡️]

jimmyk,

Do you know Sunil Gulati at Columbia? He got WSJ FIFA corruption treatment today in a story about how he is walking a fine line even though he is not an unindicted co-conspirator. Waiting for that shoe to drop, though.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

These guys criticize TPP on the grounds that it will increase our trade deficit.
I have never actually understood the concept of a trade deficit.
I run a 100% trade deficit with my local grocery store or gas station and they have yet to conquer my territory or compel my obeisance.
If every free trade agreement cost us as many jobs as the critics claim we would have had to legally import most of Mexico just to fill them.

[jimmyk on iPhone]

"Do you know Sunil Gulati at Columbia?"

Don't know him, JiB.

How's this for high comedy:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/2/obama-i-am-closest-thing-jew-has-ever-sat-oval-off/

[Dave (in MA)]

A guy from the next town over from me was apparently a "top ISIS Deputy":

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/herald_bulldog/2015/06/top_isis_deputy_of_stoughton_reportedly_killed_in

Was.

A guy under FBI/Joint Terrorism Task Force surveillance killed by LEOs when he threatened them with a military-style knife at a local CVS"

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2015/06/02/boston-officer-shoots-suspect-outside-pharmacy/JJ8zr04t3qNCpOBydZ1XvN/story.html

Radio said it was a "machete".

Also, we had the coldest June day around here since record-keeping began in 1872.

[Miss Marple]

Dave, Just think how cold it would be if we weren't compensating with CO2 production!

[Marlene]

Yes, it is 44 degrees here and raining. I refuse to get a sweater out of the drawer! I will wear summer clothes even it means I freeze! The weather is so frustrating,the summer is too short here.

[Dublindave]

Ha ha, you can see the "high stakes poker" threat is having a bit of trouble getting off.

I'll explain why to you Tom and it's not that complicated:when you support one of the greatest Foreign policy disasters in American history, executed by a Republican administration and overwhelmingly supported by a Republican base......it strains credulity to criticize the clean up of said mess by the next administration and other diplomatic challenges.

But go ahead...it's your site.Have at it. Enjoy yourself.

[Dublindave]

sorry...threat/post

[Dublindave]

sorry....thread/post

[Jeff Dobbs]

BTW - in the unfortunate naming department...from the article:

The Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington research group, wrote in an analysis on Friday that Iranian officials say the plant’s final stage “did not work properly,” prompting the delay.

Um, ISIS.

http://www.isis-online.org/

[jimmyk on iPhone]

"I run a 100% trade deficit with my local grocery store or gas station and they have yet to conquer my territory or compel my obeisance."

One of the first things you learn in Econ 101 is that trade doesn't cost jobs, it only changes the jobs that are needed.

Now if you run a trade deficit with everyone, it just means you're spending more than you're making. Doesn't mean you are doomed.

[Man Tran]

MM,

That article you linked on the last thread was wonderful. Had dinner a few days ago with Herb M. His son works for Ricochet now. A couple days later I hear back that Herb was mildly shocked to discover that he was not the most conservative guy in the room. Heh.

[MarkO]

Obama’s just not that smart©

[Cecil Turner]

From Iggy's 10:32 link:

“Never quote black leaders like Dr. King to criticize protesters and activists.”

So, what they're saying is, "we can't live up to our own principles." Looks like a sore spot.

[Dublindave]

"Obama’s just not that smart©"

Obama's just not that smart....Obama's just not that smart....just not that smart.......so says Marko,the man who gave his unadulterated support to George W.Bush and his idiotic invasion of a country that had nothing to do with 9/11...Marko.....a man that gave his his support to a war that cost this country trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives......MarkO........let's listen to MarkO.......MarkO knows a winner when he sees one and MarkO says that Obama just doesn't the intellectual brilliance or the capacity for complex foreign policy maneuvering as George W.Bush did.

MarkO.

[Dublindave]

sorry....Obama just doesn't have....

[Dave (in MA)]

Obama’s just not that smart©

Understatement of the century.

“Maybe we were not skeptical enough” about Obama, said .

[Cecil Turner]

Posthumous Medals of Honor for WWI vets.

President Obama rectifies those decades of apparent discrimination Tuesday, posthumously awarding the Congressional Medal of Honor to Shemin and Johnson in a White House ceremony.

Why couldn't we find a deserving left-handed pacific islander to round out the group?

[Dublindave]

I gaurantee you this thread doesn't get over 100 posts.Just the sheer humiliation of having to comment on foreign policy is just too much hypocrisy ....a bridge too far your ordinary basic Republican.

[Miss Marple]

Well, Obama IS smarter than the morons who believed him when he said "If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor," and "Premiums will go down."

[Dublindave]

Yeah,we're sitting at 20 posts after two hours......most righties will click on and just say...dude,we're Republicans....we have no right to comment on this subject.

[Jeff Dobbs]

I'm not reopening the epic Friday post, so this gets to go here....

Ted Cruz: "Tom Brady was framed!"

[henry]

Duda, wasting you best stuff in a dead thread? Be thankful its dead, your dumber than Obama.

[Cecil Turner]

Look how much better everything is going foreign policy-wise since we started "smart diplomacy"™.

[/things DuDa thinks make sense]

[Miss Marple]

Cecil,

Obama supporters won't admit his foreign policy was horrible even when the Chinese Army is marching through the streets of Des Moines.

[Some Guy]

hmmm, someone is desperate for the subject of foreign policy to go away.

Wonder why?

Maybe that's the iceberg the S.S. Hillary is trying to avoid.

[Dublindave]

"Well, Obama IS smarter than the morons who believed him when he said "If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor," and "Premiums will go down."

Actually in quite a lot of cities premiums have gone do-wait...wtf am I doing debating a Republican?I swore I would never engage the idiotic and uninformed, except maybe to poke fun at them.....a serious debate with a righty????I don't think so.That's like convincing a mental patient that he's not Napoleon bonaparte......let him alone....laugh at him, but don't destroy his illusion.

[Extraneus]

Dublindave, Hillary was in favor of attacking Iraq.

[(A)Nuther Bub]

Had dinner a few days ago with Herb M. His son works for Ricochet now.

I'd be an muscleless porker were it not for Ricochet (well. more unmuscled and more porky). Their wonderful podcasts get me through my gym sessions and long walks. I've been a member there since Ricochet's first month and have never received such good value as I get for the few pennies a day it costs. (You can read at the site and download podcasts free, but helping to support them is a good thing).

Check 'em out!

[Extraneus]

Kerry, too.

[Extraneus]

Along with a majority of Democrats.

[MarkO]

We are all aware, are we not, that Hillary flunked the bar.

[Extraneus]

Then the lying scum turned on the US of A.

[Extraneus]

Interesting stuff from the AP on FBI surveillance of innocent civilians, via Drudge top headlines.

[Dublindave]

I'd love to stop and tally the number of posts on this redundant thread but alas,Dublindave and a nice young lady must depart for London where we'll be beginning a 6 night journey on the Venice-Simplon Orient express.

I've taken various trips on the old girl over the years since it's reincarnation and I can't can't can't recommend it enough.All Dublindave bullshit aside, do yourself a favor and a book an awesome journey through history,espionage and intrigue on her.

Also,take a copy of Agatha Chritiies"Murder on the Orient express" to read.

Bye bye for a couple of weeks...

[Beasts of England]

I can't wait to read the list of locales where premiums have gone down!! Sock it to me, DublinDave!

p.s., -0.7%

[glasater]

After spending a very brief period of time as a pro black jack and poker dealer I always have a laugh at 0's "don't call my bluff" stupid comment.

[James D.]

I just read one of the articles Ext mentions at 12:30.

I especially liked this quote:

The surveillance flights comply with agency rules, an FBI spokesman said. Those rules, which are heavily redacted in publicly available documents, limit the types of equipment the agency can use, as well as the justifications and duration of the surveillance.

So we don't get to know what the rules or limits actually are, and we are expected to take the word of an unnamed official that, whatever those rules might be, they are being obeyed, with no evidence whatsoever.

But of course we should trust the government, because not only do they have only our best interests at heart, but they are ultra-competent, as this article shows:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/06/01/anthrax-pentagon-scandal/28329125/

The Pentagon has learned that additional samples of live anthrax were sent to three laboratories in Canada, two Defense officials confirmed Monday evening.

That means that specimens of the deadly Bacillus anthracis have been sent to labs in 12 states, the District of Columbia and three countries. The samples came from the U.S. Army lab at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. Scientists there thought they had been shipping inactive strains of the deadly spores for research purposes.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--.....MarkO knows a winner when he sees one...--

At least he knows who wrote the post at the top of the thread.

[Jack is Lightning⚡️]

jimmyk,

Gulati is a econ professor at Columbia, so I thought your professional paths may have crossed.

And yes that is indeed High Comedy or satire or parody. He is one sick dude and must suffer greatly from all those delusions.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--but alas,Dublindave and a nice young lady must depart for London where we'll be beginning a 6 night journey on the Venice-Simplon Orient express--

Aw, DD and Caitlyn on the Venice to Simpleton run.
I hear WeeDavey's the mayor.

[GUS]

The WeeWeeDouchebag is dumber than an empty bag of kitty litter. And he's a fucking clown.

[henry]

No more Blatter at FIFA.

[Dublindave]

"Aw, DD and Caitlyn on the Venice to Simpleton run.
I hear WeeDavey's the mayor"

Trust me,my companion does not suffer from any gender confusion.....trust me!!!!

Oh Ignatius,some are meant for the finer things in life whereas some....are meant to pick up dog shit.

Know your place,Ignatius.

[Old Lurker]

James, or try this on for competence from the preliminary report of the Amtrak crash. Yes siree. Lightning fast they are...when the truth might deprive them of a chance to cram more cash into their budget:

Fox: "The NTSB report said forensic experts are now examining the phone records for the engineer, apparently to check if he was texting or making calls right before the crash.

"Although the records appear to indicate that calls were made, text messages sent, and data used on the day of the accident, investigators have not yet made a determination if there was any phone activity during the time the train was being operated," the report said. "Investigators are in the process of correlating the time stamps in the engineer's cell phone records with multiple data sources including the locomotive event recorder, the locomotive outward facing video, recorded radio communications, and surveillance video."

[Jack is Lightning⚡️]

henry,

Where did you see that about Blatter?

[Dave (in MA)]

Glad POSOTUS's got time to focus on what's important.

[Dublindave]

I am late.....my traveling companion is angry with me......I must go...I still say this thread won't rise above 100 posts.....

Take care.

[Dave (in MA)]

a 6 night journey on the Venice-Simplon Orient express.

No manspreading.

[Beasts of England]

52

[Beasts of England]

53

[Beasts of England]

54

[lyle]

Had the strangest dream last night...

[henry]

Jack, the Blatter thing is all over twitter with WSJ among others tweeting.

[Dave (in MA)]

-
0
.
7
%

[Beasts of England]

Wait, what?!?! DublinDave's hopping on the VSOE? Yeah, right.

He's posting from the holding cell at the Mons Venus.

[Beasts of England]

59

[Captain Hate]

Glad POSOTUS's got time to focus on what's important.

The Ferret made note of it so it was an automatic that Zippy would chime in because he doesn't go potty without her approval.

[henry]

Duda got his cover blown and needs to stay clear of extradition for a while.

[Captain Hate]

Wait, what?!?! DublinDave's hopping on the VSOE? Yeah, right.

Soros has been paying off a lot of deadbeats lately so dumbassdave will be riding the Gloryhole Express until the shortfall is made up.

[Beasts of England]

Don't send everybody to the Urban Dictionary, Captain! ;)

[henry]

CH, for some reason, our Chicago freind thinks you will like this idea:

@MKTWgoldstein: FIFA chief idea -- David Stern. Strong rep, expanded basketball internationally, out of work.

[Jim]

Rumor has it that kerry broke his leg on purpose so he would have plausible deniability for any final deal.

[Cecil Turner]

The Guardian has the Blatter thing (not sure if that qualifies as a reliable source).

[Dave (in MA)]

That's just a bunch of Swiftbike propaganda.

[Threadkiller]

Another interesting angle that Bedard brought up is the Jimmy Garoppolo part of all this.

“[Brady] has already said that [the end of his Patriots career] will not be of his choosing. So if he sits out, and all of a sudden Jimmy Garoppolo plays winning football, maybe Belichick starts thinking, ‘You know what? Maybe we want to pay our quarterback $850,000 next year instead of $8.5 million,'” said Bedard. “There’s a whole bunch of things wrapped into this.”

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/06/01/bedard-on-bradys-appeal-team-first-player-may-reluctantly-accept-lesser-punishment/

Framed by Belichick

[Jack is Lightning⚡️]

Just watched the presser where Blatter resigned. Looks like someone whispered in his ear that the DoJ has him dead to rights based on Chuck Blazer's confessional.

Now let's really piss Vlad and the Qatari's off and pull their WC venues.

Its got to be an UEFA or ex-FA guy for credibility with the $500 million crowd of sponsors. Or Prince Hussein if his toga is white enough.

[lyle]

Broke his leg? Time to put Flicka Lurch down. Wait, was that a gunshot??

[Captain Hate]

Ha, henry; don't get me started on Stern who developed the exposure of the sport significantly and then stuck around well beyond his sell-by date. The Donaghy scandal was my favorite because the only reason that was discovered was the feds were monitoring a bookie that the ref happened to use. Outstanding internal controls imo.

[Beasts of England]

The Blatter news is on ESPN.

[lyle]

That's just a bunch of Swiftbike propaganda.

Dave wins the internet today. LOL

[Captain Hate]

Wait, was that a gunshot??

Firing a hollowpoint into that thick skull would produce the biggest mashed potato explosion on record. And a mere flesh wound for Lurch.

[daddy]

Good Morning!

I assume this is happening in your part of the world as well:

Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska said it needs rate increases averaging 38.7 percent for plans aimed at complying with (ObamaCare) the Affordable Care Act requirements.

"Since 2014 when ACA metallic plans were introduced, the cost of individual plans has increased by 91% year over year. This situation is unsustainable...

[henry]

Daddy, don't know. Kept premiums flat here through the magic of grandfathered self insurance. WI govt employees now have to pay deductables to keep the state from paying a "cadillac" tax.

[henry]

Dave, more on your deceased neighbor.

[Dave (in MA)]

Daddy, maybe Donna Brazile has a good answer as to why health care premiums went up.

[Captain Hate]

Framed by Belichick

Having witnessed, before he was a sooper jeanyus, Mumbles replacing Bernie Kosar with Vinny Interceptaverde (actually it was the hapless Todd Philcox since Vinny was injured at the time) because of "diminished skills", I've been waiting for the fateful day of decision for Brady. In fairness to all, Kosar was a clubhouse lawyer who butted heads with The Hoody and his O coordinators.

[NKonChrome]

So the data is in, ObummerCare screwed the pooch for the 5M people pre-ObummerCare who had individual plans. Can't wait to see what ObummerCare will do the the what 170M people on employer/group plans. King v. Burwell can kill the damned thing. C'Mon Roberts/Kennedy do your duty.

[Old Lurker]

Anybody besides me nervous about how the MSM just assumes the SCOTUS ruling will go against Obamacare?

chickens. not hatched.

[Captain Hate]

OL, I'm more worried that after a court decision against it that the GOPe will produce stopgap measures that will keep it in place.

[henry]

Yup, a "quick fix" to keep subsidies flowing is just the kind of GOPe move we're used to.

[Beasts of England]

Is that premium increase before or after the $2,500 in annual savings that Piglosi promised us? I have a confused.

[lyle]

I don't know, OL. With all the brain dead dims concern trolling how bad it will be for the Rs if Halberg wins, I'd say they're pretty worried. Of course, the GOPe will do everything possible to take the blame.

[narciso]

it's like ground hog day, with Brazile, so this AbuSamra chap, who apparently went Norwegian Blue, in an interesting character,

[narciso]

yes, they flagellate themselves more than Paul Bettany in the Da Vinci code,

[Captain Hate]

Tammy Bruce complains that with all the hoopla over Jenner through hormones, makeup and cosmetic surgery, and the massive MFM acceptance of this crap, the concept of what it is to be a woman is being diminished.

[narciso]

I've noticed the world is nearly as absurd as that Coen bros take on espionage, and life in Washington generally, burn before reading, Malkovich isn't exactly the villain as a former retired analyst,
just most of the people he deals with, are not the sharpest knives in the drawer,

[Lena Dunham]

the concept of what it is to be a woman is being diminished

Ahem.

[narciso]

the director of the future OSS, has some good points:

http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2015/06/02/americans-dont-want-to-occupy-the-middle-east-they-just-want-to-kill-isis/

[NKonChrome]

Stop the presses...wait.... not appealing an idiot Fed Judges anti-cop ruling and basically making Al Sharpton his consigliere led to more shootings in Mayor Bane's NYC, DO TELL! So what to do?Why bring back the hateful Ray Kelly's "stop' 'frisk''question' policy, but in a more 'focused' way of course.

http://7online.com/news/nypd-refining-stop-and-frisk-after-increase-in-murders-/761049/

[Old Lurker]

I agree that GOPe will squander a SCOTUS victory if there is one.

But it seems to me that SCOTUS upholding Obama's treatment will be the last nail in the coffin of the Rule of Law and the primacy of the Individual envisioned by the Constitution vs the Rule by the Executive and his drones. FDR's ghost will be saying "about damn time..."

[Captain Hate]

Tammy Bruce is convinced that Miss Lindsey is running for Queen of South Carolina with the goal of making sure a GOPe candidate wins the SC primary after Noot's upset of R-Money in 2012.

[Captain Hate]

OL, it's not like our black robed tyrants haven't given the citizens ample reason to string them up previously. Kelo anybody?

[Old Lurker]

yep

[narciso]

does anybody take the marbles out of his hand,

http://therightscoop.com/obama-i-am-the-closest-thing-to-a-jew-that-has-ever-sat-in-the-oval-office/

[James D.]

I'm more worried that after a court decision against it that the GOPe will produce stopgap measures that will keep it in place.

I woudn't say that I'm worried about that prospect, because "worried" implies that it's possible it won't happen. I think we all know that it's a guarantee the GOPe will do it.

[Miss Marple]

I do not want to know anything more about Jenner, who can disappear into the anonymity of the streets of San Francisco and leave me the hell alone.

I go with Neil Cavuto:

"Last days of Rome."