Poker in The White House

(Photo: Time.com)

Black Friday was a huge blow to the global poker community. The fact that players from the USA - the country responsible for the immense popularity of poker - were no longer allowed to participate in the online games with enthusiasts from other nations was a real travesty.

In the United States, poker is not only a popular pastime, it's also a vital part of the history and culture, from the 18th century Wild West to modern times. The decision to ban online poker in the USA becomes even more perplexing when we realize how many past leaders of this great country were known to indulge in the occasional game of hold'em, draw or stud.

(Photo: Wikimedia.org)

Poker in the White House

A skill set necessary to become a successful politician is not unlike the one necessary to thrive as a poker shark. This is especially true for live poker games, where reading players, is sometimes more important to one's overall success than reading cards.

Interaction at the poker table can often resemble tough negotiations where parties tend to keep their cards close to the chest and try to one-up each other with a well-placed bluff. Because of that, it's not exactly surprising that many elected officials - even those at the highest levels of political power - like to hone their political skills at the poker table.

The history of American presidents known for playing poker starts with the very first one. George Washington famously kept very close records of his wins and losses at card tables in the aptly named "Cards and Other Play" ledger.

Abraham Lincoln was known for playing in penny stakes games long before his own face was added to one-cent coin, and given how he referred to poker when addressing a question of diplomacy during the Civil War it's clear that the knowledge Lincoln gained at the tables shaped his actions as the President of United States.

(Photo: CNN.com)

Theodore Roosevelt was doing his best - and more literal - impression of Frank Underwood from "House of Cards" a whole century before the show even existed. Roosevelt used cards to advance in the social circles while moving up the political ranks and eventually becoming the vice president and later the twenty-sixth president of United States. Teddy Roosevelt is known for a series of domestic policies - often referred to as "Square Deal" - that were aimed at protecting consumers from shady practices of large companies. Roosevelt used a poignant poker analogy when describing the reasoning behind the "Square Deal" in one of his speeches:

"When I say I believe in a square deal I do not mean (it's) possible to give every man the best hand. All I mean is that there shall not be any crookedness in the dealing."

Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt weren't the only poker playing presidents - far from it - the list also includes many other notable - and sometimes infamous - figures like William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon and... Barack Obama.

(Photo: NYT.com)

"Thanks, Obama!"

Barack Obama is probably the most contentious name on the list of poker playing presidents. He didn't shy away from listing poker as one of his hobbies prior to his election in 2008 and he certainly brought poker some much-needed popularity because of that. Obama played in a weekly game with his fellow state senators where he - like so many other politicians before him - had the chance to improve his political skills in a relatively low-stakes environment.

Obama was reportedly a very tight and calculated player. His stern demeanor is certainly something that Barack Obama trained at the poker table. Unfortunately, Black Friday happened on Obama's watch and because of that, dedicated poker fans will have a hard time remembering him in a positive light. Hopefully, the current president or one of his successors will manage right this particular wrong, and add another positive chapter to the history of american poker.