The Politics of Poker

April 5, 2008

Now playing at Reason.tv: "The Politics of Poker" - recorded in our Washington headquarters on April 1, 2008 -  featuring two of the best players in the game, Andy Bloch and Chris ("Jesus") Ferguson.  Hosted by Radley Balko.

 

 

And check out these pics from the event (photos courtesy Noel St. John):

 

More photos here.

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See all 18 comments | Leave a comment

|4.5.08 @ 11:39AM|#

Try as I might, I cannot square Balko's writings with the way he looks. He should be beating people up at bars or breaking people's thumbs for some mafia boss, not freeing the unjustly convicted.

The Wine Commonsewer|4.5.08 @ 12:24PM|#

That's the beauty of the internet, you get these images of how you think people look and then, bam, you meet them, and 9 times out of 10 they look nothing like you pictured them.

Years ago I used to love reading Jesse Walker's stuff at Liberty Mag, imagine my surprise to see him join on at Reason and to see his picture! Not that he didn't look like I pictured him, just that he must have been like 12 years old when he was writing at Liberty. I had him pegged for at least 20 years older than he really is.

The Wine Commonsewer|4.5.08 @ 12:25PM|#

For that matter, Andy Bloch looks like an insurance sales rep.

x,y|4.5.08 @ 12:29PM|#

So who won the reason poker tournament?

|4.5.08 @ 1:08PM|#

Seperated at birth? :)

BakedPenguin|4.5.08 @ 1:09PM|#

[Balko] should be beating people up at bars or breaking people's thumbs for some mafia boss...

Well, maybe he moonlights.

Reason.tv's video player sucks on my machine, so I rarely watch their vids. Do they explain about the carrot? And would I want to know?

robc|4.5.08 @ 4:22PM|#

Penguin,

Ferguson can throw a playing card thru carrots (and other objects). I would link you to some youtube clips but Im lazy.

BakedPenguin|4.5.08 @ 4:30PM|#

robc - thx. Sounds like a neat trick.

emerson|4.5.08 @ 4:49PM|#

Yes, reason. Your video player sucks on my computer too. Could we turn these into Youtube vids from now on?

The Wine Commonsewer|4.5.08 @ 6:08PM|#

Could we turn these into Youtube vids from now on?

Or maybe into both?

Hot Tip:

Start the video, turn off the volume, let it play all the way through. Go back and click the play button and the video will play flawlessly on your computer.

Learned that in the bad old days of dial up. Not that my "high speed" internet service is worth a crap, but it is better'n dialup. Sort of. Not as reliable.

Guy Montag|4.6.08 @ 8:26AM|#

BP,

Sometimes a carrot is just a carrot.

Guy Montag|4.6.08 @ 8:36AM|#

Nice to see someone besides me wearing a cowboy ha and cufflinks to a Reason event :)

Did that guy from Myth Busters (seated on the left on a few pictures) blow up the carrot? Maybe those draconian DC laws do not allow for this.

Guy Montag|4.6.08 @ 9:04AM|#

BTW< former NRA president, Charlton Heston has died. He did some acting too.

libertarian|4.6.08 @ 9:22PM|#

I didn't know Hasidim were into poker.

Bill H. Christ|4.7.08 @ 1:34AM|#

You beat me to it, libertarian. Haseed'em, youseed'em?

LarryA|4.7.08 @ 9:37AM|#

Now playing at Reason.tv: "The Politics of Poker" - recorded in our Washington headquarters on April 1, 2008 - featuring two of the best players in the game, Andy Bloch and Chris ("Jesus") Ferguson.

Isn't it interesting when card sharks are more credible than Congress?

BTW: former NRA president, Charlton Heston has died. He did some acting too.

Dang. He was a class act. [Taps]

O.A.R. (Of A Revolution)|4.7.08 @ 2:39PM|#

That Was a Crazy Game of Poker

NoStar|4.8.08 @ 12:48PM|#

Jesus looks more like Waylon Jennings than my savior.

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Comments

|4.5.08 @ 11:39AM|#

Try as I might, I cannot square Balko's writings with the way he looks. He should be beating people up at bars or breaking people's thumbs for some mafia boss, not freeing the unjustly convicted.

The Wine Commonsewer|4.5.08 @ 12:24PM|#

That's the beauty of the internet, you get these images of how you think people look and then, bam, you meet them, and 9 times out of 10 they look nothing like you pictured them.

Years ago I used to love reading Jesse Walker's stuff at Liberty Mag, imagine my surprise to see him join on at Reason and to see his picture! Not that he didn't look like I pictured him, just that he must have been like 12 years old when he was writing at Liberty. I had him pegged for at least 20 years older than he really is.

The Wine Commonsewer|4.5.08 @ 12:25PM|#

For that matter, Andy Bloch looks like an insurance sales rep.

x,y|4.5.08 @ 12:29PM|#

So who won the reason poker tournament?

|4.5.08 @ 1:08PM|#

Seperated at birth? :)

BakedPenguin|4.5.08 @ 1:09PM|#

[Balko] should be beating people up at bars or breaking people's thumbs for some mafia boss...

Well, maybe he moonlights.

Reason.tv's video player sucks on my machine, so I rarely watch their vids. Do they explain about the carrot? And would I want to know?

robc|4.5.08 @ 4:22PM|#

Penguin,

Ferguson can throw a playing card thru carrots (and other objects). I would link you to some youtube clips but Im lazy.

BakedPenguin|4.5.08 @ 4:30PM|#

robc - thx. Sounds like a neat trick.

emerson|4.5.08 @ 4:49PM|#

Yes, reason. Your video player sucks on my computer too. Could we turn these into Youtube vids from now on?

The Wine Commonsewer|4.5.08 @ 6:08PM|#

Could we turn these into Youtube vids from now on?

Or maybe into both?

Hot Tip:

Start the video, turn off the volume, let it play all the way through. Go back and click the play button and the video will play flawlessly on your computer.

Learned that in the bad old days of dial up. Not that my "high speed" internet service is worth a crap, but it is better'n dialup. Sort of. Not as reliable.

Guy Montag|4.6.08 @ 8:26AM|#

BP,

Sometimes a carrot is just a carrot.

Guy Montag|4.6.08 @ 8:36AM|#

Nice to see someone besides me wearing a cowboy ha and cufflinks to a Reason event :)

Did that guy from Myth Busters (seated on the left on a few pictures) blow up the carrot? Maybe those draconian DC laws do not allow for this.

Guy Montag|4.6.08 @ 9:04AM|#

BTW< former NRA president, Charlton Heston has died. He did some acting too.

libertarian|4.6.08 @ 9:22PM|#

I didn't know Hasidim were into poker.

Bill H. Christ|4.7.08 @ 1:34AM|#

You beat me to it, libertarian. Haseed'em, youseed'em?

LarryA|4.7.08 @ 9:37AM|#

Now playing at Reason.tv: "The Politics of Poker" - recorded in our Washington headquarters on April 1, 2008 - featuring two of the best players in the game, Andy Bloch and Chris ("Jesus") Ferguson.

Isn't it interesting when card sharks are more credible than Congress?

BTW: former NRA president, Charlton Heston has died. He did some acting too.

Dang. He was a class act. [Taps]

O.A.R. (Of A Revolution)|4.7.08 @ 2:39PM|#

That Was a Crazy Game of Poker

NoStar|4.8.08 @ 12:48PM|#

Jesus looks more like Waylon Jennings than my savior.