Obama's a TAG

[Municipal Hare]

Holding his cards close
Barack Obama is the perfect political poker player: patient, humble and willing to take a risk
Sheldon Alberts, CanWest News Service
Saturday, February 10, 2007

Long before he became a political rock star with designs on the White House, Barack Obama was known to friends in the Illinois legislature as a fearsome card player.

During weekly games of Texas Hold 'Em, he played a tight style of poker -- patiently waiting for the right cards, folding when dealt a bad hand and taking few unnecessary risks.

"He knew the chances of winning and he knew he was going to walk out of there even or ahead almost every time," says Terry Link, an Illinois state senator and former poker partner who had his wallet emptied by Mr. Obama on many occasions.

Ottawa Citizen article