Hold ‘Em or Holdup?

One of the many crazes in America just happens to be “Texas Hold ‘Em.” It’s a fairly simple poker game, which is probably why it’s so popular. Another similar kind of game but a bit more complicated named “Omaha” never quite caught on. But in Texas everything is bigger and that includes poker in its own namesake.



The rules of the game, for those who’ve managed to miss the many reruns of the “World Series of Poker” as well as the many Internet web sites that offer the game to play “live” with other people, begin with every player getting two cards. These cards are the only ones unique to each player. The rest are communal.



The betting requires two players, dubbed the big and little blinds, to ante into the pot before any cards are dealt. The other players can look at their cards for “free” and then decide whether to ante or raise the bet. After each player decides whether to be in or out on the only forced bet with a minimum in the game, then, three cards are dealt face up in what is known as the “flop.” Another round of betting ensues.



Two more cards are dealt face up, each one at a time in what are called the “turn” and the “river,” each with a round of betting. The winner gets the entire pot unless he’s playing at a casino, which can take as much as 15%. That may seem rather steep, and it is, but there seems to be another game emanating from the nation’s capital, which is far costlier than most could have imagined.



It could be called “Health Care Holdup.” In fact, for seniors it may very well be. But, Obama is arguing that government should enter the health insurance industry otherwise known as a public option to help promote “competition.” Something government was never needed for before. But let’s imagine for a moment what affect this would have on the health insurance industry by using “Texas Hold ‘Em” as a metaphoric example.



First, another “player” would be introduced into the game. In keeping with the sign of the times, he would be called the “Card Czar.” Like all government entities, he would have no money of his own, and he would not have the same risk as the other players. In fact, he’d have no risk at all. While other players could lose the money that they bet, the card czar would bet from an unlimited supply garnered from borrowing and printing when he wasn’t taking by taxing from the other players.



As such, he’d never have a reason to fold. This could be best represented in “Obama’s Hold ‘Em” with what is referred to as a “dead man’s hand.” It’s a hand that is dealt to no one, never bets or calls a bet but must be bested in order for any regular player to win. This also best reflects an administration that seems to select people who don’t pay their taxes.



Eventually, the card czar will have all the money as each player eventually loses or in real life quits the game. What kind of poker player would willingly play Hold ‘Em with these rules? Nobody, but if the game were already established, they wouldn’t have any choice.



This is the game the health insurance industry would be playing if ObamaCare gets enacted. With the public option, it’s a player in the game, which doesn’t have to play by the rules it sets for the other competitors. In fact, it can change the rules at any time, always skewing them more in its favor.



Because even though Obama says he doesn’t want a single payer system, he does. Recently, he said cryptically, “First of all, no one is talking about a government takeover health care plan … I tried to say this over and over again - if you are happy with your health care, if you are happy with your doctor, we are not going to force you to change.”



However, Obama said in 2003 that he was for a single-payer system, meaning as a government-controlled healthcare entity. In 2007, he said he believed that employer coverage could be eliminated over the course of several years in an effort to get to a single payer government program.



Then, Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) actually revealed the Democrats’ dastardly desire when asked about the public option recently. Frank stated plainly that the so-called public option in the House health reform bill was just step one in a strategy to create a single-payer, government monopoly health system.



So, “Obama’s Hold ‘Em” isn’t really a new game after all. Apparently, there’s already another poker game that’s actually been around for quite a while, and it’s “Liar’s Poker.”