GARRY KASPAROV: Vladimir Putin Had A Weak Poker Hand, But Obama Fell For His Bluff

Russian political activist (and grand chessmaster) Garry Kasparov has been a fierce critic of the way President Barack Obama approached the conflict in Syria and of how Obama propped up both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in negotiations surrounding Syria's chemical weapons stockpile.

As a former chess world champion, Kasparov has often been asked about the chess game between Obama and Putin. But he thinks a different game is more analogous in this situation: Poker.

"Putin, with a poker face, played with a very weak hand," Kasparov said in a recent interview with Business Insider.

"Say, a pair of 10s. But he acted as if he had a royal flush. And Obama had a Full House — but he chickened out. And that's a problem, because the moment you show your weakness, it leads to dramatic consequences if you're dealing with dictators.

Produced by Kamelia Angelova & Alana Kakoyiannis

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/garry-kasparov-obama-syria-russia-2013-9#ixzz2ftJf2v5k