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Obama will trump Europe in G20, poker players warn

Britain's poker players think US President Barack Obama is set to be the clear winner against Europe's finest at the high stakes poker game that is the G20 summit. 

The research has been published today on thepokersurvey.com website by Probability plc, the mobile gambling specialist. Probability commissioned independent polling company 32Point to ask 2,500 British players who they felt was the world leader likely to be the best player. 

The question posed was:  International crises are often likened to high stakes poker. In your experience as a poker player, which of these world leaders do you think would actually play the best game? 

The new US President scored 32.4 per cent - well ahead of Gordon Brown who limped in with 11.9 per cent or French President Nicolas Sarkoy with 12.6 per cent. 

The summit is set to pit Obama - who is calling for massive spending increases to boost the world economy - against European leaders who want tighter state control of banks and other financial institutions. The British Prime Minister, as ever, is somewhere in the middle. 

But our survey found that Vladimir Putin, who will cast a baleful shadow over proceedings, would beat the lot of them with 38.7 per cent of players rating him as the best. The final option - Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - barely figured with 4.4 per cent. 

When asked what poker skills would be most useful in international power politics 27.9 per cent said being a superb bluffer, followed by knowing how to be a calculated risk taker (21.6 per cent), having a good poker face so you would be hard to read (21.3 per cent), willingness to be aggressive and ruthless (14.8), and being skilled at reading other players (14.4).  

To celebrate the Russian Prime Minister's victory Probability has added Putin and Obama lookalike avatars to its head to head mobile poker game to allow our players to compete as them.

Charles Cohen, chief executive of Probability, said of the survey: 'These summits often look like the last game of major poker tournament, and the participants need all their wits about them to secure the best result. This G20 is particularly important, but everyone knows that there can only be one winner. It looks like Obama might just clinch it. Gordon Brown should be worried - Britain's poker players seem to doubt that he could bluff his way across a zebra crossing right now.'

Notes to editors 

About thepokersurvey.com

The Great British Poker Survey was originally commissioned as part of the market research for the LadyLuck's Head2Head Mobile Poker game - the first mobile only poker game that enables users to compete head to head. However, the results were so intrigueing that we decided to put them on general release them to give them a wider audience. 

We added the questions about world leaders for fun.

The pokersurvey.com is edited by James Moore, who also contributes a blog and looks after Probability's communications when not playing poker.

The results can be found at www.thepokersurvey.com 

About Probability plc 

Probability's games are available on all major networks with 95 per cent of the UK population just one click away from our mobile site. 

Lady Luck's head-to-head will offer a minimum buy in of £1. Players receive 1500 chips and from then on it is traditional head-to- head no limit Texas hold 'em. 

Probability's games are operated by Probability Games (Alderney) Limited, a wholly owned group company that holds a full E-Gaming Certificate from the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. 

Probability plc is the leader in the fast-growing business of mobile phone cash gaming. Probability listed on Aim in 2006 and is the only purely mobile focussed gaming company on the London Stock Exchange.

For further information and opportunities to talk to Probability Chief Executive Charles Cohen contact: 

James Moore, editor of thepokersurvey.com, on 07980 241125