"When Harry S. Truman was sworn in to office, his poker buddies from the previous war were afraid he might stop playing now that he had been "promoted." They need not have worried. The new chief executive even requisitioned a set of chips embossed with the presidential seal for use in the White House, though he tried to avoid being photographed gambling on its premises. The prudes of America would put up with only so much. Truman had learned to play cards from his aunt Ida and uncle Harry on their Missouri farm back in the 1890s. In a letter to Bess Wallace, the woman he was courting, in February 1911, the sincere 26-year-old suitor wrote, "I like to play cards and dance . . . and go to shows and do all the things [religious people] say I shouldn't, but I don't feel badly about it."" - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

"hroughout his 88 years, Truman used poker as both a personal and political means of expression. His motto, "The buck stops here," refers to the dealer's button or placeholder, because during the 19th century hunting knives with buckhorn handles often served that function. It was the president's folksy way of letting Americans know he was responsible for what happened on his watch. That the game keeps friendly competitors elbow to elbow all evening is one of the reasons it has endured for so long. It was a chance to drop the formality of office and kibitz with friends. One of the most famous examples occurred on March 4, 1946, when Winston Churchill joined Truman's game aboard FDR's old armored railroad car, the Ferdinand Magellan, for a trip to Fulton, Mo., where Churchill was to deliver his era-defining "Iron Curtain" speech. Churchill had downed five scotches before the action began, and now he pretended that he hadn't the foggiest idea how to play. That night Churchill lost steadily—so much, in fact, that when the great Brit left the table for a moment, Truman told his companions to let up a bit. "But, Boss, this guy's a pigeon," said General Vaughan. "If you want us to play our best poker for the nation's honor, we'll have this guy's pants before the evening is over." Churchill was down $250 when he quit at 2:30 a.m. He needed to get some sleep before giving his speech. The Cold War was just weeks away. The ability to read who was bluffing and who wasn't would be more important than ever." - RAPatton