This is a guest contribution by Martin Owens. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you.

Kingdom Come – to Paying Card Tournaments

“Here”, the king said, “things that just don’t happen, happen.” The particular king was Peter the Great, and the country he was talking about was Russia. But today the same thing might be said of another old Kingdom,  moving up fast in the Improbability Stakes. Wait for it: open, public card tournaments, for cash prizes no less, are coming to-of all places- Saudi Arabia.

This is surprising news from any standpoint. For anyone who has spent any time in the Kingdom, this is absolutely lightning out of a clear sky. When people think of Saudi Arabia, they think of oil, desert, and a hyper conservative branch of Sunni Islam called  Wahabism. And up until now, they were right.  Women were locked away under the control of their men.  Consumption of alcohol was a flogging offense. Thieves could and did have their hands cut off. Judicial beheadings were frequently carried out, and not just for murder either.  If you sell drugs in Saudi Arabia, make sure one of them is a cyanide capsule. For  yourself.