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.

Watch the clip below in which Kasparov discusses his issues with Obama's strategy on Syria: