[Sundowner] All-in

[Sundowner]

First, only a few hundred dollar were at stake. Now it's a whole career.

[peter365]

Can I eliminate what's probably a red herring and ask if Texas Holdem is relevant? or gambling of any description?

[Sundowner]

peter365
Can I eliminate what's probably a red herring and ask if Texas Holdem is relevant? Poker is not relevant. But it's not a red herring, it's a cryptic clue.
or gambling of any description? No.

[Tiger]

Do the career and the few hundred dollars belong to the same person?
Are there any other relevant people?

[Sundowner]

Tiger
Do the career and the few hundred dollars belong to the same person? Yes.
Are there any other relevant people? Hard to answer. Directly, only one person is involved. Indirectly, there was one more person, and a few more people prior to that. Afterwards, quite a lot of people (maybe thousands) are indirectly involved. Don't know whether this helps, but this is the best description.

[markobr]

Is something going on which can be described as a bluff?

Is the person (we can call him/her Kim? I'll do that now...) whose career is in stake A? M? Does Kim risk his/her current position? Or rather his/her advancement to a better position? Elections relevant?

Did the stakes rise immediately from "a few hundred dollar" to "a whole carreer"? Or were there some intermediate levels of what is at stake? If so, 1 additional level? 2? 3? 4? more?

Does Kim intentionally risk his/her carrer?

[Sundowner]

markobr
Is something going on which can be described as a bluff? No.

Is the person (we can call him/her Kim? I'll do that now... Fine, and that's not even far from reality ..) whose career is in stake A? Yes. M? Yes. Does Kim risk his/her current position? Yes. Or rather his/her advancement to a better position? And possibly this. Elections relevant? Yes, but the carreer is in danger already now.

Did the stakes rise immediately from "a few hundred dollar" to "a whole carreer"? No-ish. Or were there some intermediate levels of what is at stake? But no. If so, 1 additional level? 2? 3? 4? more? No. First, a few hundred dollar were at stake. Then something happened, and for a different reason now his whole carreer is on stake.

Does Kim intentionally risk his/her carrer? No, this is very unlikely.

[markobr]

Is Kim an elected politician? Not elected but his career depends on elected politicians? Does Kim risk being dismissed because someone expects to have a better chance of reelection if he/she dismisses him?

"Kim" isn't far from reality. South Korea relevant? North Korea? Another country in East Asia? Someone of Asian origin? Asian descent? Or someone from an english-speaking country (by the name of Kimberly? Kimball?)

[Tiger]

Does Kim try to back someone up and when that goes wrong, he is blamed and hiis career is at stake?

[Sundowner]

markobr
Is Kim an elected politician? Yes. Not elected but his career depends on elected politicians? Does Kim risk being dismissed because someone expects to have a better chance of reelection if he/she dismisses him? This might happen, but Kim's political career might even come to an end before the next elections.

"Kim" isn't far from reality. South Korea relevant? North Korea? Another country in East Asia? Someone of Asian origin? Asian descent? No to all. Or someone from an english-speaking country (by the name of Kimberly? Kimball?) Neither. It's just a coincidence that the real person's first name is somewhat close to "Kim". Not really worth exploring this further. You will see in the end.

Tiger
Does Kim try to back someone up and when that goes wrong, he is blamed and his career is at stake? No.

[Tiger]

Is Kim's career at stake because:
-he may be exposed for doing something?
-he may be being framed or accused of something?

Is it relevant how the money was obtained?

[Sundowner]

Tiger

Is Kim's career at stake because:
-he may be exposed for doing something? Yes.
-he may be being framed or accused of something? And this.

Is it relevant how the money was obtained? He did not obtain it, rather, he avoided having to pay it.

[Mimino]

Did he do something embarrassing or ridiculous in order to avoid paying?
Did other people see that? was he videotaped?

[Sundowner]

Mimino
Did he do something embarrassing or ridiculous in order to avoid paying? Opinions on that vary. However, you may say that he did what he was supposed to do.
Did other people see that? Yes. was he videotaped? And yes.

[Doriana]

Possible §poyler sent

[Sundowner]

Doriana
Possible §poyler sent. Yes, exactly.

[Sundowner]

An attempt to revive this ..

[RECAP]
A German politician was in a situation where he either would have to do something that might be considered embarrassing, or to pay some hundred dollars. He decided to do what he was supposed to do, and so, avoided paying.
As an indirect consequence, now his political career is in danger.
The whole thing was videotaped, which is somewhat relevant.

[Tiger]

Is he being blackmailed?

Is there some situation where he can pay to make something go away?
(i.e. an incriminating photograph, a political blunder)

[Sundowner]

Tiger
Is he being blackmailed? No.

Is there some situation where he can pay to make something go away? Not strictly go away .. rather, he could chose either to do something or to pay.
(i.e. an incriminating photograph, a political blunder)

HINT: What he was supposed to do and finally did had nothing to do with politics. A lot of people were in a similar situation this year, and most of them also chosed to do it. A few, however, preferred to pay.

[Tiger]

Is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge relevant?

[Sundowner]

Tiger
Is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge relevant? Correct. He was nominated for the Ice Bucket Challenge and decided to took the shower of icy water.

[Tiger]

Okay - I know this one now.
Is this the politician who included a potted marijuana plant in his Ice Bucket Challenge video as a statement?

[Sundowner]

SPOILER

First, only a few hundred dollar were at stake. Now it's a whole career.

German Member of Parliament Cem Özdemir was nominated for the Ice Bucket Challenge...
Our Cemmi did what he was supposed to do. Put up a camera on the roof terrace of his appartment, poured a bucket of water onto himself and uploaded the whole thing to the internet.

Unfortunately, he did not have a closer look on what he uploaded, so he did not see what thousands of others immediately noticed: In the background a pot with a hemp plant was clearly visible.

Growing hemp is illegal in Germany (unless you have a special permission), so Mr Özdemir is now facing police investigation and legal consequences which might in the end ruin his political career.

The headline of this puzzle refers, of course, to the pot that suddenly came into the picture. Or, rather, the pot with the pot.