Watch Bernie Sanders Lose a Nevada Delegate to Pete Buttigieg Because of a Card Game (He Pulled a 2)

The Democratic 2020 caucus in Nevada continues apace, and amidst doubts about whether caucusing is the best way to hold a primary, it remains fascinating to see the many quirks of the process.

As it were, one of those little things occurred in a Reno precinct, and it caused Sen. Bernie Sanders to lose a delegate to former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

When there is a tie between two candidates in a Nevada caucus precinct, the delegate’s allotment is literally settled in a game of cards. NBC reported a breakdown of the process, and they explained how ties are decided by having the candidates or their campaign reps draw cards. It’s simple: whoever has the highest card wins.

Rules dictate that candidates draw playing cards to break the tie. High card wins, aces high, with a tie defaulting to the suit in the following order (spades, hearts, diamonds and then clubs). The outcome depends on the tie that needs breaking, but either the candidate with the high card will have the result rounded up or the candidate with the lowest card will have the result rounded down.

MSNBC’s Gadi Schawartz got to see this in action when stand-ins for Sanders and Buttigieg drew cards in Reno after deciding that aces would be low. Sanders’ rep pulled a 2, and Buttigieg’s rep eked out a win by drawing a 3.

Watch above, via MSNBC.

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