Bet Appétit

Le Guide Rouge · Jim × Whit

Standing

The Tab

Stars banked, and what is still owed. Only a person closes a bet — the Inspector never does.

Jim

3

stars banked

Whit

0

stars banked

Jim leads by 3, with 15 still on the table.

House rules

The Ratings

Michelin's ratings are already a travel scale, so the size of the wager and the size of the trip are the same number.

Worth a stop

The house bet

Wherever we already are

Loser picks up dinner next time you are in the same city anyway. No flights, no scheduling — it settles when it settles.

Worth a detour

The domestic

Anywhere in America

Winner picks any starred table in the country and you both fly. Worth a weekend, not worth annual leave.

Worth a special journey

The passport

Anywhere on the map

Winner picks a table anywhere on earth and the loser books it. The tier that makes the map worth building.

7 live

The Guide

Every open bet, soonest to close first. Open one to read how it will be settled — and where a term was never agreed, the book says so rather than inventing certainty.

Next closes 3 January 20275 with terms still to agree7 checked against the news · counted 12 Sept 2026

The benchSettleable

Does Samuel Alito leave the Court in time for a replacement to be seated before the midterms?

Closes 3 Jan 2027in 113 daysHow it settlesSamuel Alito publicly announces his retirement or resignation from the Supreme Court on or before the closing date.Wherever we already are2 more notes
The benchSettleable

Does Clarence Thomas leave the Court in time for a replacement to be seated before the midterms?

Closes 3 Jan 2027in 113 daysHow it settlesClarence Thomas publicly announces his retirement or resignation from the Supreme Court on or before the closing date.Wherever we already are1 more note
The long betNot settleable as written

Does the world turn back toward authenticity, or further into devices and AI?

First closes 5 Aug 2027in 327 daysHow it settlesNo rule a stranger could check.Three checkpoints, one star to three3 more notes
Politics1 term to agree

Is Kamala Harris the 2028 Democratic nominee?

Closes 30 Jun 2028in 657 daysHow it settlesKamala Harris is the Democratic Party's presidential nominee for 2028, judged on the pledged-delegate majority at the end of the primary season.Wherever we already are — proposed1 more note
The citizenship pair1 term to agree

Does Elon Musk make a run at the presidency in 2028 or 2032?

Closes 2 Nov 2032in 2,243 daysHow it settlesElon Musk becomes a declared candidate for President in the 2028 or 2032 cycle — an FEC filing, or ballot access in a primary or general election.Anywhere on the map — proposed2 more notes
The citizenship pairNot settleable as written

Does the natural-born-citizen requirement for the presidency get redefined or removed?

No closing dateHow it settlesNo rule a stranger could check.Anywhere on the map — proposed2 more notes
The lifetime betNot settleable as written

Does the United States turn authoritarian in Jim's lifetime?

No closing dateHow it settlesNo rule a stranger could check.A champagne toast on the deathbed, winner drinks first5 more notes

The Bill · settled

Bets are denominated in dinners. build w15-a-card-worth-pasting-3f70c2