The world of comic books gives the reader an experience that real life does not, usually drawing on moral stories in unreal settings to delight and thrill.
They depict the classic battle of good against evil, putting our favorite characters in tough moral positions, mortal danger and almost always seeing them emerge victoriously. They are colorful, entertaining and very much about escaping the real world for a short while.
The same can be said for a poker game. For a while, you can sit around a table and play a role. The stony-faced bluffer, the ‘all-in’ risk-taker or whatever else you choose to be. It is a time to escape from the real world and make your own story using cards and chips.
With comic books allowing illustrators and writers to put their characters in all manner of weird and wonderful situations, it is a surprise we do not see more of them around a poker table. There is the Floating Super-Hero Poker Game, of course, first held at the Avengers Mansion that includes the Thing and Wonder Woman amongst its players. One or two players showed their ability in that series, but which do we think might be best in real life, from Marvel and beyond?
Gambit
Gambit’s whole persona is built around playing cards, and he has taken part in one of the Floating Super-Hero Poker Games. He appeared in a game at the Four Freedoms Plaza against the Thing, Nick Fury, Wolverine and the Beast. The game did not reach a conclusion, Wolverine left to bail out Jubilee, and yet somehow we think Gambit would have won. If he had not, he could always have charged his hand as a weapon, right?
Joker
Joker is one of the best-loved villains, if there is such a thing, from the whole comic book world. He has been capturing the imagination of the public for decades now, teetering on the fine line between laughter and evil. He would surely be great around a poker table, if only for his unpredictable edge and manic cackle. You would have to be careful playing him face to face though, as he has been known to wound and maim, so you might need to play him on your mobile device. One aspect of playing online which Poker.org emphasize is safety, so a game against Joker would be best conducted online. The same probably goes for Two Face too, so best not to take any chances when the stakes are high!
Harvey ‘Two Face’ Dent
It goes without saying that Batman adversary Two Face would be a great poker player, but in a face-to-face game, which face would he use? In a world where little tells and expressions give the game away, how could his opponent ever know what to think? Literally, he has two faces, and he would only have to turn his head to one side to completely fool his opponent. So it is probably best to stick to playing online in safety, so you cannot be fooled by Mr Dent.
Tony Stark / Iron Man
We know Iron Man is another regular in the Thing’s games thanks to Firewireblog.com, but in the real world, we fancy Tony Stark would be a bit of a player, too. After all, when a man has more money than he can lose, he is going to play without a care, and that can be a huge advantage to a poker player. He might meet his match if he faced off against Bruce Wayne though, with eye-watering pots up for grabs.
Professor X
It is unlikely Professor X, Charles Xavier was ever allowed into the Thing’s poker school. Why? He can read your mind, remember. The minute you look at your cards, the wily old soul would know what to do. He would make a wonderful professional poker player though unless you chose to play online, and he could not see you. Maybe it is best to play your poker on a tablet or cell phone after all, even against the good guys!
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