History Main / CunningPeoplePlayPoker

'''James:''' You've heard of the term? Then you'll know that in poker you never play your hand, you play the man across from you.\\

-->''Film/CasinoRoyale2006''

->'''Vesper Lynd:''' So, you're telling me it's a matter of probability and odds? I was worried there wasn't chance involved.//
'''James Bond:''' Well, only if you assume the player with the best hand wins.//
'''Vesper:''' So there will be what you call bluffing?//
'''James:''' You've heard of the term? Then you'll know that in poker you never play your hand, you play the man across from you.//

* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'': One season one episodes show the commanding crew of the USS ''Cerritos'' playing poker much like their ''Enterprise'' counterparts. Noticeably, however, each player opted to fold each hand, showing an averseness to risk-taking. When Mariner, who's been forced into it, tries going all in, she's shouted down.

* ''Series/{{Castle}}'': Castle and Beckett have both been shown playing poker, and both are very good at solving crimes in their own right. In addition, Castle's most frequent poker partners are fellow [[AsHimself real-life writers]], who often are able to listen to Castle parse the clues of a case and then give him some insight into the solution.

* ''VideoGame/Bioshock2'': An audio diary tells the story of [[BigBad Sofia Lamb]] playing poker games as a demonstration of her collectivist ideals. On occasion, rather than seeking to win every match like a typical player, she identifies which player would benefit the most from winning, and goes out of her way to make sure that player wins everyone else's chips, including her own, showing she has the means of manipulating other people to the next level.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': In "Almost Got 'im", Batman's rogues, many of whom are well known for creating elaborate death traps, are playing a "friendly" game of poker while talking about how they almost got Batman. [[spoiler:Turns out Batman had an ace up his sleeve, as he was impersonating Killer Croc.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheChristmasTree'': Mrs. Mavilda is an evil orphanage owner who always blows the mayor's donation money on poker games. Despite never winning, the fact that she's even using it to gamble at all reflects how crafty and manipulative she is, tricking the mayor into thinking the kids are taken care of and going to great lengths to try and get rid of the kind-hearted Judy.

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheSorcerersStone'': [[GentleGiant Hagrid]] won a poker game against Professor Quarrel. The prize is a Norwegian Ridgeback egg. [[spoiler:Professor Quarrel gave Hagrid the egg just to get him in trouble since breeding dragons is illegal. Also he was possessed by [[BigBad Lord Voldemort]], a dark wizard who is cunning in every way.]]

** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': It was not uncommon to see several of the characters engage in poker matches over the course of the series. Interesting opponents, too, as Data could, if he so desired, shuffle the cards in any order he wanted, and he had a Poker Face by default. Geordi's VISOR would allow him to actually see what anyone was holding (though he claimed he never peeked until after a hand). Counselor Troi could tell via her empathic abilities if someone was bluffing. And Worf, as TheStoic, was very skilled at a Poker Face. And despite it all, the consummate player was usually Will Riker. Riker's cunning was frequently put on display, such as when he was given command of the USS ''Hathaway'' during a war game and was able to surprise the ''Enterprise'' crew with a clever sensor trick, and trick a group of Ferengi by making a split-second warp jump. One episode was Wesley joining the game, and getting pasted, much to Geordi's amusement.

Poker is a game, played by blue collar and white collar alike, for developing skills for strategy, such as calculating odds, reading an opponent's BodyLanguage, concealing one's own, or learning to bluff skillfully. It also requires a savvy player to learn the necessary skills to detect when someone is cheating. Unlike chess, where you can't win if you don't have the pieces, poker allows a victory even if you have nothing, so long as you can convince your opponent that you do.

See also PastimesProvePersonality. Compare NoPokerFace for those who are less good at poker. Compare, and may overlap with, ProfessionalGambler. May involve HustlingTheMark. Compare with BadGuysPlayPool. Also compare GamesOfTheElderly for another stereotype about games.

** Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries: Invoked in "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E10TheCorbomiteManeuver The Corbomite Maneuver]]" when faced with Balok's [[EldritchStarship incomprehensible mothership]] threatening to destroy the ''Enterprise'', Spock contextualises their situation [[SmartPeoplePlayChess as a game of chess]] and concludes Balok has declared checkmate. Captain Kirk changes the game to poker, and then bluffs that ''Enterprise'' has a defense feature that will ensure that if it's destroyed, Balok's ship will also get blown up.

-->'''Geordi:''' You may get straight "A"s in school, but there's a ''lot'' you need to learn about poker.

* ''Film/SoloAStarWarsStory'' establishes the course of Han and Lando's relationship through the rest of the franchise over a game of Sabacc (think space poker). This demonstrates Lando's cunning and shows off Han's wit as well.

** Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries: Invoked in "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E10TheCorbomiteManeuver The Corbomite Maneuver]]" when faced with Balok's [[EldritchStarship incomprehensible mothership]] threatening to destroy the Enterprise, Spock contextualises their situation [[SmartPeoplePlayChess as a game of chess]] and concludes Balok has declared checkmate. Captain Kirk changes the game to poker, and then bluffs that ''Enterprise'' has a defense feature that will ensure that if it's destroyed, Balok's ship will also get blown up.
** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': It was not uncommon to see several of the characters engage in poker matches over the course of the series. Interesting opponents, too, as Data could, if he so desired, shuffle the cards in any order he wanted, and he had a Poker Face by default. Geordi's VISOR would allow him to actually see what anyone was holding (though he claimed he never peeked until after a hand). Counselor Troi could tell via her empathic abilities if someone was bluffing. And Worf, as TheStoic, was very skilled at a Poker Face. And despite it all, the consummate player was usually Will Riker. Riker's cunning was frequently put on display, such as when he was given command of the USS Hathaway during a war game and was able to surprise the Enterprise crew with a clever sensor trick, and trick a group of Ferengi by making a split-second warp jump.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'': One season one episodes show the commanding crew of the USS Cerritos playing poker much like their Enterprise counterparts. Noticeably, however, each player opted to fold each hand, showing an averseness to risk-taking.

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/{{Maverick}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/poker_according_to_maverick_guide_3.png]]]]

Compare with SmartPeoplePlayChess. It is reasonable to suggest that people that play chess tend towards BookSmart while people who play poker tend towards StreetSmart. That being said, it isn't outside the realm of possibility to find a skilled [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]] who is skilled in both games.

* Every incarnation of ''Franchise/JamesBond'', who could be the TropeCodifier, has him at one point playing poker against either the BigBad and/or their NumberTwo. His cunning nature and other skills always guarantees that he wins.
** The plot of ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006'' concerns the newly minted Double-O agent James Bond as he faces off against the devious terrorist financier Le Chiffre in a high stakes poker game. Le Chiffre proves to be a formidable match for Bond as he not only manages to get him knocked out of the tournament briefly, but also manages to have him and love interest Vesper nearly killed several times away from the table.
* ''Film/{{Maverick}}'': Brett Maverick is a very successful poker player. He's also very skilled at getting himself out of dangerous situations. For example, he arranged to have a group pretend to be there to accost him in order to make it appear that he had decent fighting skills, thus getting a more ruthless gambler who was accusing him of cheating to back down. The whole film is him either playing poker very well, or scheming to get past his opponents with some skill.
* ''Film/OceansEleven'': Danny and Rusty display their conning skills, and their ability to work together, when they trick a group of novice gamblers out of their cash over a game of poker.

* ''Series/{{Castle}}'': Castle and Beckett have both been shown playing poker, and both are very good at solving crimes in their own right. In addition, Castle's most frequent poker partners are fellow [[AsHimself real life writers]], who often are able to listen to Castle parse the clues of a case and then give him some insight into the solution.

* ''Series/{{Leverage}}'': Nate has already been established as TheChessmaster. But when a group of Irish Mob thugs try to strongarm the woman who owns [=McRory's=], Nate challenges the leader to a poker match [[spoiler:with three members of law enforcement who knew Nate's criminal father, and gets the Irish mobster to confess to several crimes in front of the cops.]]

** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': It was not uncommon to see several of the characters engage in poker matches over the course of the series. Interesting opponents, too, as Data could, if he so desired, shuffle the cards in any order he wanted, and he had a Poker Face by default. Geordi's VISOR would allow him to actually see what anyone was holding (though he claimed he never peeked until after a hand). Counselor Troi could tell via her empathic abilities if someone was bluffing. And Worf, as TheStoic, was very skilled at a Poker Face. And despite it all, the consumate player was usually Will Riker. Riker's cunning was frequently put on display, such as when he was given command of the USS Hathaway during a war game, and was able to surprise the Enterprise crew with a clever sensor trick, and trick a group of Ferengi by making a split second warp jump.

--> '''Sofia Lamb:''' I win nothing but the feeling of conquest over myself, and the wealth of my competitors is slowly reshuffled according to their needs.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheChristmasTree'': Mrs. Mavilda is an evil orphanage owner who always blows the mayor's donation money on poker games. Despite never winning, the fact that she's even using it to gamble at all reflects on how crafty and manipulative she is, tricking the mayor into thinking the kids are taken care of and going to great lengths to try and get rid of the kind hearted Judy.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'': One season one episodes show the commanding crew of the USS Cerritos playing poker much like their Enterprise counterparts. Noticeably, however, each player opted to fold each hand, showing an averseness to risk taking.
* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': One episode opens with Zeb losing the team droid, Chopper, to none other than Lando Calrissian in a game of Sabacc. This establishes his characterization in the episode as a cunning shyster and manipulator as he joins the crew of the Ghost on an inpromptu mission in exchange for Chopper.

* ''[[Film/OceansEleven Ocean?s Eleven]]'': Danny and Rusty display their conning skills, and their ability to work together, when they trick a group of novice gamblers out of their cash over a game of poker.

* ''VideoGame/Bioshock2'': An audio diary tells the story of [[BigBad Sofia Lamb]] playing poker games as a demonstration of her collectivist ideals. Rather than seeking to win every match like a typical player, she identifies which player is the poorest, and goes out of her way to make sure that player wins everyone else's chips, including her own, showing she has the means of manipulating other people to the next level.