Line #122 Main/CaninesGamblingInACardGame


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4	[[quoteright:350:[[Creator/CartoonNetwork https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cn_dogs_bumper.png]]]]
5	[-[[caption-width-right:350:With these dogs playing, the game is bound to get a bit [[{{Pun}} ruff]].[[labelnote:Left to right]][[WesternAnimation/TheHuckleberryHoundShow Huckleberry Hound]], Franchise/ScoobyDoo, [[WesternAnimation/AdventureTime Jake]], [[WesternAnimation/CouragetheCowardlydog Courage]], [[WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest Dukey]], and [[WesternAnimation/TheLifeAndTimesOfJuniperLee Monroe.]][[/labelnote]]]]-]
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10
11	-> ''"Ah, you see, the poor dumb beasts have no thumbs, so I ask you... how are they holding their cards? ... It should be impossible, and yet somehow they go on... playing the game. In the end, Razputin, aren't we all just dogs playing {{TabletopGame/poker}}?"''
12	-->-- '''Edgar Teglee''', ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}''
13
14	This is a StockParody of ''Art/DogsPlayingPoker''.
15
16	To those not in the know, ''Dogs Playing Poker'' is not a painting, but rather the name of a collection of oil paintings by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge. ''Eighteen'' in fact, each set in a poker room or a courtroom or some other place with dogs in [[SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism varying levels of civility]] gathered together playing cards or betting on horse races. It's ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.
17
18	While not all of the paintings from the ''Dogs Playing Poker'' portfolio have the dogs actually playing poker, the idea has long since stuck in the public consciousness: dogs put into a set with cards and ash-trays and emptied glasses of scotch as if the dogs were people, and [[RuleOfFunny it's funny]]. Hell, they aren't always dogs. They could be cats, mice, lizards, [[TheGreys bug-eyed aliens]], and even [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom full-grown people in cartoonish dog-suits]].
19
20	SubTrope of ArtImitatesArt.
21
22	----
23	!!Examples:
24	[[foldercontrol]]
25
26	[[folder:Advertising]]
27	* Dogs Playing Poker TV ads were aired during ''Creator/{{ESPN}} Sunday Night Football'' during the 1998 and 1999 NFL seasons.
28	* A Creator/CartoonNetwork bumper from the network's 20th anniversary has [[WesternAnimation/TheHuckleberryHoundShow Huckleberry Hound]], WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo, [[WesternAnimation/AdventureTime Jake]], WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog, [[WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest Dukey]], and [[WesternAnimation/TheLifeAndTimesOfJuniperLee Monroe]] playing poker when [[WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball Gumball]] interrupts them and attempts to lampshade it. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eWUiJyqPvY&list=PLj6WWoGdYLVFxYdfND87oKTjY2Pvv5DDY See here.]]
29	[[/folder]]
30
31	[[folder:Art]]
32	* A ''Magazine/TheNewYorker'' cover from 2012 shows [[https://thenewyorkercovers.wordpress.com/2012/12/17/when-duty-palls/ Santa's reindeer playing cards]], while Santa anxiously points at a clock.
33	* Matthew Inman, the artist and writer of ''Webcomic/TheOatmeal'', drew a parody of the original ''Dogs Playing Poker'' painting that he titled ''[[https://theoatmeal.com/blog/cats_playing_hippos Cats Playing Hungry Hungry Hippos]]''.
34	[[/folder]]
35
36	[[folder:Comic Books]]
37	* In one scene in ''ComicBook/{{Mystic}}'', Giselle's cat is playing poker with a group of dogs. The dogs call him out for breaking a rule, and he is incredulous that there is no bluffing allowed in Dog Poker.
38	* The 42nd issue of the ''ComicBook/{{Futurama}}'' comic book shows some alien dogs at a poker table.
39	[[/folder]]
40
41	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
42	* Parodied in ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'', where a homeless artist lays in the street with unsold paintings depicting variations with other animals such as giraffes, insects, chickens and crocodiles. The caption states that he eventually rose to fame after a friend told him, "Gus...have you ever tried ''dogs'' playing poker"?
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
46	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Barnyard}}'', during the party in the barn house some dogs are seen playing poker while one animal is painting a picture of them in the exact same likeness of the original painting.
47	* ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction'' has Chester, Spike, Charlie, and other Franchise/LooneyTunes canines playing cards at a table inside Yosemite Sam's Wooden Nickel casino. Their game gets interrupted by TheHero falling from an exposed hallway onto the table, wrecking it. All the dogs bark at him, though most have spoken conversational English in their cartoons.
48	* ''WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish'': In the montage of how Puss [[CatsHaveNineLives lost eight of his nine lives]], Life #2 shows him beating some dogs at poker with a hand of ''[[FiveAcesCheater five aces]]''. They were not amused.
49	* ''Creator/{{Pixar}}'' films:
50	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}'': There's a scene where some of Charles Muntz's dogs are playing a game of poker, and the bulldog with a big pile of dog biscuits in front of him.
51	** In ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory4'': There is a painting of Muntz playing cards with the dogs in the antique shop and in certain posters.
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]
55	* In ''Film/TheThomasCrownAffair1999'', Catherine Banning's team searches Crown's house and recovers what appears to be the Monet he stole. However, once an art expert examines it, he finds that it was painted on top of a copy of ''Poker Sympathy'', exposing it as a fake Crown planted to troll them
56	-->'''Detective [=McCann=]''': Monet's unknown masterpiece: Dogs at Cards.
57	* In ''Film/Shazam2019'', one of the inter-dimensional doors leads to a room where some crocodile men are playing poker in a setting directly lifted from the paintings. As soon as one of those crocodile-men lunges towards the protagonists, they slam the door on its face and [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment the incident is soon forgotten.]]
58	* ''Film/CoolWorld'': While Holli Would caused everyone in the real world to transform into [[{{Toon}} Doodles]], a group of men at a poker table transform into dogs.
59	* ''Film/HundredsOfBeavers'': The Master Fur Trapper's sled dogs are seen playing cards each night at camp. When there's only one left, it's playing solitaire.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Literature]]
63	* In ''Literature/FriedGreenTomatoesAtTheWhistleStopCafe'', Idgie keeps a painting of poker-playing dogs on the café wall, labelled "The Dill Pickle Club" (a group involving her and several friends).
64	* The short story ''A Gamble with Wildthyme'' by Steve Lyons concerns the cheating taking place in ''A Friend in Need''.
65	* In the comedy book "How To Keep Dinosaurs", there's an image of a group of ''Deinonychus'' playing poker (with slabs of meat in place of chips) as an obvious pastiche on this trope. It also comes with this caption:
66	-->"''Deinonychus'' will only play poker for high [[{{Pun}} steaks]]."
67	* ''Literature/TheLastDogs'': In ''Dark Waters'', the three main characters are introduced to many dogs living on a fancy riverside boat. Some of those dogs are playing a card game, but since they don't fully understand card games like poker or blackjack, they make up their own rules (like throwing their cards onto the table and yelling "Bingo!").
68	* ''Literature/{{Ravirn}}'':
69	** ''[=WebMage=]'': In the second time Eris's game room is seen, such a picture is seen on the walls.
70	** ''Cybermancy'': The story starts with Cerberus, the {{Hellhound}} of Myth/GreekMythology, a.k.a a three-headed dog, playing poker with Ravirn.
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
74	* In [[Recap/CheersS5E25AHouseIsNotAHome an episode]] of ''Series/{{Cheers}}'', Sam Malone loves the paintings (in particular one of ''Dogs Playing Blackjack'') while his more sophisticated lover, Diane Chambers, hates them. Sam says that he sees something new every time he looks at it.
75	* In the ''Series/That70sShow'' episode "Hunting", ''Dogs Playing Poker'' is parodied by the characters taking the places of the dogs.
76	* Near the end of the Snooker Commentators sketch series on ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'', snooker broadcasting dries up and the commentators begin covering dogs playing poker. This proves difficult as dogs can't actually do that.
77	* The cast of ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' do this as an example of what animals do when their humans aren't around.
78	* One episode of ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' ends with Sabrina playing ''TabletopGame/GoFish'' with a group of dogs. She wins the game but then offers to buy them all treats to cheer them up.
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Music Videos]]
82	* The music video for Music/SnoopDogg's "What's My Name" has a scene with dogs playing craps while smoking cigars and wearing sunglasses.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
86	* In the ''WesternAnimation/DogCity'' special, some of the dogs in the background of the bar scenes are playing poker (and also pool, based on Arthur Sarnoff's Coolidge homages).
87	* Done in ''Film/TheMuppetsAtWaltDisneyWorld'' during Rowlf's "Dogging It" number with a group of Muppet dogs, though it's unclear if they're actually gambling or just playing for fun.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
91	* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'''s 2004 Arena league, the card 'Mise' has a picture of dogs playing ''MTG''.
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Theater]]
95	* In the play ''Theatre/TheForeigner'', a character complains that she doesn't want to be in her motel room because there is a "Damn picture on the wall of some dogs playin' poker."
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Video Games]]
99	* After Razputin cures Edgar Teglee of his psychosis in ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'', Edgar creates his own painting of the anthropomorphic dogs that populate his mind playing a game of poker. Should you enter his mind after clearing it, you will find him playing that very same game with the dogs.
100	* ''VideoGame/EdnaAndHarveyHarveysNewEyes'': Seen in Saloon hallucination. You have to join the game to get from one of their cigars needed in later puzzle.
101	* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': If you have the [[SillinessSwitch Wild Wasteland]] trait, then during ''Old World Blues'', in the cyberdog training area of the Big MT, you can find some dogs learning how to play poker.
102	* Seen in the Scavenger Hunt portion of ''[[VideoGame/TheSeventhGuest The 11th Hour]]''.
103	* ''VideoGame/PajamaSam'': One of the rooms in Darkness' house has such a painting, and [[PopUpVideoGames some of the dogs move when clicked on]].
104	* Parodied in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' in which the [[TheDitz Lesser Dog]] is playing poker alone against himself (despite his numerous guard dog colleagues being present at Grillby's). Somehow, it's losing. In the [[GoldenEnding True Pacifist]] ending, [[spoiler:it seemingly finally won]].
105	* One of the players in Telltale Games' ''VideoGame/PokerNight2'' is Sam, the canine star of ''[[Franchise/SamAndMax Sam & Max: Freelance Police]]''. In one of the game's many [[SeinfeldianConversation humorous asides]], [[WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros Brock Samson]] points out the obvious joke.
106	-->'''Brock''': I just realized, you're a dog, playing po- (laughing) playing poker!
107	-->'''Sam''': ...I don't get it.
108	* One of the in-game paintings in ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'', titled "Goblins Playing Poker", replaces the dogs in the original painting with, well, goblins.
109	[[/folder]]
110
111	[[folder:Webcomics]]
112	* ''Webcomic/{{Housepets}}'' has some of the canine characters recreating the famous painting [[http://www.housepetscomic.com/comic/2012/07/20/obligatory-reference/ here]].
113	* A piece of ''Webcomic/SandraAndWoo'' [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/images/fanart/fanart-contest-2012/katrin-dort-01.jpg fanart]] created for a contest features foxes and raccoons playing poker.
114	[[/folder]]
115
116	[[folder:Web Original]]
117	* The [[https://toughpigs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/TP20-ArtistVersion-FINAL-8-24-B.jpg Great Muppet Mural]] created by various artists for the [[Franchise/TheMuppets Muppet]] fansite Tough Pigs includes a scene of Rowlf, Baskerville the Hound, [[Series/FraggleRock Sprocket]], Series/TheStoryteller's Dog, [[WesternAnimation/DogCity Bugsy Them]] and [[Series/TheMuppetShow the Afghan Hound]] playing cards, drawn by Kenny Durkin.
118	[[/folder]]
119
120	[[folder:Western Animation]]
121	* ''WesternAnimation/CarmenSandiego'': After Carmen steals a painting by Vermeer, Zack says that he doesn't get the hype because his idea of fine art is dogs playing poker. Later, when Zack has to go undercover as a professional art thief The Duke, he scoffs that it's probably Dash Haber's art preference too.
122	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Clarence}}'': In “Man of the House”, Clarence’s idea of having the house to himself is, oddly enough, hosting a Poker party with dogs.
123	* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'' has Courage enter such a painting and pick up an untouched card hand. He laughs and puts it down, which shocks the other dogs upon seeing that the hand is a royal flush. Courage is then kicked out of the painting by one of the dogs.
124	* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Disenchantment}}'' episode "Love's Tender Rampage", the characters walk past a shop where dogs are playing poker.
125	* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'':
126	** In the episode "Saving Private Brian", Mayor West is discovered playing poker with dogs.
127	** In the episode "Road to Rhode Island", Stewie comments on the Dogs Playing Poker paintings hanging on a wall and suggests that since Jesus is alone in one of the other paintings, the dogs should invite him to their card game.
128	* In the ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'' episode "[[Recap/LiloAndStitchTheSeriesS1E26Finder Finder]]", Stitch (who was adopted by Lilo as a "dog") plays a game of poker with his experiment "cousins" with cookies in place of poker chips.
129	* In the ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse2013'' episode, "[[Recap/MickeyMouseS5E10YouMeAndFifi You, Me, and Fifi]]", when Mickey calls Goofy for advice on how to get Fifi to like him, Goofy is seen playing Go Fish with Pluto, [[WesternAnimation/PeterPan Nana]], [[WesternAnimation/LadyAndTheTramp Tramp, Peg]], [[WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians Pongo]], [[WesternAnimation/TheFoxAndTheHound Copper]], [[WesternAnimation/OliverAndCompany Tito]], and [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Sultan (in his footrest form)]].
130	* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'': In the episode "Monkey See, Doggie Do", Mojo Jojo's spree of [[ForcedTransformation transforming the citizens of Townsville into dogs with the Anubis Dog Head]] includes a party of men playing poker.
131	* In the ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' episode "Lawnmower Dog", five intelligent dogs play poker and smoke cigars while using their advanced robotic suits.
132	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
133	** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E5TreehouseOfHorrorIV Treehouse of Horror IV]]", Homer is driven to insanity by his mix of intense fear and intense amusement in response to one of the paintings.
134	** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS11E12TheMansionFamily The Mansion Family]]", Mr. Burns has a painting like this where he is shown playing poker with the dogs.
135	** The episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS11E18DaysOfWineAndDohses Days of Wine and D'oh'ses]]" has Bart and Lisa trying to [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/simpsons/images/0/01/Days_of_Wine_and_D%27oh%27ses_78.JPG/revision/latest?cb=20131028175630 recreate the painting in real life]] for a photography contest.
136	* ''WesternAnimation/TUFFPuppy'': In "Lie Like a Dog", Dudley sneaks out of T.U.F.F. headquarters to avoid boring work days so he can do something fun. One of the things he does is play a card game with other dogs at his friend Phil's house.
137	* ''WesternAnimation/TheWackyAdventuresOfRonaldMcdonald'': "The Monster O'[=McDonaldland=] Loch" has a scene where Ronald and friends are shown by Sundae's cousin Scotty a gallery displaying parodies of famous paintings where the subjects are anthropomorphic dogs. The last painting shown is a parody of ''Dogs Playing Poker'' that depicts bearded human men at the poker table.
138	* Similar to ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'', in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Wunschpunsch}}'' a spell makes everyone in the city undergo a dog/human hybrid transformation. When the spell effects are shown, there are some dogs playing poker (and starting a fight because one of them supposedly cheats).
139	[[/folder]]

Context Main / CaninesGamblingInACardGame