vegas-aces-logo

The Thread Between Poker and Comics

Lobby > News > Online Poker > The Thread Between Poker and Comics

Discover and Learn about The Poker Game Comics

Perhaps poker is not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of comics, or vice versa. Many are surprised to hear that the two share a long and intertwined history. Several examples exist of poker games featuring in comic books, while the comic poker genre is becoming an increasingly popular one. It’s clear why such a crossover exists between poker and comics. Both the poker and game comics appeal to broad and diverse audiences that are somewhat marginalized by mainstream society, and both idolize those who have incredible abilities beyond the norm.

We look a little deeper at the crossover between these two niches and understand the relationship between poker, online casino, and comics.

Shared Characteristics That Have Inspired Poker Game Comics

While the game of poker and comic books may not initially appear to appeal to the same demographics of society, the reality is that there are several similarities in their fans. For instance, both games require a deep understanding of rules, such as what is a full house in poker, and complex strategies.

For starters, poker and comics are both somewhat marginalized by society. Gambling used to be frowned on by all of society, and today, even though poker is legal across most of the world and broadcast on ESPN, there are still shades of the illegal gambling era that taint its image for some of society. In this context, many fans are exploring the best online poker tournaments available, some of which even offer online poker free to play.

For comics, it’s the same in many ways—though comics are a booming industry, there will be some that look down on them compared to other forms of literature and marginalized comics as a result.

Because of this, both the game of poker and comics attract a broad spectrum of people across society, particularly those who identify with being on the margins in some respects. Poker game comics do a great job of unifying these shared characteristics.

Another common thread between poker and comics is their elevation of regular people who do abnormal things. This is widespread in comics, with the idea of normal citizens moonlighting as superheroes or masking their mutations in plain sight.

In poker, many of the players come from relatable backgrounds—for all extents and purposes, they seem like normal people yet achieve incredible things around the poker table. Scratch dice, casino hold em, and pai gow poker guide are some of the different games that players can explore.

These shared characteristics have led to some overlap between the two worlds of poker and comics.

Comics That Have Become Popular

While you probably won’t see a comic based around Fruity Fortune slot machines or Charms and Clover slots, there have been several comics overtly based on the game of poker.

Here are three of our favorite poker game comics:

  • Final 9—written 13 years ago, Final 9 dives deep into the world of final table poker. The brainchild of Anish Patel, looks at the nine players who have made it deep in a poker tournament, unpacking their lives and how they came to find themselves playing poker as each is eliminated.
  • Short Stack—following the life of character Mark Middleton, this poker game comic sees the protagonist become a professional poker player on tour in order to hunt down and seek retribution on the people who murdered his parents.
  • World Series of Zombies—written by a professional poker player, WSOP bracelet winner Chad Holloway created this comic seven years ago. It features several prominent poker names such as Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth and pivots around a zombie apocalypse occurring during a WSOP event.

With both poker and comics increasing in popularity, chances are we’ll see more poker game comics like these coming out over the next few years.

The Role of Poker Games in Comics

Such is the overlap between poker and comics that we see several instances of poker casino games featuring within comics themselves as well. The story of ‘The Thing,’ the 2006 series, culminates in an all-in poker game played by a range of superheroes, including Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Spiderman. Part of the plot line also shows the Thing ruminating over previous poker games he’s played with a deceased friend. Here, understanding the rules of the game such as what is a full house in poker, is crucial.

Speaking of Iron Man, while we don’t explicitly see Tony Stark playing poker in his comic, he makes references towards poker games and is often seen in Caesar’s Casino engaging in different types of gambling, such as scratch dice and casino hold em. The X-Men Origins movie also has a poker game scene where mutant Gambit is being scouted by Wolverine. Here, Gambit has a secret power that revolves around a supercharged pack of cards that can be thrown to inflict damage—something he does halfway through a poker game to Wolverine. The game itself can be reminiscent of Pai Gow Poker, and a good Pai Gow Poker guide can help you understand the similarities.

For those interested in learning more about the crossover between poker and comics, or if you’re wondering what are the best online poker tournaments, don’t hesitate to check out our social media and stay updated with every news. Remember, you can even play online poker free in some platforms!

More like this: