Who is the best poker player when cheating is allowed?

[marsh8472]

I'm curious who in the TNG crew would perform the best in poker if everyone used any natural talents they possess to cheat during the game.

Deanna Troi being part betazoid should be able to sense whether someone's bluffing as well sense the strength of their hands except for Data's .

Laforge has the ability to see if someone is bluffing as well based on this quote from "Up The Long Ladder"

LAFORGE: Commander, with this I can see better than your average person. Now when someone lies there are certain physical manifestations. Variations in blush response, pupil dilation, pulse, breath rate. Doesn't always work with aliens, but humans? Got'em nailed.

Laforge may also be able to see everyone's hand based on this quote from "Ethics"

LAFORGE: Let's just say I had a special insight into the cards. Maybe next time you should bring a deck that's not transparent to infrared light. Not to worry, Worf. I only peek after the hand is over. Still nothing. I'll get a dynoscan. We'll try again.

Data has the ability to rig the deck so that everyone gets any card he wishes as he's demonstrated in episode "Cause and Effect"

CRUSHER: I've been having the same feeling. Wait. An eight, an Ace, a Queen and a four. Deal the cards, Data.
(Data deals everyone a three)
DATA: Three. All threes.
CRUSHER: I was positive I knew what cards were going to be dealt.
WORF: I was also sure.
RIKER: Finish dealing the hand.
(Riker gets all eights, Worf all Kings, Crusher all tens and Data all sixes)
RIKER: Look at this, we've all got three of a kind.
CRUSHER: First we get a three, and then three of a kind.

Plus Data can compute the odds behind every hand to have a mathematical edge in the game. I'd say Riker is probably the best player when there is no cheating involved. But is that enough to overcome all this cheating? If not, who would be the most successful player at the game when cheating is allowed?

 

[Tosk]

Data. Even with a deck visible to Geordi, there's nothing he could do to take it from Data. Rig the deck, as you say...he could rig every shuffle, every deal, every card dealt...

But seeing as you allowed an "Other" option, I'll vote for that. My answer is Q.

 

[Mojochi]

Data, because not only can he stack the deck as you say, but he can count cards better than any of the others, his wagering skill is mechanical & also, Troi & Geordi's ability to detect bluffs wouldn't work on an android (No emotions or physiological tells) I actually figure counting cards & stacking the deck is how he beat Joe Falling Rock & Frederick LaRouque

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Counting cards doesn't matter in Poker because you reshuffle every hand. But yeah, if he's the dealer he can just give himself the best cards every hand. Nothing you can do about that.

Between everyone else, hard to say. Deanna can tell if people are bluffing but that doesn't necessarily mean she can win. Contrary to the way it's portrayed in TV shows, Poker isn't just about bluffing your butt off every hand. Most of the time when people bluff in real poker, they aren't bluffing with nothing, they're bluffing with a weak made hand or a draw. Poker is more about math than it is about just bluffing.

About Geordi, even if they are transparent in the infrared, how does that help face down?

I'd go with Shelby among non-android Poker players. She's not afraid of Riker's random stone code bluffs.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Data. Even with a deck visible to Geordi, there's nothing he could do to take it from Data. Rig the deck, as you say...he could rig every shuffle, every deal, every card dealt...

But seeing as you allowed an "Other" option, I'll vote for that. My answer is Q.

/thread

Other. Next.

 

[JesterFace]

Spot

 

[gillmanjr]

Actually it wouldn't be Data because the same person doesn't deal every hand. Granted Data would win every hand he deals, but thats it. At the end of the day Geordi would win because he can see all the cards. And not only the cards in play but the cards about to be dealt as well, thats the best advantage you could possibly have in Poker.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Actually it wouldn't be Data because the same person doesn't deal every hand. Granted Data would win every hand he deals, but thats it. At the end of the day Geordi would win because he can see all the cards. And not only the cards in play but the cards about to be dealt as well, thats the best advantage you could possibly have in Poker.

I would argue, Data will learn all the microabrasions and differences in the sheen on the back of each card and know the same. And Geordi's advantage probably would only work when the cards are held up in front of people, not when they're face down on the table. And he certainly wouldn't know what's next in the deck in any game with burn cards.

Also I would argue, depending on the variant of Poker, Geordi could play against Data knowing all his cards and still lose.

 

[urbandefault]

Starfleet officers don't cheat.

Ferengi, on the other hand ...

 

[JesterFace]

Starfleet officers don't cheat.

Ferengi, on the other hand ...

Then... what about Nog?

 

[USS Triumphant]

If cheating is allowed, then Picard could just order the rest to let him win.

 

[JesterFace]

If cheating is allowed, then Picard could just order the rest to let him win.

If Picard did that, he might not get invited again to play poker... or any other game.

 

[Vger23]

Riker would still be the best.

Because he has the best natural talent of all- being awesome.

 

[JesterFace]

Riker would still be the best.

Because he has the best natural talent of all- being awesome.

AND he has the Riker maneuver.

Although... we did see Shelby winning him, so that happened, at least once.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

From what we see Riker's poker strategy is to just bluff his ass off all the time. That only works against people who don't know what they're doing.

 

[Vger23]

From what we see Riker's poker strategy is to just bluff his ass off all the time. That only works against people who don't know what they're doing.

A statement which encompasses the entire senior staff of the Enterprise D, fortunately for Riker.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

A statement which encompasses the entire senior staff of the Enterprise D, fortunately for Riker.

I always beat my work friends at poker, then when I go to a real casino I'm lucky to break even at the 1/2 tables.

 

[NigellaDeanna20]

Data, because not only can he stack the deck as you say, but he can count cards better than any of the others, his wagering skill is mechanical & also, Troi & Geordi's ability to detect bluffs wouldn't work on an android (No emotions or physiological tells) I actually figure counting cards & stacking the deck is how he beat Joe Falling Rock & Frederick LaRouque

yes. he had a great poker face according to Riker.

 

[Natalie Chapman]

I'm for Spot

 

[Finn]

Starfleet officers don't cheat.

Ferengi, on the other hand ...

Kirk did

 

[Oddish]

Deanna's empathic abilities never work when she needs them to.
If he is allowed to choose the deck beforehand, Geordi gets the nod. Seeing through the cards gives him absolute knowledge of every hand.
If the deck is infrared-opaque, Data. While Geordi and Deanna's lie detection abilities might help, Data's deck-stacking will trump that proverbial ace.

 

[dupersuper]

Data only gets to deal 1 of however many players are playing hands; I'll still bet on the person who can see every one's cards every hand.

Kirk did

No, he changed the rules...

 

[Oddish]

Here's a thought. Data simply clobbers all the other players, then walks off with the chips. You never said how extreme the cheating could be, did you?