In a poker game between Batman and Superman, who would win?
:smack:
(My eleven-year-old thinks that Superman’s x-ray vision would give him the advantage. But I can’t help but think that Batman would somehow pull this out, if he had time to prepare … I can at least rest assured, had there been any doubt: these are definitely my children. 
But that knowledge doesn’t seem to be helping me to get them to sleep.)
Superman could cheat but he wouldn’t.
Batman would do whatever it takes to give himself a winning edge, so he’d mark the cards.
Consulting with my husband, I am informed that, provided Superman did not cheat with his x-ray vision, Batman would most likely win. Superman is a pretty smart guy, but apparently Batman is a genius and therefore a better strategist.
He asks a question: Is Superman allowed to use his super sensitive hearing? Because then he could theoretically listen to Batman’s heart rate and determine whether or not he was bluffing. Is this ethically allowed?
Great. Now my kids are asleep, but this is keeping me awake!
Batman would foresee the hearing/heart issue, and either control his heartbeat or use some sort of soundproofing.
I don’t see any way for Superman to win. Even without Batman cheating, it’s going to come down to whichever one is a better bluffer and understands their opponent the best–and in both of those Batman would outstrip Superman. Understanding his opponent is what Batman does.
Batman knows no fear. His heart rate wouldn’t increase when he bluffs.
Of course, Superman is a bit of a dick, he might use his x-ray vision to look at Batman’s cards, in which case Batman’s a bit screwed.
Depends on if Jokers are wild.
Batman has extraordinary control over his body, so listening to heartrate, breathing, etc. most likely wouldn’t help. X-ray vision would be useless unless the designs on the cards are made of dense material (lead is not the only thing that blocks X-rays, people!). Batman would easily win because he’d have no problem cheating.
Batman, if he’s prepared.
Superman may be honest, but he’s not a chump. He’d notice if Batman marked the cards with his microscopic vision, then he’d do something to negate Bats’ advantage, like heat-visioning the marks off or making them all the same.
Of course, Batman knows this, so he’d coat the cards with something that would cause the card to burst into flames if any heatvision is applied at all. This would allow him to claim that Superman was obviously cheating, and win by default.
So if Supes doesn’t want to lose like that, he’d have to let Batman play with the marked deck. And even if Supes negates that advantage by holding his cards oddly or viewing them through the table, I’d bet that Batman’s a better psychologist than Superman is a statistician, so my money’s on Batman. Just don’t let Superman shuffle.
Look, come on you guys. This one is a no-brainer.
We know Superman won’t cheat - and he won’t let Batman cheat (if he can catch him). That means we’re playing straight up - and may the best man win.
So what we’re left with is a smart city-boy and a dumb hick from Kansas playing poker…If experience teaches us anything - it’s never play poker against a sucker from the sticks. What do you think they do to kill time there? Clark would “Aw shucks!” his way through and Batman would end up without his Batpants.
I don’t think Batman would cheat. He’s arguably got the most rigid ethical system of all the DC-verse superheroes. This is a guy who won’t unbend enough to kill the Joker, who’s murdered more people than anyone in history who didn’t own his country. There’s no way he’d stoop to cheating at cards. Not when there’s absolutely nothing at stake. And especially not when he’s playing against his closest friend.
Besides, he wouldn’t need to: he’s a master at psychology. That’s practically his superpower. He’d read the Big Blue Boyscout like a book.
First of all, Batman would use lead-laced cards. He trusts Superman as much as he trusts anyone else on the planet… But he doesn’t trust anyone else on the planet all that much, either. Not that it would matter, since Superman wouldn’t cheat.
Second, Batman’s ethical system is indeed strict, but he’s not above cheating at cards. Which is also irrelevant, since he would never cheat if he thought there was a chance of getting caught, and Superman’s enhanced senses would at least be enough that Batman can’t be sure of eliminating that chance. So it’ll be a straight-up game.
And in a straight-up game, Batman would win quickly, easily, and decisively. He’s the master of psychology, and the sort who can call any bluff. If Superman did think to listen to his heartbeat, it’d be even worse for Supes, since Batman is experienced enough in biofeedback to speed up his heart rate at will, and Superman is too naïve to recognize a false tell.
Superman because come morn Batman tends to fold his hands.
Good Lord, are they playing strip poker now?
I agree that Batman prepares much better than Superman.
I don’t think either would cheat against the other. They both have honour and nothing else is at stake.
But poker is not pure skill. It’s a great game, but (assuming Texas Hold’em), if one guy gets AA and the other gets KK, it’s going to be hard to get off the hand.
I think Batman is favourite, but if Superman gets a few lucky draws, it’s all over.
How about baccarat?
Well, that’s what he always plays with Robin…
Superman would win. He could always threaten death with the laser beams from the eyes.
It’s not even a contest, either. Forget this bluffing stuff. If Batman can “be prepared”, then Superman can use his super hearing, his x-ray vision, or his super breath to blow the cards off the table all the time.
Batman’s ethics are based on one rule: nobody dies. Which won’t come up at a poker game. Other than that, he’s willing to achieve his goals by whatever means and doesn’t care about rules set by other people. So, yes, he would mark cards. Because Batman is always prepared.
But he’s also a mastermind of psychology. He would realize that Superman would realize the cards are marked and adjust his play accordingly. So Batman would out-think Superman by ignoring the card markings and beat him using just his superior observational and reasoning abilities. Plus Batman wears a mask and Superman doesn’t, so Batman has a decisive edge on the tells.
Superman’s only hope? To take advantage of the one weakness in Batman’s poker game - as we all know, Batman never bluffs.