How Would Famous Anime Characters Play Poker Posted Jul 26, 2021
Our beloved anime characters have been in all sorts of sticky situations. They, of course, always manage to save themselves in the nick of time, triumphant over any obstacle or enemy. We were wondering, then, which of them we could be seeing sat down at a poker table, employing that guile, charisma, or tricks to win cold, hard cash.
Who’s good at playing mind games in poker? Who can keep their cool the best, and who’s a cheat you should never play poker with? Let’s find out.
Yugi Muto (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
The original “Heart of the Cards” fellow, the spiky-haired protagonist of Yu-Gi-Oh! is already a fantastic card player. He’s able to keep his cool under pressure, knows how to read his opponents, and can absolutely bluff his way out of almost any situation. Not to mention all the theatrics whenever he successfully outplays his opponents. Well, maybe just tone those down during the card draw. Not everyone in the room needs to know you’ve got just the card you needed to win. Aside from that, it’s just a matter of replacing the Blue-Eyes White Dragon with King of Hearts, and he’s all set for poker stardom.
Light Yagami (Death Note)
Not going into spoiler territory here, but if you’ve seen even one episode of Death Note, you know there’s no messing with Light. He might be just a regular schoolboy, but he’s an incredible actor, and in poker, it’s all about misleading other players. Light is calculated, often cold-blooded, and never leaves his bases open. Even without the Death Note notebook, he’s more than capable of getting into the mind of his opponent and predicting their every move. To be quite frank, we’re not sure we’d ever sit at a poker desk if Light was playing. Doubly so if he had a bag of chips to munch on.
L (Death Note)
Just as every Yin has their Yang, Light Yagami also has a worthy opponent and counterpart. The mysterious and unbelievably eccentric L would be a tough nut to crack. Cooped up in his high-tech lair, he’s not one to just walk into the next poker tournament. He does love mental challenges, though! Able to read through almost any bluff, predict the course of an action before it has even played out, and stay cold as ice the entire time? Yeah, these are all reasons why L would be a killer poker player. Even if he decides to cheat, he’ll give you a strawberry to keep it a secret. And who can refuse free strawberries?
Goku (Dragon Ball)
Goku is not a man of many words, but he definitely has the required poker grit. Just imagine his trademark “AAAAAAAARRRGHHH!!!” for about six hands of poker. Talk about an endurance player. Goku may not have the sophisticated tactics of some of the other opponents on this list, but remember - he is not one to lose a match.
Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
The self-proclaimed King of the Pirates and an adorable goofball, Luffy might not look like the best poker player around. He’s an easy-going guy that gets just a bit too excited at the notion of adventure. Still, he’s got an ace up his sleeve: his rubber-banding limbs. While we’re sure Luffy wouldn’t use them to cheat, he’d at least try to distract the other players at the table. All in the name of silly fun, of course, but even that may be enough to throw more serious poker players off and give him an edge.
Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)
The Seventh Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village is an honest guy that puts his friends and family above everything else. He’s also incredibly lucky, especially in casino games. You may recall a particular filler arc when he was looking for Tsunade. During those episodes, we’ve seen him win at slots and a game of dice but also making other people around him unusually lucky at gambling. He’s even prominently featured on the Born Lucky page of tvtropes. So, yes, Naruto would most likely take every pot if he ever sat down to play poker. No bluff, no cheating required, just pure skill and luck. Plus, we’re sure he knows a Jutsu or two that would give him an upper hand if things started going south.
Jotaro Kujo (JoJo’s Bizare Adventure)
And, now - a JoJo reference! It’s no joke: if you’re a long-time JoJo fan, you already know why Jotaro is on this list. During the Stardust Crusaders era, the series had a gambling arc, with a poker game as the centerpiece. In these episodes, Jotaro was playing poker against a mysterious man called D’Arby. They played the game not for money but for Joseph’s soul. In the typical theatrical fashion that the series is known for, Jotaro wins, proving once again that he’s one of the coolest anime characters of all time. And we wouldn’t want him any other way.
Alucard (Hellsing Ultimate)
You sit at a table across a guy that looks like Ozzy Osbourne during his bat-munching days. He’s stone-cold behind those cool-looking shades. Well, stone cold (un)dead, to be more precise, as he has no pulse. Because he’s Alucard, the most badass vampire in anime history. Intimidation and bluffing are Alucard’s schtick. He also never plays by the rules, so expect cheating if things don’t go his way - a lot of cheating. And don’t even try to stand up to him. The guy can go through walls, and he eats people for breakfast. Or sometimes lunch. Or dinner. In fact, it’s probably for the best you just let him win either way,
Yureko Jabami (Kakegurui)
Last but certainly not least is a girl straight out of a gambling anime. The high-rolling series premiered on Netflix in 2017 and featured Yumeko Jabami in an unusual academy where every class and extracurricular activity involves some form of gambling. Yumeko was a fresh transfer to the academy, but even though she was a newbie, her incredible deductive skills and charisma helped her stand out. She proved to be an excellent poker player, knowing exactly when to fold and when to raise, calling out all of the bluffs and cheats her opponents tried using against her. She might look cute and upbeat, but underneath all that kawaii exterior lies a cold, calculated poker player. Final Words
So, that’s our pick for the anime characters we believe would be amazing poker players. Is there someone we forgot to mention? Do you think some of our chosen characters would’ve employed different strategies in poker tournaments? Do you believe you could take down any anime character in a fair game of poker? Let us know in the comments below.
