Now that's a game I would never join in. Consider who the opponents might be: Data, who could memorize the positions and order of the cards LaForge, who could see through the cards Troi, who could tell empathically whether or nor you're bluffing Worf, who could easily commit violence if he loses I'm sitting out this one, folks!
Bah, if anything, that's a room full of pigeons to be plucked. None of them will cheat even though they could, & Riker knows Worf & Troi too well to let that get in his way. I bet the only competition he ever gets is from Beverly What they need is Ro, Picard & Guinan in that game & Riker would suck lemons a hell of a lot more, & O'Brien. I wished he'd have shown up for more than one game
Don't forget that classic of television Up The Long Ladder establishing he call tell if you're lying or not.
Yeah, you'd think Geordi would've use his superhuman abilities more often. At least to impress the ladies. He might have left Dr. Leah Brahms alone then. Or, maybe not.
Only if you're a bad Liar, which Riker isn't. So it's no wonder he still wipes the floor with Geordi at poker.
Riker has the kind of charisma where he could tell you that shit soup tasted like rainbow sherbet and you'd be likely to believe him. Not that I've, you know, done that or anything...
Yes, he's almost bill clinton-esque. Whenever Troi calls him "bill" in first season I think of slick willy.
I would love to sit in on a game with them just to people watch. I love watching people and the way they interact with each other. Of course, Riker is a bit of an enigma. How he can fool everyone, even Data; is a little baffling. I find that intriguing.
And yet, the only time Data's superior ability is used to win is when Riker tries to fool him with a card trick in the teaser for 'Legacy'. And its used to help save the day in 'Cause and Effect'. And the only time that's mentioned was in 'Ethics', where he tells Worf what kind of cards to use next time so he can't see through 'em! And he claims he only peeked after the hand was over. Meh... Because Worf was shown to be such a bloodthirsty Klingon durin' TNG?