Deanna and the poker games...

[Lt.Cmdr.LaForge]

How are the poker games in TNG fair when Deanna can read what everyone is thinking? She would surely know when Riker was bluffing or not. And she can't 'turn off' her empathic abilities, in the same way we can't turn off any of our natural senses also she has stated numerous times that she is constantly aware of everyone on the ship.
So why is Riker the best player? How come we never see Deanna win?
Thoughts?

 

[WillsBabe]

So why is Riker the best player? How come we never see Deanna win?
Thoughts?

He "rewards" her...

 

[Alrik]

So why is Riker the best player? How come we never see Deanna win?
Thoughts?

He "rewards" her...

Actually, any time you see Riker use the "poker face", it's because he's mentally singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat or Mary Had A Little Lamb over and over again. It completely derails Troi's ability to focus.

 

[Whoa Nellie]

So why is Riker the best player? How come we never see Deanna win?
Thoughts?

He "rewards" her...

You've been re-reading my stories again, haven't you?

Warmest Wishes,
Whoa Nellie

 

[John Picard]

It was explained that she "turns off" her empathic ability in order to not cheat. Heck, Data could easily win by card counting, and LaForge could win by using his VISOR to read the slightest change in heat signatures or even to X-Ray the cards.

 

[WillsBabe]

You've been re-reading my stories again, haven't you?

Actually, no. I thought I'd dreamed that up all by myself! But the other day I was sitting in a meeting and for some reason I can't fathom I remembered you writing about Deanna kidnapping him from his own bath on the holodeck, or some such. Brightened up the interminable meeting endlessly! Thank you.

Back to the topic in question...

Frakes has often commented that the poker games wouldn't work - with an empath who knows what he's feeling; an android who can count cards even if he isn't meaning to, and a man who can see through them!

 

[Lt.Cmdr.LaForge]

So basically the answer to my thread is simply that the poker games aren't plausable? At least not plausible in the sense that they wouldn't be at all fair or, as a result, worth playing. It's just one of those odd occasions where we just accept it for what it is =]
. However for the record I'm personally a fan of the poker games. I finally finished my journey through Seasons 1-7 (first time round) on DVD last night. It was nice that Picard eventually joins in on the poker games. I always wondered why he didn't, like Deanna said, he was always welcome...

 

[Myasishchev]

It is interesting that, despite being completely outclassed, Riker--whom I note apropos of nothing is the highest ranking officer at the table--always wins.

 

[WillsBabe]

It's just one of those odd occasions where we just accept it for what it is =]

I think it probably is. There's loads of stuff on tv weekly drama that doesn't fly if you think about it too much. I've often thought that Picard (and probably Riker) would be off the Enterprise at some point, or at least out of commanding the ship, because of the stress of all the stuff that's happened to them! They'd just be a liability. But we accept it, probably because we understand the grammer of tv, and because we want to suspend our disbelief.

However for the record I'm personally a fan of the poker games.

Me, too. My favourite is the poker game in BoBWI. There's just something really atmospheric about it.

I finally finished my journey through Seasons 1-7 (first time round) on DVD last night.

That's great! This is the first time you've seen TNG? Or the first time you've seen it all the way through?

It was nice that Picard eventually joins in on the poker games. I always wondered why he didn't, like Deanna said, he was always welcome...

At the time of watching TNG I was pleased that Picard didn't attend the poker games. My reason for thinking this was that Picard got quite enough character focus and airtime and it was nice to have some scenes with the other characters from time to time. Looking back, I think it might have been an interesting dynamic to have Picard there. Him coming to the one at the end was good, though. One thing I noticed about that final poker game is that they put Troi back in the bunny suit.

 

[Lt.Cmdr.LaForge]

I finally finished my journey through Seasons 1-7 (first time round) on DVD last night.

That's great! This is the first time you've seen TNG? Or the first time you've seen it all the way through?

Being only 18 years old im not old enough to have watched it aired the first time round, well i was so young that it wouldnt have meant anything to me...
Ive have ofcourse seen a few episodes over the years but this is my first time to see it all the way through. It brings me a great sadness now its over, 7 seasons is alot of time spent with those characters... so i think ill move onto DS9 and begin the process again =]

 

[Mr. Scott]

If Deanna could always read minds involuntarily, how did she react with some guy would think to himself about how hot she is, or a desire for sexual relations? I guess Riker might be thinking of other things to throw off the scent. Then of course, she could not read Data, because Data is a machine.

There was an episode of The Twilight Zone with I believe Dick York from Bewitched in it where he plays a guy who got the ability to read people's minds and he went crazy because of it.

 

[Meredith]

It's the most crooked game on the ship but they don't play for money or pink slips so all is well.

 

[apenpaap]

The most silly thing about these poker games is that even though Deanna is empathic, Data can easily count cards, calculate probabilities and stuff, and Geordi can see through the cards, Riker wins 80% of the poker games, and Worf the other 20%.

 

[Doug Otte]

Yes; with those characters, the games seem implausible. However, they were a great device. The games outlined the themes for their particular episodes.

Doug

 

[Nerys Myk]

It was explained that she "turns off" her empathic ability in order to not cheat. Heck, Data could easily win by card counting, and LaForge could win by using his VISOR to read the slightest change in heat signatures or even to X-Ray the cards.

But she keeps her cleavage on full blast.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Deanna is only half Betazoid. She can only read the minds of other telepaths, such as her mother. With most crewmembers she can only sense emotions. And if they're good enough poker players, Deanna's talent would be useless against them.

Even so, though, we will just have to trust her. After all, Betazed is a planet full of total telepaths, all of whom have the ability to read your every thought. But if you went there you would just have to trust them that they wouldn't actually do that without your consent. Just because they *can* read your mind doesn't mean they *will* do it.

I'm guessing there are strict laws and/or social mores that would make it unthinkable for a Betazoid to forcibly read another person's mind. Surely there can still be privacy, even on a world of telepaths.

 

[od0_ital]

There was a bit in an episode, I think it was the teaser for 'Ethics', where Geordi was givin' Worf grief about tryin' to bluff with the hand he had, and tells Worf what cards he had been holdin' durin' the game. Worf shot him a look, and Geordi told him to relax, he didn't "peek" 'til after the hand.

Obviously, the folks with special abilities (Geordi, Data, Deanna) didn't use those abilities to win at cards.

In a time & place where money isn't a necessity, why would they bother?

The one time anything "real" was at stake (the mens' beards vs Beverly's hair), Geordi was the only one with an ability at the table and, as pointed out, he didn't cheat.

 

[kissthestar]

I haven't watched many of the TNG eps in years. I think I will check them out from the library and watch the seasons straight through. I wonder how many poker scenes they did?