Poker

[T'deD'Edkeid'Ende'Dejdid]

I recently started playing poker and today I started thinking about the crew playing poker on Ent-D. I would think the game was very tough if not unfair.

Data play the game by calculating probabilities.

Geordi could easily call a bluff using his VISOR (except for Data)

Deanna could easily sense a bluff using her empathic abilities.

So what fun would it have been for Riker or Crusher with no "special" abilities?

 

[Hermiod]

I recently started playing poker and today I started thinking about the crew playing poker on Ent-D. I would think the game was very tough if not unfair.

Data play the game by calculating probabilities.

Geordi could easily call a bluff using his VISOR (except for Data)

Deanna could easily sense a bluff using her empathic abilities.

So what fun would it have been for Riker or Crusher with no "special" abilities?

Simple. Data, Geordi and Deanna just never used their ability to cheat because they're honest people. Geordi also joked that he could see the other side of people's cards if he wanted to but only ever did so after the game was over.

Betazoids are normally capable of screening out the emotions and thoughts of others if they choose not to receive them, otherwise their lives would be unbearable.

Data did make use of his emotionless poker face (which Riker described as the best he'd ever seen), though.

 

[T'deD'Edkeid'Ende'Dejdid]

Deanna can block her abilities cause she's honest. Data could probably dumb down his statistical abilities, but I'm not sure Geordi could turn off/ignore his special ability.

When someone bluffs, I'm sure their body temperature changes for a variety of reasons. Geordi would automatically notice that. Honest or not, that information, once gained, is hard not to use.

 

[Hermiod]

^We've seen on a few occasions that Geordi's VISOR has multiple modes. There is no reason why he couldn't choose a mode that does not allow him to see the changes in body chemistry that lying may cause.

 

[SPCTRE]

^We've seen on a few occasions that Geordi's VISOR has multiple modes. There is no reason why he couldn't choose a mode that does not allow him to see the changes in body chemistry that lying may cause.

In "Heart of Glory", Geordi explains to Picard how he is able to focus his attention/filter out gratuitous visual input, he compares it to listening to a conversation in a noisy room - I guess that's what he is doing at the poker table. That, or switching modes, as you said.

 

[Holdfast]

Geordi also joked that he could see the other side of people's cards if he wanted to but only ever did so after the game was over.

Which is almost as bad, really.

Anyway, despite all their abilities, Riker STILL wins!

 

[WillsBabe]

Anyway, despite all their abilities, Riker STILL wins!

He plays with 5 aces...

 

[Holdfast]

Anyway, despite all their abilities, Riker STILL wins!

He plays with 5 aces...

Smart fellow!

 

[sbk1234]

Anyway, despite all their abilities, Riker STILL wins!

He plays with 5 aces...

Smart fellow!

I got nothing to add, but I wanted to see how many of these we can get up here at once.

 

[Bacl]

Also, keep in mind that blushing because you are bluffing might look about the same as blushing because you are excited you have a winning hand.

 

[Luckyflux]

I recently started playing poker and today I started thinking about the crew playing poker on Ent-D. I would think the game was very tough if not unfair.

Data play the game by calculating probabilities.

Geordi could easily call a bluff using his VISOR (except for Data)

Deanna could easily sense a bluff using her empathic abilities.

So what fun would it have been for Riker or Crusher with no "special" abilities?

That is all the fun for a guy like Riker. He wants to succeed with those kind of odds against him.

And remember this is the squeaky clean TNG crew, they won't dare to even think about cheating! Heathen!

 

[Phily B]

They weren't playing for money, so there would be no point..