If poker had never existed

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If poker never existed there wouldn’t be as many millionaires.
 
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If poker never existed probably i would play chess, when i was young i win few tournaments in highschool!
 
austral said:
¿What other game do you think would have taken its place as a symbol of risk and intelligence?
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If poker didn't exist, we wouldn't have seen some interesting movies.
If poker didn't exist, perhaps other online gambling games wouldn't be so popular either, or conversely, they would become mega popular.
If poker didn't exist, I would have more free time for slots, roulette, blackjack, and less money.
 
I learned about poker relatively late, and I'll play other card games instead.
 
enno said:
If poker never existed there wouldn’t be as many millionaires.
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This is true! All those online poker site owners and casino owners around the world... I'm sure many of them are millionaires 😉

He enno!!!
 
If poker had never existed, our lives would be very boring, and someone would have come up with this incredible card game anyway. 😉
 
austral said:
¿What other game do you think would have taken its place as a symbol of risk and intelligence?
Click to expand...
If poker didn't exist, I would focus all my attention on sports betting. In my opinion, this is a very promising area, especially if you have an analytical mind and know the sport you are betting on well.
 
The smart ones likely would be playing more chess , and the gamblers might be tossing the dice in backgammon . Both are quite challenging as well , and you can study for a lifetime !
 
If I didn't spend taht much time on poker I would play League of Legends again..
 
If poker didn't exist, I’m convinced Chess would be the undisputed king of that hill, but it would have a much darker, 'underground' edge to it. Without poker to satisfy that itch for gambling and reading people, people would have probably turned Chess into a high-stakes betting game long ago
 
Intelligence, are you serious? Some people will gamble on anything so any number of card games.
 
I recently read a book called "ikigai" and within it I discovered that poker is my hobby. I can't imagine a life without poker now; I truly enjoy this game, and above all, it has helped me improve emotionally and mentally in an important aspect of my life.
 
Shadow6969 said:
I think chess would’ve remained the dominant symbol of pure intelligence
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yep, chess represents the intelligent aspect of poker.
Shadow6969 said:
stock trading or options markets might’ve taken the crown as the real symbol of risk + decision-making under uncertainty
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certainly stock trading or crypto trading add the aspects of uncertainty and prediction that keep players excited even has bankroll management aspect of poker and the need of reading the momentum.
 
If poker had never existed, I honestly think chess would’ve absorbed even more of that “risk + intelligence” symbolism, but it lacks the financial tension and psychological volatility that make poker so culturally powerful. There’s no bankroll management, no bluffing for real stakes, no emotional swings tied to money.

A more interesting candidate might be backgammon. It blends probability, timing, and aggression, especially with the doubling cube introducing real strategic risk. You’re constantly deciding whether to press an edge or control variance. That feels much closer to poker’s DNA.

Another modern contender? High-level competitive trading. It has incomplete information, risk management, psychology, and capital on the line, arguably the real-world evolution of poker’s core principles.

But the truth is, poker uniquely combines math, psychology, money, and storytelling. That mix is hard to replicate.

Curious what others think, are we talking classic board games or something more modern and high-stakes?
 
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