dreamer13
Legend
Loyaler
Intellectual games utilize mental abilities to achieve victory or for leisure purposes. These games develop intellect and erudition. Intellectual games are common in mass media, such as television and radio, where participants are typically required to answer questions from various areas of life, with the winner receiving prizes.Sometimes I solve puzzles.
Shadow6969
Rock Star
Bronze Level
If poker had never existed, I think chess would’ve remained the dominant symbol of pure intelligence, but stock trading or options markets might’ve taken the crown as the real symbol of risk + decision-making under uncertainty.
Chess shows skill with zero luck — perfect information, perfect logic.
Markets, on the other hand, combine incomplete information, psychology, risk management, and long-term edge — very similar to poker, just with bigger egos and worse bankroll discipline 😅
That’s why poker is special: it sits perfectly between chess and Wall Street.
Too much skill for gamblers, too much variance for purists — and just enough chaos to reward those who can think, adapt, and control themselves.
Curious what others think: game, sport, or real-world arena?
Chess shows skill with zero luck — perfect information, perfect logic.
Markets, on the other hand, combine incomplete information, psychology, risk management, and long-term edge — very similar to poker, just with bigger egos and worse bankroll discipline 😅
That’s why poker is special: it sits perfectly between chess and Wall Street.
Too much skill for gamblers, too much variance for purists — and just enough chaos to reward those who can think, adapt, and control themselves.
Curious what others think: game, sport, or real-world arena?
rhoudini
Visionary
Platinum Level
I think backgammon would’ve had a much bigger spotlight. It already mixes skill + dice variance + long-term edge, but poker kind of stole its thunder over the years. Strong players still crush weak ones, but the randomness keeps it exciting and accessible. Honestly, if poker never blew up, backgammon could’ve been the game people point to when talking about calculated risk
E
EarnDAStack
Visionary
Platinum Level
A different card related gambling game...
People will gamble over anything, if it's not cards it's dice, if it's not dice it's a coin if it's not a coin it's what team is going to win today's game.
There's also the stock market, very similar so far as needing to understand risk and reward. (Also psychology can be a big help in both investing and poker.)
I agree that I would probably try and find a game that fit a similar profile tho, needing intelligence skill and risk to outperform your opponents.
GL
EDS
People will gamble over anything, if it's not cards it's dice, if it's not dice it's a coin if it's not a coin it's what team is going to win today's game.
There's also the stock market, very similar so far as needing to understand risk and reward. (Also psychology can be a big help in both investing and poker.)
I agree that I would probably try and find a game that fit a similar profile tho, needing intelligence skill and risk to outperform your opponents.
GL
EDS
istbno
Rock Star
Platinum Level
If poker had never existed, chess combined with some form of wagering or backgammon would likely have taken its place as the main symbol of risk and intelligence. Chess already represents deep strategy, psychology, and long-term planning, but lacks uncertainty, while backgammon includes both skill and luck, making it closer to poker’s balance of decision-making under variance. Games like bridge could also fit, as they reward memory, logic, and partnership strategy, but backgammon in particular feels like the closest natural substitute.
Kasztor007
Rock Star
Platinum Level
If poker had never existed, I think backgammon could have become the main symbol of risk and intelligence.
It’s no coincidence that Dan Harrington started with backgammon many core concepts of poker already exist there: expected value thinking, probabilities, positional advantage, and long-term decision making.
Dice introduce variance, but skill dominates over time. In that sense, backgammon is one of the closest intellectual ancestors of poker.
It’s no coincidence that Dan Harrington started with backgammon many core concepts of poker already exist there: expected value thinking, probabilities, positional advantage, and long-term decision making.
Dice introduce variance, but skill dominates over time. In that sense, backgammon is one of the closest intellectual ancestors of poker.
