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The Marvel universe is one that’s packed with geniuses. In fact, each has all manner of skills that would surely make them experts in other fields, too. Could we see Wolverine as a great forester? Perhaps Spider-Man as a goalkeeper, perhaps?
However, we got talking recently about who in the universe would be the best gambler. After all, it’s jam-packed with strategists, risk-takers and outright chaos merchants - just a regular afternoon on the poker tables of Las Vegas, right?
With more and more of us taking an interest in online gambling, we decided to explore the Marvel characters that would be best suited to signing up to legit social casinos and trying their hand at blackjack, roulette or poker. And we came up with some interesting answers.
Of course, some heroes and villains would be absolute disasters. You probably wouldn’t trust the Hulk with bankroll management, and Spider-Man’s habit of overthinking everything could cost him at the blackjack table. But there are a handful of Marvel figures who possess the perfect combination of confidence, calculation and fearlessness.
Here’s our shortlist…
Tony Stark
We’ve got to start with Tony Stark - the billionaire inventor already lives like a high-roller and his confidence could terrify anyone at the poker table.
However, what would make him dangerous is his ability to process information incredibly quickly. He could analyse opponents in a heartbeat, or calculate probabilities to essentially make him better than Rain Man!
That would give him a real edge, and combined with his thriving under pressure, Iron Man would be the last player we’d want to come up against in a high-stakes gambling environment.
The downside? Ego. Stark’s confidence could easily tip into overconfidence, and gamblers who believe they’re always the smartest person in the room often end up making reckless decisions.
Loki
If gambling relied purely on deception, Loki would probably top the list.
The God of Mischief is manipulative, unpredictable and almost impossible to read - three qualities that would make him incredibly dangerous in games like poker. Loki’s greatest strength is psychological warfare. He understands how to exploit weakness, manipulate emotions and create confusion better than almost anyone in the Marvel universe. You could easily imagine him talking opponents into terrible decisions while quietly controlling the entire table.
Naturally, there is one slight issue: Loki probably wouldn’t play fairly. Shape-shifting, illusion magic and general trickery would almost certainly lead to accusations of cheating within about five minutes. Even if he agreed to play honestly, nobody would trust him enough to believe it.
Still, pure entertainment value counts for something, and a casino night involving Loki would either end in legendary winnings or complete chaos. Possibly both.
Black Widow
Calmness often wins out at the tables, and while we’ve thrown in some flashy personalities already, Black Widow could come to the fore and be a real formidable gambler. Natasha Romanoff is patient, analytical, and so, so skilled at reading people. It’s everything you’d want to succeed at the table.
She’s had years of espionage that have made her an expert in spotting behavioural patterns and subtle tells, and as we know from watching James Bond, these are crucial at the poker table.
Unlike with Stark or Loki, she wouldn’t need the attention, and she’d quietly go about her business, waiting for the mistakes and striking at the right moment. She would undoubtedly be the player everyone underestimates - much to their detriment.
Doctor Strange
If we’re being completely honest, Doctor Strange might be a little unfair in a gambling discussion. A man capable of manipulating time and exploring alternate futures would obviously have a major advantage. Even without outright cheating, Doctor Strange’s understanding of probability, consequence and decision-making would make him extraordinarily difficult to beat.
Imagine trying to bluff somebody who has potentially already seen fourteen million possible outcomes.
Beyond the magical abilities, Strange also has the mindset of a successful gambler. Before becoming Sorcerer Supreme, he was an elite surgeon known for his precision, confidence and willingness to take calculated risks. Gambling rewards exactly those traits.
The only reason he doesn’t take the top spot is that he may simply find gambling beneath him. Saving reality from multiversal destruction probably makes blackjack feel slightly less exciting. Still, if he ever decided to visit a casino, bookmakers everywhere would be deeply concerned.
Deadpool
Finally, we’re going with Deadpool. At first glance, he may seem like a terrible choice. He’s reckless, impulsive and incredibly unpredictable. But that could also be what makes him so dangerous.
The best gamblers are impossible to read, and there’s nobody in the Marvel universe more impossible to predict than Wade Wilson. While many will rely on patterns and logic, Deadpool’s chaos would make it impossible for him to be figured out, while trying to figure him out would probably drive a professional poker player into retirement!
Deadpool enjoys a risk, and that would probably see some big losses from him, but we’d love to be there for the ride because there’d be some pretty breathtaking victories too!
