Feb 21, 2025 07:00:00

What is 'Subway Poker'? A secret poker game that makes your commute a little more fun

There must be people who have played original games in their heads based on the information that jumps into their eyes while walking or riding in a car. Engineer Falken introduces ' Subway Poker ', which is played with passengers on the subway.

The secret Poker Game You Can Play on the Subway! | falken

https://experience.prfalken.dev/english/subway-poker/

Preparation
Subway Poker is a multiplayer game, so play with friends or colleagues. Each player selects a seat in a subway car with five people next to each other. These seats represent the player's 'hand'. Then, before starting the game, all players set the 'station where the game ends when they arrive.'

◆Game Rules
Normally, poker is played with the numbers written on playing cards, but in Subway Poker, the rule is to classify the type of customer sitting in the selected seat into a number greater than 10. Specifically, passengers are matched with numbers as follows:

Children: 10
Teenager: Jack (J)
Female: Queen (Q)
Male: King (K)
Seniors: Ace (A)

For example, if two of the five seats you have chosen are taken by elderly people, as shown below, you will start with a pair of aces, and you can hope for a high hand.

The rules are not

Texas Hold'em , but Draw Poker. In normal Draw Poker, players exchange any number of cards of their own volition. However, in Subway Poker, your hand changes over time because seats may be empty or changed. Based on the numbers assigned to each passenger, players aim for a higher poker hand until they arrive at the station they initially set.

Below is a full house of queens and kings.

Four of a kind queens.

The game ends when you arrive at the first station you set. Players evaluate their hands, and the player who made the highest hand wins. In the event of a tie, it is a good idea to adopt a tiebreak rule, or to decide that 'the player closest to the door wins.'

Strategies and Tips
Falken offers three pieces of advice for playing Subway Poker:

Observe your surroundings
Keep an eye out for passengers getting on and off the train - if you have keen eyes you can anticipate changes in hand situations.

- Make smart choices
If you choose a seat closer to the door, passenger turnover will be higher, so even if you start out with a low hand, you may be able to aim for a higher hand later.

-Predict passenger patterns
Consider factors that influence who sits, such as time of day and weather. For example, after school hours may be more crowded with children, while off-peak hours may be more crowded with older people. Use these observations to your advantage and make inferences.

'Subway Poker is more than just a game. It's a unique way to interact with the people around you and your commuters. It's a fun, interactive way to make your subway ride more enjoyable. Try Subway Poker with your partner the next time you're on the train,' said Falken. Falken did not invent Subway Poker, but learned about it from an old online article that no longer exists, and has played it with friends many times.

In addition, the social news site Hacker News suggested strategies such as 'standing in a specific place to subtly guide other passengers to a specific seat, or sitting in a seat yourself, and then later giving your seat to an elderly person to win an ace,' or 'asking a friend or acquaintance to come to a specific station at a specific time and sit in a specific seat,' or 'telling someone by gesture that a specific seat is available.'