Amen, Agnes! Virtually any on screen poker is, as you say, ludicrous. I have played poker for years and never got close to a royal flush, but these are commonplace on screen, often for first-timers who don't even know what it means and therefore win with hilarious consequences. Those scriptwriters would rightly be vilified for suggesting other extremely rare events as happening at chance quite so often..
Quote: Agnes Guano @ November 10 2011, 11:43 PM GMTShow me a comedy where someone isn't dealt a royal flush straight off, for whatever amusing comedy pay off, and I'll show you a cow that can play the ukulele.
6:45 to 8:15 in this clip....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eg1HSx29zU
(Though, in fairness, they both seem to have been dealt good cards)
There was an episode of George & Mildred where George taught Tristram how to play poker (or some other card game) and Tristram always won. George later gambled with Fourmile senior and lost everything.
M*A*S*H had a card gambling (probably poker) episode called 'Deal Me In' that guest-starred Pat Morita.
Quote: Agnes Guano @ November 10 2011, 11:43 PM GMTPeople on film seem to be just about the only people who ever get dealt complete fully-formed hands from the beginning. Of course, after that, they can then just laze about and bet ludicrous amounts until one of them wins.
You only have to stay up until 5am on Channel 4 watching all those endless card shows to know that you are dealt one card after each round of betting and that the banker/dealer is the one whose cards decides what the betting is. Show me a comedy where someone isn't dealt a royal flush straight off, for whatever amusing comedy pay off, and I'll show you a cow that can play the ukulele.
They are probably playing 5 card draw
Where you get all 5 cards dealt to you at the beginning.
Or ignoring the rules, whichever is easier
Perhaps Victoria Coren (lovely calves) could write a sitcom about poker.
Most card games in sitcoms seem to be invented just to fleece money.
"Chinaman Whist" (Hancock's Half Hour made up by Sid James
"Go Johnny Go Go Go" (League of Gentleman
"Cards" Blackadder the Third, where you have to give away your money as quickly as possible.
Add to that Cups from Friends
Liquer in the front
Poker in the rear