"Subway Poker" lets players create poker hands using nothing but the random assortment of passengers sitting in their chosen row of seats.
The rules: Two players each select a row of five seats to watch. Passengers become cards — children count as 10s, teenagers as Jacks, women as Queens, men as Kings, and elderly riders as Aces. As people board and exit the train, the "hands" evolve until reaching an agreed-upon destination station where the best poker hand wins.
"The beauty of Subway Poker lies in its unpredictability," explains the blog post's author, who discovered the game in an old article and has been playing it in France ever since. "You might start with a promising full house of businessmen and seniors, only to watch it dissolve into nothing as your 'cards' exit at the next stop."
Strategy runs deeper than mere chance. Savvy players choose rows near doors for higher passenger turnover and study rush hour patterns — school times bring more "10s" while off-peak hours see more "Aces." The game works in any major city's metro system, though some require adaptation based on seating layouts.
"Consider the time of day, weather conditions, and other factors that might influence who sits in your row," the author advises. "Use these observations to your advantage and make educated guesses about potential passengers."
"Subway Poker is more than just a game," writes the author. "It's a unique way to engage with your surroundings and fellow commuters – you might just find yourself hooked."
Previously:
• The next time you are bored in a public place, play the 'T-shirt game'
• A fun activity to do at home: 'Narrate A Piece of Quotidian Footage'
• Artist gives award for the tallest weed he found in a neighborhood
