Best Poker Songs
Best Poker Songs
There’s always been a relationship between the game of poker and the music industry. Something about the game, and the settings and venues with which it’s associated, has just always seemed to appeal to songwriters — from Frank Sinatra, to heavy metal icons, to modern pop stars and rappers. Sometimes it just seems to be the inherent drama of a poker game that appeals to a musician. Sometimes a song is written in an attempt to capture the spirit of Las Vegas, or high-stakes gambling venues in general. And sometimes the game merely serves as a useful metaphor.
Whatever the case, there have actually been quite a few iconic and wonderful songs over the years that either directly or indirectly involve poker. One could make a list of dozens that fit this description. In this post though, we’re going to focus on some of the best of the best, and rank our top five….
- “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga
🎧 Thanks for listening our poker playlist, hope you enjoyed it! 🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel if you want more videos 🔴 You're a poker fan? Top poker songs, best songs to listen to while playing poker, In 2006, The Sands Atlantic City closed In 1821, author of The Gambler and also a notorious gambler himself, Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky, was born.
- From Kenny Rogers to Gordon Sumner, Elvis Presley to.erm, Clint Black, poker has influenced music for decades. But what tunes should be on your latest poker playlist?
- At the end of the day, Lund would rather play blackjack, Omaha, Chinese rummy, draw poker, split hi-lo, Texas Hold'em, let it ride, and dozens of other games than write songs, book a show, play.
Lady Gaga is one of the busier pop stars in the music world. A few years ago she leapt off the stage and onto the silver screen to star in the Oscar-contending remake of A Star Is Born. Last year, her sixth studio release, Chromatica, made our list of ‘The Best Pop Albums & EPs of 2020’. And in January, she sang the national anthem at the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden! Her star quality knows no bounds or limits.
And yet, despite the fact that Lady Gaga seems to wow us in new ways with each passing year, “Poker Face” is the first thing most fans think of when they consider her career. For that reason alone, it has to rank as the best song about poker — despite the fact that it’s not really about poker. It’s virtually inarguable that this song, through its title and chorus, has gotten more people singing along and thinking about poker than any other.
- “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers is an absolute legend of the country genre. And when he passed away in 2020, “The Gambler” was among the first accomplishments noted in most of the articles and obituaries. CNet.com even included “famous for ‘The Gambler’” in its headline. This is by no means to shrink Rogers’s titanic legacy down to a single track. But just as “Poker Face” defines Lady Gaga’s career in a certain way, this pleasant, iconic track is just about synonymous with its creator. That gives it some serious clout in this sort of ranking — as does the fact that “you gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em” is perhaps the most well-known lyric about poker in all of music.
- “Huck’s Tune” by Bob Dylan
“Huck’s Tune” is actually a fairly recent addition to Bob Dylan’s decades-spanning songbook — written for the 2007 film Lucky You. This film was a poker drama set in Las Vegas that despite a strong cast featuring Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore, and Robert Duvall, wound up being something of a flop. But Dylan’s contribution is a delight, both for fans of the one-of-a-kind songwriter and for those who like a good poker tune.
What’s particularly great about this selection is that out of context, it can almost be looked at as classic Dylan. It’s a narrative unto itself — nostalgic, romantic, mysterious, and introspective. And yet when listened to in the context of a poker film, lines like “the game’s gotten old, the deck’s gone cold” are clear references to the game itself. It is in effect a gambler’s song that can change shapes as needed.
- “That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker” by O.A.R.
O.A.R.’s “That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker” is probably the most fun selection on the list. Much of the song is essentially the (oddly cheerful) lament of a man who’s “lost it all” in a crazy game of poker. The song is also amusing in its accuracy. Portions of the lyrics describe the narrator drawing a full house and still losing — to a royal flush. For those not intimately familiar with the game of poker itself, the hand rankings and probabilities listed on Poker.org state that the chances of landing these two hands are 0.17% and 0.000154% respectively. So, yes — this would be a pretty “crazy game” of poker!
- “Poker Face’ by Ghostface Killah
It seems only fitting to close out with another song called “Poker Face,” this time by Ghostface Killah. The artist is best known for his time in Wu-Tang Clan, and that background is vaguely evident in this song. A few years ago, LiveAbout.com ranked Wu-Tang Clan as the greatest rap group in history on the grounds of its “chaotic cohesion,” and there is in fact a certain similar quality to this song.
That’s not to say it’s a particularly terrific song, by Ghostface Killah or Wu-Tang standards. But it is one of the few songs we know of that is pretty much entirely about poker. The song is an energetic, detailed ode to the game, and for that reason it has to make the list!
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Songwriters draw inspiration from anywhere and everywhere, constantly looking for situations which they can interpret, develop and turn into a hit.
Poker Music
Often they are looking for a simile or metaphor that will help them use life situations to make a bigger statement. It might be political, it might be affairs of the heart or it might just be a statement of personal preference, but drawing inspiration from life is a skill that the absolute best can turn to their advantage.
Poker is one such influence, used to reflect not only a game of cards but sometimes the game of life too. We have picked five tunes that are heavily poker influenced, delivering both strong stories and important messages from across a range of genres.
Huck’s Tune – Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan, one of the greatest singer-songwriters of a generation, wrote this tune especially for the film Lucky You, starring Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore. He uses imagery from a poker game as a simile, which seems quite common in many poker-themed songs. One line, ‘the game’s gotten old, the deck’s gone cold, and I’m gonna have to put you down for a while’ acts as a warning for both players around the felt, and in a wider context of love and life.
Sadly, the tune might be a classic, but the film was not. Released in 1997 in preceded the poker boom, but was not the catalyst which sparked the world’s renewed interest in the game; that came a year later with Rounders.
Pokerface – Ghostface Killah (ft. Shawn Wigs)
Any song that opens with commentary from the World Series of Poker is sure to make a list of the top influential poker songs. The whole track is focused on a poker game, in which Ghostface Killah is eventually beaten by Shaun Wigs.
Ghostface Killah, real name Dennis Coles, rose to fame as part of the Wu-Tang Clan and has been described as one of rap’s finest storytellers, which is evident throughout this dark and brooding track.
That Was A Crazy Game of Poker – O.A.R.
This jaunty indie-rock tune comes from O.A.R’s early album The Wanderer’, released before they achieved mainstream success. Song Facts reveals that the influence for the album came from Stephen King’s book The Stand, using the themes of walking around and meeting people as its central presence. This track recounts a ‘crazy game of poker’ the protagonist played in, in which he ‘lost it all’. It seems losing at poker makes for a far more interesting song than raking in the winnings!
The Gambler – Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers, who died early in 2020, is perhaps best known for his country song ‘The Gambler’. Whilst it does not specifically mention poker, the implication is a young Rogers meets a chancer on a train who gives him advice on life which mirrors those of poker tactics.
One line that is particularly interesting is the line ‘every hand’s a winner’, which suggests poker. Any hand can win a round of poker with a bit of bluffing, something that is key to the game but difficult to learn as shown by the many online guides and articles on the subject. The bluffing guide on The bluffing guide on partypoker includes advice on not giving away the hand you have, a clear indication of why ‘every hand’s a winner’ in the game. Learning those skills is particularly important in poker and newcomers to the game no longer have to rely on strangers on a train!
At the end of the Rogers song, the man ‘breaks even’, which suggests he dies on the train, leaving his young protégé to take his poker advice forward.
Best Gambling Songs Of All Time
The Card Cheat – The Clash
The Clash are well known for being one of the original punk bands coming out of the United Kingdom, but unlike their peers the Sex Pistols they also released ska-influenced albums such as ‘London Calling, which boasted the track ‘The Card Cheat’.
The Irish Times explains how they returned from an American tour full of blues and ska influences, which led to their third, and arguably finest, album. The Card Cheat warns of the dangers of trying to get an unfair advantage playing poker; the cheat is shot dead in the end.
Of course poker is not just sung about, it is also widely played by musicians. To find out how Stephen EvEns has been using online poker recently, be sure to have a read of our interview with him.
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Best Poker Songs