Liar's poker

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For the book by Michael Lewis, see Liar's Poker.

Liar's poker is a bar game that combines statistical reasoning with bluffing, and is played with the eight-digit serial number on a dollar bill. Normally the game is played with a stack of random bills obtained from the cash register.

The object is to make the highest bid of a number that does not exceed the combined total held by all the players. The numbers are usually ranked in the following order: 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0(10)and 1(Ace). If the first player bids three 6's, he is predicting there are at least three 6's among all the players, including himself. The next player can bid a higher number at that level (three 7's), any number at a higher level (four 5's) or challenge. The end of the game is reached when a player makes a bid that is challenged all around. If the bid is successful, he wins a dollar from each of the other players, but if the bid is unsuccessful, he loses a dollar to each of the other players.

Liar's dice is a similar game played with dice, often as a drinking game.

[edit] In popular culture

• A game of Liar's Poker was played in an episode of the TV series Hustle (Season 3, Episode 3) where one of the main characters plays and loses against two merchant bankers, the result of which is that he has to bend over and get the same number of strokes from the cane as the level the bidding reached (it got to nine 6's).
• Councilmen Tommy Carcetti and Tony Gray play a game of Liar's Poker interrupted by a visit from a Baltimore Sun reporter in an episode of the HBO TV series The Wire (Season 3, Episode 3, "Dead Soldiers")
• Liar's Poker was played in an episode of the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati (Season 2, Episode 15 "Herb's Dad") where Herb Tarlek Sr. bested Venus Flytrap and Dr. Johnny Fever with the long-shot bid of nine 6's. Herb Tarlek Jr. later beat Venus and Johnny with the same bid. It was then revealed that he used the same dollar as his father.