Just like any other media, animation series or anime from Japan have gradually adopted poker as theme in recent decades. This is not surprising given that poker has been existent for many years now , and Partypoker.com and similar sources are beginning to garner attention on a massive scale. That being said, here are some anime titles that have used the classic card game poker in their creation or the development of their stories.

Fairy Tail
Believe it or not, there is one episode in this anime series that features a casino and various card games, including what appears to be poker. In the 33rd episode titled “Tower of Heaven” which aired on June 7, 2010, Natsu and his friends went on a vacation at Akane Resort using the tickets given to them by Loke. Natsu is playing some card games in the casino and is terrible at it, while Gray meets up with Juvia to talk about the disbandment of Phantom Lord, and her intention of joining Fairy Tail. Then, they were attacked by Simon from behind, blowing the area up. Erza, along with Lucy, has been doing well in card games on the other side of the casino. The dealer suddenly changes and Shô leaves Erza a message with his cards, “D-E-A-T-H”. Shô shows Erza that he has learned magical techniques, and has trapped every person in the casino inside playing cards.

Cowboy Bebop
When talking about poker-inspired anime characters, it is impossible not to mention Faye Valentine of Cowboy Bebop. “Upon awakening from her 54-year cryogenic sleep, not only was she saddled with a massive amount of debt that she had no means to pay, but she was also diagnosed with total amnesia,” shares MyAnimeList.net. Due to her debt, a casino owner named Gordon makes a deal with Faye and asks her to pick up a poker chip from a contact in a casino. A mishap happened when she believed that Spike is her contact, and Spike thought that she is cheating him at blackjack.

According to AmazingStoriesMag.com, “through a series of adventures, Faye forces herself onto the Bebop as part of its crew. Though she stays aboard, it’s evident from the get-go she doesn’t trust either of the two men. In Faye’s mind, she’s teamed up with them for now, but when the next big opportunity presents itself, she’ll be gone.” When she is not chasing bounties with the crew, she often gambles away with the money she gets from previous missions.

Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist has its own fair share of characters inspired from the game poker. Clara, better known as the phantom thief Psiren, is a skilled alchemist who uses a deck of playing cards as her main weapon. Her alchemic transmutations include katana, bridge, and wall, among many others. She was introduced on the 10th episode of the first season of the animation series.