Poker and music enjoy a rich and intertwined history. Indeed, it’s difficult to picture a poker scene without slipping into the cliche of a group of people sitting around a table in a smokey room with music playing in the background - whether it’s a piano player in a western bar, a banjo player on the banks of the Mississippi or a handpicked soundtrack to add drama and suspense.

Poker is also an inherently social game, with players often getting together to chat, relax and share anecdotes and, as with any social function, music can help to put people at ease, set a mood, or both.

With all of the above in mind, we’ve set out to look at which tracks might have been up against Motorhead’s juggernaut track, “Ace of Spades” when it was declared the best of all poker songs.

AC/DC - “The Jack”

The Jack is an unusual candidate for such intense focus, as it’s the lowest-ranking picture card and, to all intents and purposes, played as an 11. However, this song isn’t about the lowly picture card at all and is in fact about gonorrhoea! 

Poker terms litter this song like cymbal splashes, but they’re all nods to a period of time when AC/DC shared a house with a group of women and they all caught the venereal disease.

The Clash - “The Card Cheat”

To the uninitiated, Poker can seem like one big cheat, with players intentionally misleading one another about what they hold in their hand and what their intentions are. However, this “cheating” is bluffing, which is a skill in its own right and well within the rules of the game. Experienced poker players spend a lot of time honing their bluffing skill and being able to recognise when other players are bluffing (by spotting “tells”).

True cheating (such as card manipulation and card marking) are an absolute no-no and this song by The Clash tells the story of a cheat getting their comeuppance as he’s caught, seized and “...forced to his knees”.

Of a Revolution - “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker”

This song will test your poker vocabulary as it’s packed with game terminology! Originally inspired by Stephen King’s book, The Stand - That Was a Crazy Game of Poker is about a man who plays a game of poker with the devil but, having lost everything else, won’t give up his soul.

That Was a Crazy Game of Poker is over eight minutes long, so not necessarily a great choice for long car journeys with your family. However, it’s a great consideration for any poker night playlist, with the potential to last a whole hand!

Grateful Dead - “Deal”

Hunter’s affinity with western and outlaw themes take centre stage as he urges poker players to recognise that the game reflects life. The song tells us to be aware of what’s at stake, not to second-guess future events and keep an eye on other “players” so that we don’t fall victim to the game.

This “jam” style track is laid back and would be great to create a happy-go-lucky atmosphere at a card game (or lull your opponents into one!).