Will the WWE Bring Back Poker When WrestleMania Returns to Las Vegas?
As if looking to build up a bigger and better WrestleMania than the wildly successful and satisfying WrestleMania XL, WrestleMania 41 will take place at the massive Allegiant Stadium on April 19 and 20, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Knowing the city and the company, it’s bound to be a colossus of an event that pulls out all the stops and taps into every possible link that it can have with Sin City.
What this means is that we’ll most likely be seeing a whole bunch of WWE superstars bouncing around The Strip, visiting casinos, and likely partaking in a bunch of casino-themed set pieces. The WWE certainly hasn’t been shy to do this in the past, with poker often being the game of choice – whether it’s featured in an ECW episode or a special night of cards to celebrate an anniversary.
So, why poker, and how has the company utilized the classic card game in the past – perhaps hinting at what’s to come as April approaches?
Poker Inspires Competition
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Of all of the casino games that the WWE could tap into, poker is the outright most obvious choice because of the competition it inspires. When learning to play the game, you get to grips with how much skill is involved through your decision-making. Texas hold’em poker is the most popular form because it’s very accessible, and yet, there’s a lot of room to flex your skills and strategies.
Much of this comes down to betting behaviors and facial expressions. Being able to trick and outwit your opponents just by your reactions to the cards dealt, the cards revealed, and other bets is what the game’s all about. With this in mind, it’s easy to see why WWE superstars would see it fitting to compete against each other around a poker table.
Whether it’s the flop, turn, or river, players are encouraged to bluff their way to success, coax others into betting too much or folding, and all while trying to work out what they have in their hands. Of all of the gambling games, it’s poker that inspires the most dramatic and competitive situations that the WWE can and has tapped into many times before.
WWE Loves a Bit of Poker
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One of the WWE’s most recent outings in the world of poker came on a run of episodes on Monday Night RAW through 2022. As shown in the video above, WWE legends were invited to duel in an exclusive game of poker. DDP, Alundra Blayze, JBL, and Ron Simmons were all ready to rumble on the felt, with it being teed up by JBL.
Not everyone took too kindly to the thread – Vince Russo was quite publically against the poker segment – but their comments were more pointed at how receptive they found the comedy. Still, the JBL Invitational Poker Tournament did offer some fun moments with Dominik Mysterio, Akira Tozawa, Baron Corbin, and The OC all getting involved.
It seems inevitable that, whether it’s through the JBL poker tournament or some other event, the WWE will circle around to the poker table as WrestleMania 41 draws nearer.
