As if these super heroes/villains didn’t have enough going for them, we think they would excel in the world of casino gambling.

The comic book world is packed to the rafters super heroes and super villains, many of who have appeared in recent Hollywood film adaptations and many who are still waiting their turn. All of them have a special talent/power, and some of them even find time to have personal lives. A few of these special people are even skilled card players. Lets take a look at the list.

The Joker — Batman

The greatest villain in comic book history became one of the greatest villains in movie history when Heath Ledger (RIP) captured the cinema-going world with his stunning performance in The Dark Knight Rises.

The Joker’s gambling credentials need no introduction and he even named himself after the most intriguing card in the deck. Given his status as a criminal mastermind, rest assured he can come up with any number of schemes to rob a casino blind.

Most likely for that he envisions an elaborate armed robbery, but we think he would do pretty well in team play blackjack strategy as well. Think of a sinister version of Ken Uston. Then make it ten times more sinister.

Dr. Charles Xavier — X-Men

Professor X is the most intelligent human being on the planet. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he can also read minds. Try playing poker against him. His sometimes friend sometimes mortal enemy Magneto wears a special helmet preventing X from penetrating his thoughts, but so far he’s the only successful one.

Not only does his special talent allow him to read each of his opponents in a poker game, he can also read the dealers hand in a game of blackjack. As long as he plays a game of skill, he’ll win. If it’s a game of chance, he’ll probably win too.

Professor X is a man of principles and ethics, and most certainly he would use his casino winnings to fund some high-handed cause like education for young mutants, stuff like that. But I can imagine him enjoying a “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” type weekend as well.

Gambit — X-Men

This X-Men anti-hero is one of the most morally ambiguous characters in a series with no shortage of morally ambiguous characters. Like many compulsive gamblers, Gambit feels a certain sense of shame due to his checkered past. In his case, he was a professional thief before joining Professor X’s team of mutant do-gooders.

He is a master card thrower, using the cardboard projectiles as his weapon of choice. This can come in handy in any table game or poker room. Gambit will appear on screen for the first time in the upcoming X-Men Apocalypse, played by muscle-bound heartthrob Channing Tatum.

Black Jack

The name says it all. This golden age comic character from Archie Comics is little remembered these days and will probably never see himself on the silver screen. But no matter, he has a great name and real chops as a card player.

The story goes, one day detective Jack Jones was playing his favorite card game, blackjack, at the police station. He was lured into a locked basement by a team of crooks and left to die. Lucky, he happened to have an ace of spades in his pocket.

He used the card to escape and later became his alter-ego, the masked crime fighting badass/casino superstar Black Jack. If someone named Black Jack isn’t capable of winning at blackjack, then I don’t know what to believe in anymore.

Harvey “Two Face” Dent — Batman

The District Attorney who almost saved Gotham City from the wrath of the Joker turned into a raving lunatic after his girlfriend was murdered and half of his face was burned off. Hence the name “Two Face.”

It broke my heart to see “Gotham’s White Knight” turn into one of its most ruthless villains, but I can’t help but respect him as a gambler. He embodies the good-cop bad-cop routine which is so useful when playing poker.

He can play nice and innocent to lure you in with a big bet before bringing out his brutal side and tearing you apart. I mean, he literally has two faces! Talk about poker face.

Adrian Veidt/Ozymandius — Watchmen

The billionaire/genius/businessman/scientist/intellectual/martial artist is the most talented man in the world, which serves him well in his interchanging role as a hero and villain. Aside from his general awesomeness, he has one talent in particular which translates perfectly to gambling.

What is it? A photographic memory. Usage of a card counting system is dependent on visual recognition skills, which Veidt has in abundance. Having a great memory allows the player to keep perfect count, anticipating which cards will be dealt in future hands.