'Of the following, I'd rather play...'

On the left is a poll seen on Slashdot.org: Of the following, I'd rather play..., currently showing 16857 total votes, 273 comments.

If you follow this blog, you know I like reading comments about chess from non-chess sources -- as in, for example, a recent post based on another article from Slashdot, The Scholastic Chess Facilitators Crisis -- because they tell me something about public perceptions and attitudes toward chess. I'll come back to the comments in a moment.

First, in case you've overlooked the point of this present post, here is the same chart in descending order of votes:-

• Chess: 4580 votes / 27%
• Poker: 3631 votes / 21%
• Falken's Maze: 2520 votes / 14%
• Hearts: 2021 votes / 11%
• Black Jack: 1363 votes / 8%
• Gin Rummy: 1240 votes / 7%
• Bridge: 928 votes / 5%
• Checkers: 574 votes / 3%

Checkers gets no respect. And what's Falken's Maze? Back to the comments...

vasilevich: '12 x 12 Tictactoe is about of the same complexity as Chess = ~10^60 positions'

bzipitidoo: 'Go is only another game in the same class as Chess and Checkers. D&D, why not mention that?'

MtViewGuy: 'Some say Go requires more intelligence to play than Chess.'

Anonymous Coward: 'How is Poker more social than Chess? You can become a diva and socialite if you become a grand master.'

...etc. etc. Chess divas and socialites? Name one!