September 29, 2026 marked the 125th birthday of Enrico Fermi. To celebrate his life and work, we’re planning to sponsor hundreds of Fermi Poker tournaments at schools and universities, and to help anyone else who wants to host one.
Fermi Poker is an estimation game that combines the betting mechanics of poker with Fermi estimation. Instead of being dealt random cards, you make guesses about questions like “How many new smartphones were sold worldwide last year?” You write down a secret guess, bet on it, get helpful hints, bet again, and win by either having the best guess or by bluffing everyone else out.
Hosting a tournament at a school or university? It’s free, and we may even pay for things like poker chips and small prizes. Fill out our contact form. Playing with friends? Our guide covers everything you need. Planning a tournament at your company, or a public one in your city? Write us at contact@fermi.org.
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Learn more and get involved
Join the mailing list
We’ll let you know when we release new question sets, and whenever there’s other news about Fermi Poker.
Check your inbox
We’ve sent a link to . Click it to confirm, and you’re on the list.
Frequently asked questions
Is it gambling?
No. By the usual definitions, gambling means staking something of real value on an outcome decided largely by chance. In Fermi Poker, you bet with poker chips that have no cash value, and the random playing cards are replaced by estimation questions, so it comes down to skill, not luck. That’s why the Fermi Poker app is rated 3+ on Google Play and 13+ on the App Store, while most poker apps are rated 18+.
What age is it for?
We recommend it from age 13 onwards. Younger players can of course have fun with it too, but that depends heavily on the questions, and ours aren’t written for younger players yet. We’re considering dedicated question sets for them in the future.
Do you need to be good at math?
No. Fermi estimation has surprisingly little to do with what’s taught in math class. What counts is knowing a bit about how the world works and breaking a question into parts you can reason about. The calculations stay simple, because there’s little time and everyone rounds heavily. So being bad at math doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be bad at this.
Do you need to know poker?
No. Fermi Poker is even easier to learn than regular poker, since there are no hand rankings to memorize, and if you already know poker, it will feel intuitive right away. The rules fit on one page. Read the rules.
How long does a tournament take?
Plan on 1 to 3 hours of play, plus time to set up. It depends on the number of players and on the ante, the mandatory bet everyone makes before each question. If a tournament runs long, raise the ante faster to speed it up.