Download or read book Gambling Games of the Old West written by G R Williamson and published by . This book was released on 2021-01-03 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gambling played a major role in the lives of the men that drove the western movement of Americans across the continent during the nineteenth century. Wherever there were men with money there was gambling. Saloons and gambling halls had a large array of games to entice customers to take a chance of walking out a winner - a very little chance.The soft slap of cards, the click of dice, and the rattle of a roulette wheel greeted players as they walked into the top saloons of the 1880's. But what were the games of that era? How were they played and why are most of the games not found in casinos today?Ante up and find out in this concise, compact book that takes you inside the frontier gambling saloons and gambling halls. Card games, dice games, and wheel games are vividly described with plenty of vintage photographs to illustrate how the games were played.

Download or read book Gambling Games of the Old West written by G R Williamson and published by Indian Head Publishing. This book was released on 2021-01-11 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most of the gamblers of the Old West got their start and reputations by working the circuit of the Mississippi River boats, the railhead cattle towns of Kansas, or the boomtowns that popped up around gold or silver mining. The gunfighter Ben Thompson got his start by running the Bull's Head Saloon with partner Phil Coe in Ellsworth, Kansas. Ben's friend, Bat Masterson, also started his career in the cattle towns of Texas and Kansas. In general, these legendary gamblers were known as "legitimate" or that they played a fair game without cheating. Truth be told, all of them knew the methods employed by the "sharps" to clean the pockets of the other players at the table. They had to know these "tricks" in order to spot a cheater at their table. Did they ever use any of these advantages to increase their odds? Probably so, but the public's perception of these men was that they ran a "square game". Hip-Pocket History of the Old West (Series) This compact book that gives concise accounts of odd or little-known facets of the American West. Historically accurate, but told in an easy-to-read format, with just a twist of humor. Informative, yet entertaining, the Hip-Pocket History series provides little nuggets without having to wade through a 400-page book of dry academic ostentatiousness.

Download or read book Gambling in the Old West written by G. R. Williamson and published by Indian Head Publishing. This book was released on 2020-11-30 with total page 83 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gambling played a major role in the lives of the men that drove the western movement of Americans across the continent during the nineteenth century. Games of chance were dear to the hearts of not only cowboys but also gold miners, plantation owners, bankers, merchants, soldiers, trappers, buffalo hunters, muleskinners, and most of the other men of the American West, even including some preachers. Wherever there were men with money there was gambling – and most of it was crooked. Whether it was rigged, fixed, double-dealt, cold-decked, braced or otherwise manipulated - very little was left to luck and skill. Though there were some gamblers who were known as "on-the-square" or "legitimate", if that word can be used when referring to the players of the day, most used some form of "advantage" to win much more often than they lost. Some were not gamblers at all but mere con men skinning suckers as fast as they could find them. With this in mind, exactly what were the casino games of chance played during the wild days of the West, what were the rules, and how were they played? Who were the major players and where did they ply their trade? How did they employ "tricks" to cheat the other players without being detected? Why did most of the games of the western frontier pass into oblivion and why are these same games not played in gambling casinos today? Though most of us think we have a fairly good running knowledge of Old West gambling, largely provided by the westerns of television and movies, this book takes a closer look at this integral facet of our history that provokes both condemnation and revelry. Whether it was a game of poker played on a blanket or a faro bet placed in an elegant saloon, it is a safe bet to say that gambling fulfilled one of the basic needs of the early frontiersman – liquor, lust, and luck. Most settlements started with a small clump of buildings (quite often little more than tents) that usually included a general mercantile store, a livery stable or wagon yard, and a saloon. Then as the settlement grew, a few more business sprung up and more often than not additional saloons crowded in to provide the major form of entertainment available to the men of that era – games of chance. Unlike today with the plethora of entertainment choices provided by television, movies, computers and other technological devices, the frontiersman had very few choices as a diversion from his everyday toils. Most often, he was reduced to reading a book, chatting with friends, or playing a game. Books were often hard to come by and any game worth playing was worth wagering. As western saloons evolved, a typical layout usually followed along these lines: an entrance foyer, the bar area with maybe a few card tables and billiards tables in the back. Traditionally, saloons were housed in a building that was longer than it was wide, with an overhanging awning covering the front entrance. Contrary to most of our movie images of saloons, they quite often did not have bat-wing doors; instead, one or more standard wooden doors with glass panels provided access from the street. Once inside the door, customers usually saw a long bar running down the right wall. The bar was usually a massive work of oak with a brass rail that provided a foot prop while standing for a drink. Here and there, a few spittoons enabled tobacco chewers to deposit their chaws before downing a shot of redeye. To the left were a few card tables and chairs strictly meant for gambling – all drinking was done standing up. When you could not manage the upright position any longer, you were told that you had had enough and go sleep it off. Over time, a class distinction developed among saloons in which there were "low dives" and "first class saloons" Gamblers were interested in the upscale saloons while conmen and sharps operated in the "skin houses" where drunks were sometimes allowed to sleep on the floor after having their pockets cleaned out. Usually the mark of a better saloon was the addition of gambling rooms to the rear or a gambling hall located in a second story above the saloon. This accommodated the serious gamblers where large amounts of cash exchanged hands over the green cloth tables. As it evolved, saloon owners offered someone, usually a noted gambler, the gambling concession - with the saloon getting a percentage of the take. The better the location, the more well-heeled the customers, and the professional expertise of an efficient gambling operation could mean sizeable profits for the owner. Besides location, reputation was everything in the saloon business. From the Mississippi River to the Barbary Coast of California one saloon tried to top the others with what they offered and who gambled there. Big name gamblers drew a crowd and this translated into bigger profits from liquor sales and gambling. Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Doc Holliday, Luke Short, Ben Thompson, Swiftwater Bill Gates, Dick Clark, Rowdy Joe Lowe, and the rest of the old west's gambling superstars ran the gaming operations in most of the better saloons of the era. This book is the first volume of the Hip-Pocket History of the Old West (Series) providing a compact, concise accounts that cover odd or little-known facets of the American West. Historically accurate, but told in an easy to read format, with just a twist of humor. Informative, yet entertaining, the Hip-Pocket History series provides little nuggets without having to wade through a 400-page book of dry academic ostentatiousness.

Download or read book Forgotten Games of the Old West written by G. R Williamson and published by Indian Head Publishing. This book was released on with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Faro and Monte were the most popular gambling games of the Old West. Today, most of us have no idea about Faro and Monte. Why? Whenever a gambling game is depicted in a western saloon it is Poker - whether it's television, movies, or novels we are led to believe that there were no other games, other than Poker. Why is that? Because it's easy to see a player with a full house of aces and eights is probably going to win the pot sitting on the table in front of him. We look through the blinders of our currant vision of gambling (which does not offer Faro and Monte.) What were these forgotten games, how they were played, why were they so popular, and why aren't they played in casinos today? This is the true story of Faro and Monte - readers will come to know the real story behind the games that ruled the gambling saloons of the Old West.

Download or read book Frontier Gambling written by G. R. Williamson and published by G.R. Williamson. This book was released on 2012-05-15 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: E-Pub edition

Download or read book Gambling Gunfighters of the OldWest written by G. R. Williamson and published by Indian Head Publishing. This book was released on 2021-01-09 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most of the gamblers of the Old West got their start and reputations by working the circuit of the Mississippi River boats, the railhead cattle towns of Kansas, or the boomtowns that popped up around gold or silver mining. The gunfighter Ben Thompson got his start by running the Bull's Head Saloon with partner Phil Coe in Ellsworth, Kansas. Ben's friend, Bat Masterson, also started his career in the cattle towns of Texas and Kansas. In general, these legendary gamblers were known as "legitimate" or that they played a fair game without cheating. Truth be told, all of them knew the methods employed by the "sharps" to clean the pockets of the other players at the table. They had to know these "tricks" in order to spot a cheater at their table. Did they ever use any of these advantages to increase their odds? Probably so, but the public's perception of these men was that they ran a "square game". Hip-Pocket History of the Old West (Series) This compact book that gives concise accounts of odd or little-known facets of the American West. Historically accurate, but told in an easy-to-read format, with just a twist of humor. Informative, yet entertaining, the Hip-Pocket History series provides little nuggets without having to wade through a 400-page book of dry academic ostentatiousness.

Download or read book The Gamblers written by Time-Life Books and published by Time Life Medical. This book was released on 1999-06 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents an illustrated history of gamblers and gambling in the Old West.

Download or read book Frontier Gambling written by G. R. Williamson and published by G.R. Williamson. This book was released on 2011 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Frontier Gambling: The Games, The Gamblers, and the Great Gambling Halls of the Old West is an entertaining look at one of the integral facets of the American West - gambling. Rich in detail and jargon, yet written in an easy to understand style, the book tells how the games were played, legitimately and otherwise; it provides sketches of some of the infamous gamblers and con men of the era; and it covers the notorious saloons and gambling houses where fortunes were wagered night and day in the untamed West.

Download or read book George Devol written by G. R Williamson and published by Indian Head Publishing. This book was released on 2021-01-31 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Without a doubt, George Devol was the most notorious of the Mississippi riverboat gamblers. He mastered the fine art of card manipulation at an early age and by the time he reached twenty he was an accomplished card sharp. Devol could stack a deck, deal seconds or from the bottom of the deck. Though he had large hands, he could nimbly palm cards or insert cards with ease. He knew all the tricks to skin wealthy plantation owners, merchants, businessmen, soldiers, and even ministers who traveled on the busy waterways of the nineteenth century. At the same time, Devol was a maestro at working the short cons, particularly 3 card Monte. He and his partners raked in millions from fleeced suckers over the course of his forty years as a crooked gambler. George Devol – Notorious Riverboat Gambler, Card Sharp & Scam Artist tells his story in vivid detail based on solid historical research. Then, Devol tells his own story through his meandering, semi-autobiography, Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi, he published in 1896 at the age of 67 when he retired from gambling. In a series of 179 memoirs, he recounts the major events of his gambling life. Though heavily embellished, his accounts divulge his cheating technics and his philosophy about skinning his victims. Allowing for his penchant for self-aggrandizement, the memoirs are a hoot to read. George Devol’s book is included with all of his stories appearing exactly as he published them in 1896, with all the spelling and grammatical mistakes intact. The steamboat scoundrel was a major character in the history of the Old West and his story is told in a humorous, entertaining style and is the first book to cover his entire saga.

Download or read book The Great 3 000 000 Train Robbery written by G. R. Williamson and published by Indian Head Publishing. This book was released on 2021-05-16 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This the true story of Willis Newton and his outlaw gang who robbed trains and over seventy banks—more than Jessie James, the Daltons, and all of the rest of the Old West outlaws—combined. Their biggest haul occurred in 1924 when they robbed a train outside of Rondout, Illinois—getting away with $3,000,000. They still hold the record for the biggest train robbery in U.S. history. G.R. Williamson interviewed Willis Newton a few months before the outlaw died in 1979 at age 90, then using transcripts from his interviews, first-hand accounts from eye witnesses, newspaper articles, police records, and trial proceedings - Williamson tells the true story of The Great $3,000,000 Train Robbery.

Download or read book The Lady Was a Gambler written by Chris Enss and published by TwoDot. This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: AMERICAN HISTORY: C 1800 TO C 1900. Amidst the mining camps, cattle ranches, desolate landscapes, and gold mining towns of the Wild West were a succession of women who survived dangerous gambling games against ruthless men whose pride was staked on always having the upper hand."The Lady Was a Gambler" presents a collection of action-filled portraits of fifteen infamous women gamblers from the Old West.Among those profiled are "Poker" Alice Ivers, the finest player bar none from Deadwood to Tombstone; Eleanora Dumont, the West's hottest twenty-one dealer; and Lottie Deno, the beautiful faro dealer who gambled all the way from Texas to Alaska.

Download or read book Lottie Deno written by G. R. Williamson and published by Indian Head Publishing. This book was released on 2021-01-27 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most mysterious of the petticoat dealers that roamed the Old West was the voluptuous Lottie Deno. She was a dazzling beauty, wore the finest clothes, and conducted herself as a refined Southern belle. Yet, she told no one her real name; “Lottie Deno” was a nickname given to her by other gamblers. She raked in big winnings night after nights—she traveled with a leather-bound trunk that was stuffed with cash. Using all of her feminine wiles, she orchestrated the killing of an ex- paramour, she stood toe to toe in a fight with “Big Nose” Kate over Doc Holliday, and she coolly counted her winnings at a table where two of the players blazed away with pistols—killing both men. This then, is her incredibly true story, Lottie Deno – Mysterious Hell Cat of the West.

Download or read book J J Cozad written by G. R. Williamson and published by Indian Head Publishing. This book was released on 2021-01-25 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The gambler, John Jackson Cozad, was a dreamer, a visionary, a land developer, and above all else—a paradox. He raked in fortunes at the faro tables across the West—yet he aspired to develop a vice-less community devoid of saloons, gambling halls, and bawdy houses. He was a major winner at the faro tables in all the elaborate saloons and gambling halls, so much so, that he was soon banned from playing when his identity was revealed. He made all of the gambling hunts in North America, as well as South America. To avoid detection, he changed his name frequently—a trait that he used throughout his life. It was by changing his name, as well as his wife and sons, that he avoided being hung for killing a man in Nebraska. This book is a historically accurate account of J J Jackson’s life, detailing his latter life in Atlantic City, New Jersey where he operated an arcade on the Atlantic Boardwalk. His two sons (using aliases) went on to become respected citizens—one a Philadelphia physician and the other was the renown and highly acclaimed artist, Robert Henri.

Download or read book Poker Pop Culture written by Martin Harris and published by D&B Publishing. This book was released on 2019-06-23 with total page 706 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduced shortly after the United States declared its independence, poker’s growth and development has paralleled that of America itself. As a gambling game with mass appeal, poker has been played by presidents and peasants, at kitchen tables and final tables, for matchsticks and millions. First came the hands, then came the stories – some true, some pure bluffs, and many in between. In Poker & Pop Culture: Telling the Story of America’s Favorite Card Game, Martin Harris shares these stories while chronicling poker’s progress from 19th-century steamboats and saloons to 21st-century virtual tables online, including: Poker on the Mississippi Poker in the Movies Poker in the Old West Poker on the Newsstand Poker in the Civil War Poker in Literature Poker on the Bookshelf Poker in Music Poker in the White House Poker on Television Poker During Wartime Poker on the Computer From Mark Twain to “Dogs Playing Poker” to W.C. Fields to John Wayne to A Streetcar Named Desire to the Cold War to Kenny Rogers to ESPN to Star Trek: The Next Generation and beyond, Poker & Pop Culture provides a comprehensive survey of cultural productions in which poker is of thematic importance, showing how the game’s portrayal in the mainstream has increased poker’s relevance to American history and shaped the way we think about the game and its significance.

Download or read book The Game of Draw Poker written by G. R. Williamson and published by Indian Head Publishing. This book was released on 2021-05-31 with total page 15 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With Texas Holdem Poker reigning in all casinos today, it's hard to image that there was a time when the basic game of Poker was a dull, uninteresting, and clumsy game. Faro and Spanish Monte were the favorite card game in gambling saloon across the Old West. The games were played at a lightening pace and money was won and lost in an excited atmosphere where players huddled around the dealing tables. With that in mind, when did Poker come into prominence? What were the changes made to the game of Poker that finally relegated Faro and Spanish to relics of the past? This brief history tells about the early game of Poker and the turning point that led to the advent of Draw Poker. So, toss in an ante and sit back - the history of Draw Poker awaits you.

Download or read book Famous Gamblers Poker History and Texas Stories written by Johnny Hughes and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2012-08-21 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You have a great writing style, very credible, and entertaining. Those were dangerous times. Almost all of the guys are gone. A great book!... Doyle Brunson, Poker Hall of Fame, author. Hes as good a writer as he is a player. When it comes to poker tales...Johnny Hughes is your man.... Anthony Holden, London, President of the International Federation of Poker, author ... a captivating raconteur and avid historian...brings them to life with a unique flair and panache...(He) paints word pictures with witty, lush brush strokes reminiscent of Tom Wolfe... Paul Dr. Pauly McGuire, author ..the William Manchester of poker historians...a Hughes narrative is like lighting a lantern into the darkest recess of pokers subculture...provides the very best portrait of these unique real-life characters of anyone on record... Nolan Dalla, Media Director. World Series of Poker, author. ...the true story...of the beginnings of the phenomenon that poker has become... Crandell Addington, Poker Hall of Fame. Reading...is only paralleled by listening to him tell those stories in real time...like putting yourself in the same room as it all unfolded...when the mob ruled Las Vegas...the real stories... Ryan Sayer, OnTilt Radio, C.O.O.,and Host. www.JohnnyHughes.com

Download or read book Whatnots written by Eileen Birin and published by Eileen Birin. This book was released on 2003 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: