History of Poker: The Role of Texas in the Game of Poker
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As I researched further into the topic of the previous post (poker over the last 70 years or so), I found some more interesting info on the subject. First of all, I discovered that Texans actually started the the WSOP and Texans won 8 of the first 9 main event titles. What is ironic is that the game of poker has been for the most part illegal in the Lone Star State. Therefore, the big names in poker, aka the “Texas Road Gamblers” were outlaws and virtually on-the-run, as they moved around playing the game. The lifestyle of the Texas Road Gamblers, who had their run from the 1950s to the 1980s, was that of a nomad, as they drove the Texas country roads from one game to another, dodging raids and shooting cheaters.
Like some players today, poker was their job, but unlike all players today, they didn’t play on television and they didn’t misbehave at the table. Poker was a dangerous and lonely occupation, not a leisurely and social past time.
By the 1950s and 60s, poker had become a somewhat organized crime. Each town had its own “boss gambler,” who decided who got to play poker and where they’d play. Why did he get to choose? Because he paid off the law. Since poker was legal if a charitable cause backed the event, many poker houses used charitable fronts to get away with housing poker establishments. Part of the house rake went to charity, part went to overhead, and part went to paying off officials, and the rest was pocketed.
The games essentially consisted of locals, the professionals, and the fat-pocketed amateurs, who the rounders loved to take advantage of. After the game, the Texas gamblers would analyze every hand and every card played, much like poker is analyzed today. It’s no wonder that when players like Doyle Brunson finally got to Vegas, they were, for a while, unbeatable. We can now thank these veterans of poker for bringing poker to the mainstream. Whether they really meant to, or not, these guys were just doing their job, and these Americans truly loved their jobs.
Resources:
Wilson, Des. “Ghosts at the Table.” Poker Pro Magazine June 08June 2008 20 Jun 2008 <http://www.thepokerpromagazine.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=646&Itemid=2>.