4 stories about poker
Poker fans have passed on many legends and tales involving this great culture by word of mouth over the years. Some stories are worthy of being the basis of a script for a drama series.
About the banker Andy Beale
A rich man came to Las Vegas in 2001 with the aim of amassing capital. At the time, he had six months of Hold’em experience under his belt. Beale could afford to sit at the same table as poker stars like Doyle Brunson and Seep Reese with blinds from €2000 to €200,000.
The inexperienced banker first ruined his opponents by €500,000, but then flushed them and part of his bankroll. This failure was enough to last him five years.
Beale returned to the casino capital in 2006 with blinds as high as €200,000 to €400,000. The first day brought Beale €13,600,000. A week later he sat down to play with Phil Ivey, who literally robbed Andy of all his money in three days. The loser never again expressed a desire to play poker in Las Vegas but managed to make a billion dollar fortune.
Five months of play
The story started when professional poker player Benny Binnion suggested he would make a €10,000 bet and play until someone went bankrupt. The challenge was accepted by Johnny Moss and Nick the Greek. The longest game took place in 1949 and lasted five months. The game was dynamic and exciting for spectators and fans. The contestants regularly raised the blinds in an attempt to bankroll their opponent, but the results fluctuated constantly.
In the end, Moss won the pot, winning a whopping €2,000,000. Remarkably, his opponent did not show his grief.
Richard Nixon’s story
The 37th President of the United States became famous not only for his scandalous temper, but became an example for many poker players. The game helped him earn close to a hundred thousand dollars during his time in the Navy, with a monthly salary of €150.
Despite his appetite for risk, young Richard skillfully restrained his impulses, leading a calculated and judicious game, anticipating the actions of opponents and skillfully bluffing.
Even Nixon’s autobiography contains valuable advice on the game of poker. Ah, he spent his first winnings on his presidential campaign.
Where did the expression “dead man’s hand” come from?
Wild Bill from Illinois is still a poker legend today. There was a slave trade and civil war in his homeland in the 19th century, which led the young man to turn his attention to guns. He soon began drinking, gambling and shooting enemies.
One day Bill was playing poker in the saloon against Jack McCall. The latter’s luck ran out, but the winner was generous, leaving his opponent some money for food. Drunk and angry Jack took this as an insult and pretended to leave, but he went behind Wild Bill and shot him with a single shot. The last winning combination of two eights and two aces, which has since become known as the Dead Man’s Hand, was left on the table.