People-Places-Things from The Gaming Bulletin


Aces and Eights
Aces and Eights - This is what has become known as a "dead-man's hand". At least that is what we hear when someone is playing a hand of poker and gets that specific hand. The reason for that expression is that former marshal James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickock was holding that hand when he was shot and killed in Deadwood, Dakota territory on August 2, 1876. Wild Bill was already a legend before arriving in Deadwood on July 1876. An article by George Nichols had appeared in Harpers Magazine in 1867 highlighting his adventures. Nichols described Hickock's exploits as a Union spy, Indian scout for the Army, detective, gambler, gunfighter and marshal.
Hickock had also toured with the famous "Buffalo Bill" Cody wild west show throughout the East coast. Many frontier folks knew Hickock when he was town marshal of roaring Abeline, Kansas in 1871. After "Wild Bill " was buried, his sister gave his gun to a family friend named Pat Garrett. That gun was used again five years later when Sheriff Pat Garrett tracked down and killed an escaped prisoner by the name of William H. Bonney, also known as "Billy the Kid". The Gaming Bulletin Volume I, Number 1

The Theory of Probability
The mathematical theory of probability was discovered by the great Italian mathematician Galilei Galileo (1564-1642). He also was a great help to crap shooters of his day. The father of modern physics, mathematics and astronomy was asked by an Italian nobleman why the combinations of ten seemed to turn up more often than the number nine when playing the European dice game called HAZARD.
He Analyzed the mathematical problem from a scientific pint of view and advised his friend that since the dice were six-sided, and with three dice, the mathematical formula becomes 6 times 6 times 6 for a total of 216. In addition, when reviewing the six sides of the three dice he found there are 27 combinations which would form the number 10, while only 25 would end in nine. Therefore, Galileo explained, the odds favored the ten appearing and the nobleman should expect to see that number more often than the nine and he should be accordingly. The Gaming Bulletin Volume II, Number 2

Was Robin Hood A Card Counter?
According to the current tales of Robin Hood, he was a knight of England's King Richard I. Robin accompanied Richard and King Philip of France on the third crusade to the Holy Land (1189-1193). Before the army could move, the two kings though it necessary to issue an order regulating gambling. All persons beneath the rank of knight, the order read, were forbidden to gamble for money. Knights, clergymen and attendants of kings were permitted to wager for money, but could lose no more than twenty shillings in twenty-four hours. The two kings, of course, could play for whatever sum they pleased.
Person's found violating this law were "to be stripped and whipped through the army for three days in a row". The French, who claim to have introduced many card games to the world take credit for the game of Vingt-et-Un (French for twenty-one). Knowing the time it took to travel to the Holy land and return, Knight Robin had to have been introduced to the game by his French comrades-in-arms. We know the time and concentration required to become a great archer. We know Robin was skilled in this trade, based partly on the story where he split the arrow in half. There fore, we can conclude he would have applied the same intensive practice sessions playing twenty-one as he did to become a great archer. Robin's known quickness and aggressive personality could have lead him to recognize some blackjack skills, such as card clumping and maybe even Ace-rich or Ace-poor situations while playing. Unfortunately, we must also recognize that the calculator and the computer were not invented until the 1950's and early 60's. These were the tools that allowed mankind to become card counters. Therefore, we must conclude that Robin Hood, the Earl of Loxley, a great bow and arrow expert, a great supporter of the poor, was NOT in fact a blackjack card counter. The Gaming Bulletin Volume I, Number 3

Wilson's Rangers
The gamblers cavalry unit.

When war broke out between the North and South many gamblers abandoned the steamboats and sought safety in New Orleans. A large amount of these gamblers were Southerners and didn’t mind one-on-one action, but to gamblers, war was another thing. Since all able bodied men were expected to volunteer for service, the gamblers had a real public relations problem on their hands. They finally came up with the idea of a Confederate cavalry unit. They named it Wilson’s Rangers. The local paper described them as “A finer mounted troop of cavalry, we think, can hardly be found anywhere in the South than the Wilson Rangers of this city. From what we have seen of them at drill we judge them to be a valuable support to our army of gulf coast defense”.

However, there was more than a gallant ride through the streets of New Orleans on the way to drill for this special unit. After riding out of sight of the city the unit would be halted, dismounted, and “ordered” to hunt for shade and to play cards. Quickly four or five men would group together under a fine shade tree and begin to play cards. Later, in the cool of the evening “orders” were again given to cease playing, mount and ride back to the city. Local folks would come out to cheer them with waving handkerchiefs and present them with bouquets of flowers. This was certainly a fine way to serve their cause and continue their professional careers.

Unfortunately for the gamblers, as the Northern troops moved south the unit was ordered to active service in April 1862 as Union forces attacked the city. The Rangers rode out with the cheers and well wishers of the citizens ringing in their ears. About six miles outside of the city they were shelled by Union forces. They quickly retreated back to the city. Upon arrival in New Orleans they dismounted, cut the buttons off their coats, buried their sabers and tried to look like any peaceful citizen overwhelmed by the events taking place.

That was the end of a fine play of hand for the gamblers of New Orleans. It was said they, the Southern gamblers, could not buff against a full hand held by the Union forcesª
The Gaming Bulletin Volume IV, Number 1