Wild West Gambler
Posted By admin On 11/04/22While not much is known of Billy the Kid's early years, he was born William Henry. Wild Wild West Casino offers the energy and excitement of a major casino, without the hassle and high prices of the Strip. Here, you’ll find an inviting atmosphere, friendly service, and far more bang for your gaming buck. Enjoy the latest slots and video poker–plus thrilling table games and a full-service sports book. ISBN 1-55709-110-2. This book is a series of vignettes by Mr. Devol recounting various adventures he had as a Mississippi riverboat gambler. Gamblers of the Old West, from the Editors of Time-Life Books. ISBN 0-7835-4903-2. This is a terrific book with many fine illustrations the aid in the understanding of gambling in the 19th century. The town was essentially a who's who of the Wild West, with legends like Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Pat Garrett and John Wesley Hardin making frequent appearances. It made for the perfect gambling.
Everyone, deep down inside, fancies themselves an expert on the Old West. After all, we've seen every John Wayne western there is, binge-watched HBO's Deadwood, and took a a couple history classes in college. What else is there to know? Well a lot: much of America's most romanticized and glorified piece of history is still very much a mystery, so sit back on the porch, poor some whiskey, and let us fill you in. Here's the truth of the Old West.
Wild camels once roamed the frontier
$30,000. That's the cost of 75 camels imported from the Middle East and Mediterranean by the United States Army in 1857. With the transcontinental railroad still a distant pipedream, camels were believed to be one of the keys to expanding westward across the wild and untamed land.
Originally only used in Texas to haul supplies short distances, Washington eventually ordered that Edward Fitzgerald Beale take a couple dozen camels all the way to California. With the help of these camels — themselves no stranger to long journeys with minimal food and water — Beale succeeded in doing what many thought impossible, arriving just north of Los Angeles after trekking more than 1,200 miles. Indeed, with railroad travel being the way of the future, it seemed that camels were the way of the now — with Jefferson Davis-appointee Major Henry Wayne stating: 'Americans will be able to manage camels not only as well, but better than Arabs, as they will do it with more humanity and with far greater intelligence.' That's cold, even for a Confederate.
Yes, the American camel craze was real. Congress, however, was not so keen on purchasing more camels and, together with the mule lobby (which was a thing), smothered the burgeoning camel movement — until the Civil War put it to bed, forever. With the secession of Texas came Confederate control, and the rebels figured the best thing to do with these government-bought camels was to let them graze. According to Smithsonian, some camels were caught and sold. Others were used by the Confederate post office, while one was reportedly pushed off a cliff. Some became famous, like the 43rd Mississippi Infantry's Old Douglas, who sadly died in battle during the siege of Vicksburg.
There are loads of interesting camel stories recorded in America's western history, though few seem to know about them. Perhaps most interesting are the feral camels that freely roamed the range, providing a pleasant surprise to those lucky ten-or-so who happened to spot one in the postbellum period. And the most interesting of these is undoubtedly the Red Ghost — a monster who roamed the Arizona desert, trampled a woman to death, could disappear into thin air, and had human remains latched onto its body. You just can't make this stuff up.
Wild West Gambler
There was a crucial Civil War battle in New Mexico
Everyone knows about the Battle of Gettysburg, but do you know about the Battle of Glorieta Pass? Probably not.
Known as 'the Gettysburg of the West,' Glorieta Pass was one of the only significant Civil War battles to take place in the Old West. The scale of the battle was small, with only 2,500 soldiers in total, but the importance of the battle was massive — at least as far as the Wild West was concerned, with a huge territory of mineral-rich land awarded to the victor. Additionally, as described by the National Park Service, capturing New Mexico meant gaining access to the mines of Colorado, the extension of slavery into California — with its 1,200 miles of coastline and blockade-free ports — as well as the ability to use Arizona as a means of invading Mexico.
With the battle nearing an end and exhaustion setting in on both sides, it appeared that Confederate Texas was positioned to claim victory. However, the New Mexico Volunteers shrewdly climbed down the Glorieta Mesa cliff face, surprised the virtually defenseless Confederates below, and destroyed the entire supply train at Johnson's Ranch — a huge blow to the invading army. The Confederates retreated back to Texas, and the Union maintained permanent control for the remainder of the war.
Tell this story to any racist uncle of yours who fancies himself an expert on the Civil War, and watch his mind get blown.
Elmer McCurdy's wild ride
They say there's no rest for the wicked, and the bizarre case of Elmer McCurdy proves the validity of that statement.
The Notorious E.L.M. was born in 1880, and didn't have much going for him. Like more than a few children of the time, McCurdy was orphaned — pretty much assuring his prospects in life would be few. Indeed, he lived to be only 31 years old, after a life of alcoholism, lead-mine induced tuberculosis, alcoholism, and blundered bank robberies. According to National Public Radio's Snap Judgement, McCurdy once blew up an entire bank, leaving only the safe standing, 'unscratched and unharmed.' That's like how the Three Stooges would rob a bank.
His criminal incompetence would ultimately prove to be his downfall, as he once robbed the wrong train — he presumed it to be housing $400,000, but it really had $46 and two jugs of whiskey. How could one's day get any worse? Well, this bungled burglary eventually leading to his hiding in a barn, before getting shot in the chest by the authorities. Ah, that's how.
What's weirder than this unlucky outlaw's life, however, is his afterlife. Because nobody cared about him whatsoever, he never received a proper funeral. Instead, the funeral director pumped his body full of arsenic and embalming fluid, turning him into one fine Wild West mummy. According to NPR, the funeral director was mighty proud of his handiwork, so he charged people to come and take a look ... even putting the entrance fee right into the poor dead guy's mouth! Then, one day, some dude showed up pretending to be McCurdy's brother, and — with none the wiser — took the mummified corpse and made it his West Texas carnival's main attraction.
McCurdy's mummy changed hands multiple times, becoming more and more famous with each exhibition — until he was almost as well-known as Billy the Kid himself. His fame would ultimately plummet, and his body was eventually forgotten, covered in glow-in-the-dark spray paint and hung from a noose in the haunted Long Beach amusement park ride 'Laff in the Dark' — until a camera crew filming The Six Million Dollar Man in 1976 accidentally ripped the presumed-to-be-mannequin's arm off, revealing human bone.
So where is McCurdy now? Resting in peace beneath six feet of concrete in the place of his death: Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Gambling was a full-time job
Gambling is most frequently seen as a recreational activity, as a means of entertainment, or — at worst — an addiction. In the Old West, however, gambling was more than any of that. For many individuals who ventured into the wilder territories, gambling was a profession.
According to R.K. DeArment, in the appropriately-titled magazine Wild West, anyone crazy enough to venture west in search of a new life was a natural gambler — they were, in many cases, gambling with their lives. The west was all about taking a chance — whether staking it all on a California land-claim in search for gold, or making your trade as a full-time card shark. Writes DeArment, 'In the early West, gambling was considered a profession, as legitimate a calling as the clergy, the law or medicine.'
With the growth of western cities came more and more gambling emporiums. In the words of DeArment: 'Denver, Kansas City, Omaha, Tucson, Hot Springs, Ark., and the Texas cities of Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Dallas were recognized as wide-open for gambling of all sorts — from cheating three-card monte scams to high-stakes poker and faro games in elaborate casinos.' California was basically heaven for professional gamblers, many of whom made a mighty fine livin' liberating prospectors and gold-buyers of their newly acquired shiny stuff. Klondike was no different, with legendary gamblers like 'Square Sam' Bonnifield and Louis 'Goldie' Golden putting the likes of Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu to shame.
A word of warning to anyone lookin' to hop in their time machine and win some cash off some gold prospectors: many of the best gamblers were notorious cheaters. Either that, or they'd just shoot you if they lost. Either way, just stick to online poker.
There were once red-haired, cannibalistic giants in Nevada
Did you know that once upon a time, ginger giants roamed the territory of Nevada, terrorizing their Native American neighbors and eating human flesh? It's true! Kind of.
According to Northern Paiute author, activist, and educator Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins, her tribe told stories of a red-haired cannibalistic tribe called the Si-Te-Cah. As dictated by oral tradition, the Si-Te-Cah — whose name implies they ate a fibrous water plant — warred with the Northern Paiute, who defeated the cannibals. With the help of neighboring tribes, the Paiute managed to trap all surviving Si-Te-Cah in a cave, before lighting the cave entrance on fire and eradicating the red-haired tribe forever.
Winnemucca writes in her book Life Among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims: 'My people say that the tribe we exterminated had reddish hair ... I have a dress which has been in our family a great many years, trimmed with the reddish hair ... It is called a mourning dress, and no one has such a dress but my family.' She also mentions that her tribe, upon annihilating the Si-Te-Cah, were referred to as both 'conquerors' and 'enemy,' while never mentioning today's belief that they were giants. On a related note, classical folklorist Adrienne Mayor is skeptical about the height of Si-Te-Cah, claiming in FossilLegends of the First Americans that the cannibalistic tribe was probably of normal height, and that enterprising individuals made them out to be giants either intentionally or by accident, mistaking the bones of mammoths or giant cave bears for human remains.
Though the Si-Te-Cah may have been tall by European standards, they probably weren't giants. Still, red-haired warring tribes of cannibals does help the Wild West live up to its name, and makes us wonder why Hollywood hasn't made 50 movies about them already.
The ghost town of Bodie curses thieves
East of the Sierra Nevada mountain range lies one of America's most authentic ghost towns, Bodie. It's a popular destination for Old West fans and tourists alike — just don't steal anything from there.
What separates Bodie from other abandoned mining towns is the sincere belief that it's cursed. According to various reports and accounts, stealing items from Bodie has dire — and permanent — consequences. It doesn't matter what you pilfer, either. If you take anything, from a rusty nail to a hot water heater, you'll apparently be cursed with bad luck forever. And, according to those afflicted, it's some real serious misfortune, including death, serious injury, or — worst of all — heartbreak.
Because of the curse, many individuals who've stolen souvenirs from the town have returned them, often by post, to the park authorities. The Observer-Reporter once reproduced some excerpts from letters accompanying the returns, including one from Germany, reading: 'We saw that nail on the ground and had the feeling we have to take it with us ... now after these years of bad luck, we decided to send the nail back to the ghost town, in hope our luck comes back.' The Lodi News-Sentinel even reported that a woman returned the nail that punctured her tire when driving through town. Maybe the Bodie ghosts just have a thing for nails.
Wild West Gambler Costume
Skeptical about the Bodie curse? Why don't you go pay the ghost town a visit, steal a nail, and see for yourself? Let us know how it turns out for you.
There are loads of missing mines
Many people emigrated to the Old West in search of fame and fortune, with some even lucky enough to find the latter. But don't worry, you still haven't missed your chance at striking it rich in the western frontier! There are still loads of missing mines just waiting to be found. The most famous one might be the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine, which is believed to be located somewhere in the appropriately-named Superstition Mountains, east of Phoenix, Arizona. Many have searched for German immigrant Jacob Waltz's 19th-century gold mine, but to no avail, with some people even dying whilst on the hunt.
Perhaps you're into lost mines of lesser renown. If so, you can always go seek the Wheelbarrow Mine in Idaho, located 3,871 feet above sea level, at coordinates 46.9975° N, 116.7833° W. (In layman's terms, take a left toin at Albucoique, then go north a whole bunch.) You can also go after Adams Diggings, a gold-rich canyon somewhere in New Mexico, or search for the Lost Blue Bucket Mine in Oregon. If you want to dig for a truly deep cut, seek out Janni's Chimney in Northport, Washington — it supposedly hides deep veins of high-grade galena.
When you do strike it rich, remember what site pointed you in the next direction, and make sure to share your spoils with us.
Cowboys and aliens
Aliens loved the Old West, probably because it had so much space.
Bad puns aside, alien abduction stories aren't a particularly recent phenomenon. They're not even a 20th-century phenomenon, with one of the first documented sightings of aliens happening in Lodi, California, in 1896. Yes, real-life cowboys and aliens. According to Civil War veteran, and journalist, Colonel H.G. Shaw, he and a buddy happened across some extraterrestrials who, as recounted by the Lodi News-Sentinel, 'were 7 feet tall and very slender with small hands, fingers without nails, and feet twice as long as normal and functioned similar to a monkey's feet.' In the words of Shaw: 'I have a theory ... those we beheld were inhabitants of Mars, who have been sent to the earth for the purpose of securing one of its inhabitants.' Well ... we hope it was only a theory.
Shaw's sighting was, of course, not the only extraterrestrial experience in the Old West. In 1897, almost a decade before man would take flight, Texans were spotting cigar-shaped flying vehicles cruising over the deserts on Aurora, Texas. Later that same year, according to the Times Daily, 'a UFO allegedly slipped from the heavens and exploded in the middle of the town' — though some skeptics claim it was just a meteorite.
We'd be remiss not to mention the most famous UFO sighting in the Wild West's history. Around midday on July 8, 1947, an unidentified flying object landed in Roswell, New Mexico — and we're pretty sure that wasn't a meteorite. We're not saying it's aliens, but ...
OBJECTIVE OF FARO: Place winning bets on cards to receive a payout each turn.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-10 players
MATERIALS: 52-card deck, betting chips, coppers (pennies), case-keeper, dealer box (optional)
RANK OF CARDS: A,K,Q,J,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2
TYPE OF GAME: Gambling
AUDIENCE: Adult
INTRODUCTION TO FARO
This gambling game was extremely popular in the American Wild West and the gold rush, today Faro is a lesser known and enjoyed game, having gone out of style in the 1950s. It’s believed to have originated in France sometime in the late 17th century and was called “Pharaon.” As it passed through western Europe its name changed to Pharo in England, once it arrived in the United States its name was converted to Faro.
Wild West Roblox
Faro is a derivative of the game Bassetta, which was brought to Paris from Italy in the early 17th century. Its origins can be traced back to as early as the 15th century.
HOW TO PLAY
Setting Up
The dealer also acts as a banker.
Players buy chips from the banker in order to place bets during the game.
The banker uses a table, typically covered in green cloth. It’s 3 x 1.5 feet with thirteen cards of one suit (usually spades) printed on it. Below is a photo of the table layout.
In saloons, an employee of the banker or anyone not playing the game would manage the casekeeper. It is an abacus-like board with four beads on a wire opposite of a card. Once a card has been shown, the casekeeper would push a bead over to indicate so. Before a fresh deal, all the beads are pushed over to the other side of the wire to indicate they have not been shown. In the absence of a casekeeper a cue sheet may be used. Simply grab a fresh piece of paper, to the far left, from top to bottom, mark A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2. If a card is shown, and it is a winner, indicate so by placing a straight line beside the corresponding rank. If the card is a loser, indicate that with a 0 next to the card show. A soda is marked with a dot. in the event of a split, mark an x. Reminder, there will only be three notations beside the card’s rank on the cue card if there is a split.
Betting units should be decided prior to starting the game.
Betting
- Size: There are two limits on size: plain limit or running limit. The plain limit is the highest amount staked on a card for the initial bet. The running limit is 4 x the plain limit. So, if the plain limit is 5 the running limit is 20. For example, a player bets 5 and wins. They may leave their original stake and winnings, which totals 10, in the same spot or move it to another card where they also can win 10. This means the player’s total stake is 20, the running limit imposed by the banker. If the player wins that last bet, they may only stake 20 on the next. This is called parleeing a bet. If the player wins, their maximum stake doubles. So, if the first bet is 5 the second is 10, the third is 20, the fourth is 40, and so on. Bankers generally allow parleeing bets because they have the statistical advantage.
- Placing Bets: Players must decide what cards on the Faro board they wish to bet on. Placing a betting chip in the center of a card is placing a bet on that card alone. However, they are several possible ways to bet on cards in Faro. If a player places a betting chip equidistant from four cards in the center of the table, they are placing a bet on all four of those cards. Bets may also be placed in the corner of a card, this places a bet on that card and the card directly diagonal (drawing a line through the chip to the next card) of the card with the chip. Players may also place a betting chip toward the end of the table, equidistant from three cards, one of those being one of the cards farthest out in the layout. This places a bet on all three of those cards. The last simple way to bet is high card. On the Faro table will be a rectangle marked “high card,” placing a bet here means you think the winning card will be higher than the losing card.
- Coppered Bets: Placing a copper (simply a penny) on top of your bet reverses the bet. You are then betting that a card (or cards) will be a losing card rather than be a winning card.
- Players may avoid risking their stake on a turn by declaring, “I bar this bet for a turn.”
- Players can reduce their stake by half by declaring, “one-half of this bet goes.”
Playing Faro
After bets all placed, the dealer shuffles and cuts the deck and places it face-up beside themselves. Ideally, the dealer will use a dealing box. It is a spring loaded box the dealer puts the deck in so that cards come out one at a time and players can’t see cards below the one on top. This reduces cheating.
The first card on top is called the soda, it is not used and immediately discarded to the left of the board. Following the soda, the next card is the loser card. It is placed between the soda and the pack, on the left side of the board. The next card face-up on the deck is the winning card for that turn. Each turn has two cards, a winner and a loser. Before the next turn, the winning card is discarded to the same pile as the soda.
The game has 25 turns with betting rounds in between, starting with the soda and ending with the hock (the last card turned). All bets are settled at the end of a turn and new bets are placed.
Loser cards only win for the banker, who collects the chips placed on the losing card on the table, unless the bet was coppered. If the bet was coppered the player wins, their winnings is equal to the amount of the bet placed.
Wild West Wiki
Winning cards win for the player who bet on them. Their winnings is equal to the bet amount placed on the winning card and paid out by the banker.
If the winning and losing card are the same in a turn this is called a split. The dealer collects half the chips placed on that card.
When the deck runs dry, and the hock is disposed of, cards a collected and reshuffled. This is a fresh deal. Playing resumes as normal.
REFERENCES:
http://web.archive.org/web/20160507070137/http://www.thegamesforum.com:80/Faro.htm
http://www.pophaydn.com/uploads/7/7/6/6/7766194/faro_booklet.pdf
https://www.pagat.com/banking/faro.html