Episode 19: Ace of Spades

Show notes for Episode 19:

“The Opposite of a Peace Sign” by James McManus, an excerpt from his book Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker (2009).

I start the show with an excerpt from one of the later chapters in the new history of poker by James McManus (Positively Fifth Street). The chapter originally appeared as a column in the June 10, 2008 issue of Card Player magazine.

This passage comes amid a discussion by McManus of some of the associations made over the years with the ace of spades. In particular, this excerpt focuses on how the card was “played” (so to speak) during the Vietnam Conflict.

“Ace of Spades” by Motörhead (1980)

Could not possibly have an episode with this title and not pay homage to Lemmy and his mates, could we? The lyrics:

If you want to gamble, I tell you I’m your man.
You win some, lose some -- it’s all the same to me.
The pleasure is to play, it makes no difference what you say.
I don’t share your greed, the only card I need is
The ace of spades, the ace of spades.

Playing for the high one, dancing with the devil,
Going with the flow -- it’s all a game to me.
Seven or eleven, snake eyes watching you.
Double up or quit, double stakes or splits,
The ace of spades, the ace of spades.

You know I’m born to lose, and gambling’s for fools,
But that’s the way I like it baby,
I don’t wanna live forever.
And don’t forget the joker!

Pushing up the ante, I know you’ve got to see me,
Read ’em and weep -- the dead man’s hand again.
I see it in your eyes, take one look and die.
The only thing you see, you know it’s gonna be
The ace of spades, the ace of spades.

“Fatal Ace of Spades,” Nick Harris Detective, July 15, 1938

There is not a lot of information out there regarding this show. Here is the cast as best as I can make out from their listing at the end of the episode:

The episode starred Betty Carmine, Olive Thomas, Jack Coster, Thomas Melba, Eddie Bryan, Malcolm Belairs, Robert Moore, Aldine Brennamen, and George Conkling. Eric Laurens was the announcer, with Nicholas B. Harris appearing as well. The script was written by Ralph Brookhart, and the show was directed and produced by Carolyn Carol.

Anyone with more info about Nick Harris Detective, please feel free to send it along. Also, anyone with suggestions or ideas for future shows, do either leave those here in a comment or contact me via email at shamus at hardboiledpoker dot com.

In other news, I mentioned at the end of this episode plans to have the show syndicated over on a new internet streaming station called the Poker Radio Network, currently set to launch in early December. More to come on that. I am also trying to get the sucker listed over on Podcast Alley, for which purpose I am adding the following to this here post:

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-9e727ecaa43879fcc9e122e1a42a1144}

Episode 18: Gun Shy Gambler

Show notes for Episode 18:

“Counting Beans” by John Fox, an excerpt from his book Play Poker, Quit Work and Sleep Till Noon! (1977)

I read a short selection from the entertaining and informative strategy text by John Fox, a book that preceded both Doyle Brunson’s Super/System and Mike Caro’s Book of Tells. Click here to read my Hard-Boiled Poker post in which I discuss the book further.

In the excerpt, Fox tells a story of how he devised a system for keeping track of statistical data at the poker table -- and how all of his careful planning was nearly spoiled in dramatic, humorous fashion.

“Gun Shy Gambler,” The Lone Ranger, November 15, 1944

Starring Brace Beamer (The Lone Ranger) and John Todd (Tonto). Directed by Charles D. Livingstone.

Here is the Wikipedia entry on the Lone Ranger, which includes the story of the long-running radio show. Sites with many of the episodes are available all over the web -- here is one with nearly 1,000 episodes of the show.

Episode 17: Jack of Clubs

Show notes for Episode 17:

“Turn the Cards Slowly” by Patsy Cline; written by Sammy Masters (1955)

Turn the cards slowly while you’re dealin’, darlin’.
Please don’t double-deal to win my heart.
Turn the cards slowly while you're dealin’, darlin’.
Don’t go breakin’ rules right from the start.

The ramblin’ gamblin’ reckless way you treat my heart’s a sin.
Each night down on my knees I pray your gamblin’ ways will end.
Turn the cards slowly while you’re dealin’, darlin’.
And if you stack the deck, then I’ll move on.

“House of Cards Worth $220,000” by Pat Putnam, from Sports Illustrated, May 31, 1976 issue

I read excerpts from an article about the 1976 World Series of Poker Main Event. You can access the full article online in the Sports Illustrated “vault” -- an archive of all SI articles -- by clicking here.

“Jack of Clubs,” Pat Novak, for Hire, February 20, 1949.

Starring Jack Webb (Pat Novak), Raymond Burr (Police Inspector Hellman), Tudor Owen (Jocko Madigan), Betty Lou Gierson, Victor Perrin, Ted de Corsia, and Herb Butterfield. Music by Basil Adlam. Produced and directed by William Rousseau. Announced by George Fenneman.

Episode 16: Burns and Allen

Show notes for Episode 16:

Most of this episode is taken up with the main feature. By the way, it appears whatever problems I was having before with iTunes have been resolved, so the episodes should all be appearing over there as before. Enjoy!

“The Poker Game,” The Burns and Allen Show (originally aired March 7, 1944)

Starring George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Jimmy Cash. Guest star Alan Ladd. Music by Felix Mills and His Orchestra. Announcer: Bill Goodwin.

Here is a website with about 40 more episodes of The Burns and Allen Show. And here is the Wikipedia entry on the comedic couple.

An Update

Hard-Boiled Poker Radio Show listeners! I wanted to send along a brief update here before I leave for Las Vegas (tomorrow!), where I’ll be helping PokerNews cover the World Series of Poker for the second straight summer.

First, I wanted to let you know that I have recorded Episode 16 and plan to post it here in the next week or so, after I am settled in LV. Probably won’t be able to do another show until I return home in July, but I may try to gather some additional content while at the WSOP to include in future HBPRS episodes.

Second, I have been using Feedburner for distributing the podcast, and have encountered a minor snafu here lately. Earlier this year, Feedburner merged with Google, and so those of us with Feedburner accounts were asked to allow them to move our accounts over, then get Google accounts so we could access our Feedburner stuff. I already had a Google account, of course, so that wasn’t such a problem. However, it appears that the merger might have affected how things work with iTunes.

I’m noticing that since I went ahead and moved over to Google, the recent episodes of the show are not appearing in iTunes (i.e., the last five shows, or all of those posted in 2009). I haven’t checked the other places where you can subscribe to the show, and so don’t know if there are any problems happening in those places, too. Rooting around on the ’net reveals that I’m not the only one experiencing this sort of difficulty with iTunes since the merger, and that it appears to be some difficulty that Feedburner/Google is probably going to have to resolve.

The show has a new RSS feed -- http://feeds2.feedburner.com/hardboiledpokerradioshow -- although the old feed is still working, too (apparently). There’s just some issue with iTunes at the moment as far as getting iTunes to recognize the new feed (?).

Like I say, I hope the momentary trouble gets worked out. (If it doesn’t, I may have to explore moving the podcast over to some other location than Feedburner.) If anybody has any techy advice for helping me resolve my Feedburner-Google-iTunes dilemma, feel free to send it along to shamus at hardboiledpoker dot com.

But right now, I need to go pack. Thanks for listening everyone, and I’ll be posting that Episode 16 here soon!

Episode 15: The Lacework Kid

Show notes for Episode 15:

“Deal” by the Grateful Dead

Starting off with a song this time. Although I fail to mention it on the show, I want here to give a tip of the fedora to our buddy Dr. Pauly, who actually had something to do with this one turning up here.

Here are the Dead performing the song at the Boston Garden on May 7, 1977. The tune appears in numerous places throughout the Dead’s vast discography, the first time (I believe) on the 1981 double-LP Dead Set. Here are the lyrics:

Since it costs a lot to win, and even more to lose,
You and me bound to spend some time wonderin’ what to choose.
Goes to show, you don’t ever know,
Watch each card you play and play it slow,
Wait until that deal come round,
Don’t you let that deal go down, no, no.

I been gamblin’ hereabouts for ten good solid years,
If I told you all that went down it would burn off both of your ears.
Goes to show you don’t ever know
Watch each card you play and play it slow,
Wait until that deal come round,
Don’t you let that deal go down, no, no.

Since you poured the wine for me and tightened up my shoes,
I hate to leave you sittin’ there, composin’ lonesome blues.
Goes to show you don’t ever know
Watch each card you play and play it slow,
Wait until that deal come round, don’t you let that deal go down, no, no.
Wait until that deal come round, don’t you let that deal go down,
Wait until that deal come round, don’t you let that deal go down,
Don’t you let that deal go down, don’t you let that deal go down.

Big Deal (1990) by Anthony Holden

I read an excerpt from British writer Anthony Holden’s excellent nonfiction narrative recounting his year-long attempt to become a professional poker player. In the excerpt, Holden offers some thoughts about that old “poker is like life” analogy that I’ve been known to complain about from time to time on my blog. I think Holden does a nice job with the idea here, though, as he memorably outlines some of the reasons why poker fascinates us so.

One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey “the Kid” Ungar (2006) by Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson

One more short excerpt, this time from the biography of three-time World Series of Poker champ Stu Ungar. This one I read mainly as a way of saying a few things about the game of gin, the game played in the feature presentation that follows.

“The Lacework Kid,” The Damon Runyon Theater (originally aired September 25, 1949)

Directed by Richard Sandville. Adapted from a Damon Runyon short story by Russell Hughes.

Here is a website with all 52 of the episodes of The Damon Runyon Theater that aired during 1949. And here is the Wikipedia entry on Damon Runyon. Another fedora tip to Aces88ss for the suggestion!

Episode 14: The Hot Hundred Grand Caper

Show notes for Episode 14:

Raymond Chandler & Poker

The show begins with a brief explanation of an quote about poker often attributed to the great hard-boiled novelist, Raymond Chandler. The line comes from his 1953 novel The Long Goodbye, although often the exact words uttered by the narrator-protagonist, the detective Philip Marlowe, get transformed somewhat.

I refer to a couple of posts over on Hard-Boiled Poker in the segment. The post “Raymond Chandler Said a Lot of Things” explains with a little more detail how Chandler has been misquoted. Another post, “Raymond Chandler & Poker,” collects a few references to poker from Chandler’s fiction and letters.

“The Hot Hundred Grand Caper,” The Adventures of Sam Spade (originally aired September 19, 1948)

Starring Howard Duff (as Sam Spade, pictured). Also starring Lurene Tuttle and Sadie Thompson. Written by Bob Tollman and Gil Doud. Produced and directed by William Spier.

Here is a detailed article about the radio series, written by Martin Grams. The article is an excerpt from Grams’ book The Radio Adventures of Sam Spade. And here’s a link to an archive with over 50 episodes of the show.

Episode 13: The Life of Riley

Show notes for Episode 13:

“Everything is Wild” by James Thurber

James Thurber’s hilarious poker-themed short story, first published in the New Yorker in 1932. Vera Valmore helps out with the voices in this one.

The story can be found in several places, including in a Thurber collection titled Middle Aged Man on the Flying Trapeze. It also appears in John Stravinsky’s 2004 compilation of poker writings titled Read ’Em and Weep: A Bedside Poker Companion.

“The Gambling Lesson,” The Life of Riley (originally aired April 27, 1946)

Starring William Bendix (as Chester A. Riley). Also starring Paula Winslow, Scotty Beckett, John Brown, Todd Hausner, and Jerry Hausner. Produced by Irving Brecher. Directed by Don Bernard.

Here is the Wikipedia entry for The Life of Riley radio & television shows.

Episode 12: Gunsmoke, The Gambler

Show notes for Episode 12:

Excerpts from Total Poker by David Spanier (1977)

Published before many of the other, “classic” examples of poker journalism such as Al Alvarez’ The Biggest Game in Town (discussed back in Episode 1), Anthony Holden’s Big Deal, and James McManus’ Positively Fifth Street, David Spanier’s 1977 collection of essays titled Total Poker smartly covers a wide range of poker-related topics.

On today’s show, I read from a couple of different chapters in Spanier’s book. First I read excerpts from a chapter titled “Morals” in which Spanier examines differences between amateur and professional poker players. I conclude with a paragraph from his chapter about poker in the movies in which Spanier makes a connection between poker and old Westerns.

If you’re interested, click here to read my full review of Spanier’s Total Poker, which I wrote for my blog, Hard-Boiled Poker, back in the summer of 2007.

“The Gambler,” Gunsmoke (originally aired October 7, 1956)

Starring William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc Adams), Georgia Ellis (Kitty). Also starring Lawrence Dobkin and Ralph Moody. Produced and directed by Norman Macdonnell. Written by John Dunkel. Music composed and conducted by Rex Koury.

Here is the Wikipedia page that covers both the radio and television versions of Gunsmoke. And here is a site where you can download and listen to more episodes of the show.

Episode 11: Poker Chip Draw

Show notes for Episode 11:

“Five Card Stud” by Lorne Greene, from his 1965 album Lorne Greene's American West. The song was written by Wally Gold and David Hill. Here are the lyrics:

I remember it well, it was a hot rainy night
When that stranger rode into town
And tied up his horse at the Rainbow Cafe
and bought everybody a round.

“Hey bartender, break open a new deck of cards,
Let’s have some good, honest fun -- ha!
Now, a sociable game for a dollar or two,
That never hurt anyone.

Now, put your money right down on the table, boys,
The name of the game... five card stud.
Deal slow and easy from the top, son,
The name of the game... five card stud.”

That poker game lasted all through the night,
It lasted all through the next day.
But one by one, they had to drop out.
When they had no more money to play.

That night there was only the stranger
And a cowboy -- a young friend of mine --
They shuffled the cards and the crowd sensed the end
As they put all their chips on the line.

“Now, put your money right down on the table, boys,
The name of the game... five card stud.
Deal slow and easy from the top, son,
The name of the game... five card stud.”

After four cards were dealt to the young cowboy’s hand --
Two kings, everybody could see --
But the stranger’s hand, looking better than his,
Showed an ace, and an ace, and a three.

The last card was dealt to the young cowboy’s hand,
And when he turned up a third king,
Why that stranger just smiled and threw in his cards
And he left without saying a thing.

Well after he’d gone, they turned over his cards,
And surprise showed on everyone’s face.
Oh, they’ll never know why he got up to go
When his card in the hole was an ace!

Now in poker all the rules say that aces beat kings,
So in truth, the stranger had won.
But out of the crowd, just the two of us knew
That the stranger was playing his son.

“Now, put your money right down on the table, boys,
The name of the game... five card stud.
Five card stud, five card stud, five card stud....”

“Poker Chip Draw,” The Cisco Kid (originally aired February 19, 1957)

Starring Jack Mather (as the Cisco Kid) and Harry Lang (as Poncho).

Here is a website where you can find about 200 of the over 600 episodes of The Cisco Kid. And click here if you would like to read O. Henry's 1907 short story, “The Caballero’s Way,” in which the character of the Cisco Kid -- very different than the hero depicted in the movies, radio shows, and on television -- was introduced.

Finally, here is that old episode of the TV show The Cisco Kid I mentioned on the show, titled “Buried Treasure.” Incidentally, this episode originally aired on February 19, 1952, exactly five years (to the day) before the radio show featured on the this podcast was first broadcast.