Episode 1: Dead Man’s Deal

Good golly, Miss Molly. A podcast. What in the hell am I thinking? Thanks a lot for checking it out. With each new episode, I will be adding a post over here containing show notes. I’ll also always give a heads-up over on Hard-Boiled Poker when a new show has been posted.

You can click here to listen over the intertubes, or just right-click the link and choose “Save As” to download. The RSS feed for subscribing to the show is http://feeds.feedburner.com/hardboiledpokerradioshow. I am not sure at the moment whether the show is going to turn up in iTunes right away or later or what. I do know if you enter that feed into other podcast-receiver programs like Juice (which I use), you’ll receive the show there directly.

Here are the show notes for Episode 1:

“Poker and the Written Word” by Tim Peters

Tim discusses one of the most heralded of all poker narratives, The Biggest Game in Town (1983) by Al Alvarez. As Tim points out, Alvarez’s account of the 1981 World Series of Poker is a must read for poker players. About a year ago, I posted a list of all of the professional players mentioned in the book.

You can read Tim’s reviews for CardPlayer along with other writings at his website, “The Literature of Poker.”

“The Darktown Poker Club” (1914) sung by Bert Williams
(Jean Havez / William H. Vodery / Bert Williams)

Here are the lyrics to the song (as far as I can make them out):

Bill Jackson was a poor old dub.
He joined the Darktown Poker Club
Then cussed the day they told him that he could join.

His money seemed like it had wings.
If he held Queens, someone had Kings.
Each night he would contribute all his coin.

He says “I think I’ll play 'em tight tonight --
No bobtail flush’ll make me bite --
When I go in, my hand’ll be a peach.”

So he saw he was in with the losing pile
And got kinda peevish after while.
One night he got up and made a speech.

He says “You see this brand new razor?
I had it sharpened just today.
And I want to tell y’all some new rules to follow hereafter
When we play.

Keep your hands above the table when you're dealing -- please.
And I don’t want to catch no aces down between your knees.
Don't be makin’ funny signs or tip your hand
And I don’t wanna hear no kind of language that I don’t understand.

Stop dealing from the bottom, ’cause it looks so rough,
And remember that in poker five cards is enough!
When you bet, put up, ’cause I don't like it when you shy.
And when yo’ broke, get up, and then come on back by and by.

Pass the cards to me to shuffle every time before you deal
Then there’s anything wrong, why, I’ll see.
Not gonna play this game no more according to Mr. Hoyle --
Hereafter, it’s gonna be according to me!”

Now seated right there in the clan
There chanced to be a one-eyed man --
Bill watched him from the corner of his eye.

The one-eyed man would deal and then
Would cost Bill Jackson five or ten.
Finally, he got up with a sigh.

“Ah,” he says, “I think it’s a shame,
But there’s cheating goin’ on in the game
And honestly I - I don’t wanna name the guy.

But where I may not call his name
If I catch him cheating just once again
I’m gonna take my fist and close his other eye!

Pass them cards to me to shuffle every time before you deal
There’s anything wrong, why, I’ll see.
We ain’t gonna play this game no more according to Mr. Hoyle,
Hereafter, it’s just according to me!”

“Tales from the Tables” by Bob Woolley
(a.k.a. Rakewell, the Poker Grump)

Here the “Poker Grump” describes a phenomenon with which we’re all familiar, though perhaps wish we weren’t. The article he mentions is from the February 2007 issue of Bluff Magazine -- it is titled “Dirty Vegas.”

You can read more of Bob’s tales -- of both the grumpy and non-grumpy varieties -- over at his blog, Poker Grump.

“Dead Man’s Deal,” Inner Sanctum Mysteries
(originally aired August 28, 1945)

The episode was written by Emile C. Tepperman and directed by Himan Brown. Larry Haines stars as Joe Lester. Raymond Edward Johnson hosts the show, aided by Mary Bennett (the Lipton Tea lady).

Here is the Wikipedia entry on the show, and here are links to other episodes of Inner Sanctum Mysteries.

You can leave comments and/or suggestions here on this post, or send them to shamus at hardboiledpoker dot com.

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