Oklahoma Johnny Hale

I want to introduce you to Carol and my daughter, "Oklahoma" Sarah Hale. Forgive me, my buttons are busting when I talk about OK-S!

She is Hollywood beautiful, Vegas street smart, college smart, and employed by Caesars Palace in Las Vegas! OK-Sarah is also one hell of a poker player, and was the first woman to win a poker tournament at the Wynn poker room in Las Vegas.

On September 30, 2007 OK-S won first place in my eightieth birthday poker party at the Venetian!

Carol, today I want to give a tip of the hat to a poker player and well-known daredevil Evel Knievel, who has played his last poker hand, made his last jump in this life, and put his name on the waiting list to play a few hands of poker in the big game in the sky.

In my youth-a few years ago-I worshiped a lot of super heroes, Superman, Batman and Robin, The Fantastic Four, Rubber Man, The Lone Ranger, Wild Bill Hickock, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Babe Ruth, Joe Louis, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and many others.

My daughter "Oklahoma Sarah" Hale won my OK-J Eightieth Birthday Poker Party Tournament at the Venetian last week. OK Sarah defeated some really good and well known poker players!

I said to her, "Honey, write it up in your next column!" She said, "No dad, people will think I brag." I reminded her that we have many sayings in Oklahoma and the one that comes to mind is this, "If it is true it's not bragging."

Carol, I want to write a series of columns about the great players of the past that I have had the opportunity to play poker with during my lifetime.

Most of the poker players will be well known to you folks, but a few will just be my poker buddies. Some are now in jail-or just got out, like Bobby Brazil, and Bill Bennett. There's also Mike Spillotro; you'll remember him from the movie Casino. And there's Bugsy Siegel's wife- no, not Virginia Hill-but his first wife, and a lot of Bugsy's nephews.

I was very sad to learn of my friend Byron Liggett's passing. Byron, save me a seat in the big game up there. Byron was so very helpful to me in a great many ways. The poker world will miss him. I want to continue today with another column on the red games of poker. Today I would like to talk to the folks about the poker dealer. If he is a mechanic, you are in a very red game.

For the past few issues I've been writing about cheating, which I call the red games of poker.

It's a controversial subject-so I won't accuse anyone-or make specific references to any casino, card room, or internet site.

I do think that poker is an honorable game-more honorable than golf, football, horse racing, baseball, wrestling, tennis, or basketball!

Have you seen the recent scandal about an NBA referee betting on games that he officiated in? There are also allegations of a betting scandal in tennis that involves players betting on matches they played.

Carol, I want to talk to you and the folks today about the Red Games of Poker, about cheating in poker.

I know this is a controversial subject- so I don't want to accuse anyone or make reference to any specific casino or card room! In this first column on the Red Games of Poker, I will preface my remarks with a few comments.

I would rather trust a poker player than members of any other profession-be they banker, lawyer, preacher, politician, doctor, accountant, policeman, car dealer, professor, plumber, contractor, stock broker, Indian chief or any other of the professions.

Before I tell more about the red games of poker and how cheating is accomplished, I first wish to repeat part of last week's column and preface my remarks with a few comments.

I know that this is a controversial subject-so I wish not to accuse anyone-or make any references to any casino or card room! I would rather trust a poker player than any other profession, be it banker, lawyer, preacher, politician, doctor, accountant, policeman, car dealer, professor, plumber, contractor, stock broker, Indian chief or any other of the professions.

I was honored to be named the Grand Marshall of The Seniors World Championship of Poker and to host 1,882 senior players from all over the world at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas on June 25, 26, and 27. It was the largest senior event in history. The inaugural event of The Seniors World Championship of Poker was held down at Len Miller's Oceanside Card Casino in Oceanside, California about 15 years ago, and the Seniors Hall of Fame was created. The Grand Old Man of Poker, Johnny Moss, was the first member inducted.

I have enjoyed playing the game now for over seventy years. I will be 80 this September 30th -- and I wish to invite all of you folks to come to my Birthday Poker Party which will be held at the Venetian in Las Vegas on September 28-29th and 30th of 2007. Yes, Kathy Raymond, Director of Poker Operations at the beautiful poker room in the Venetian Hotel and Casino has invited me and my friends to come for a little birthday poker party. I sure hope you folks can come and enjoy it with me.