History

"You can't close gambling nowhere where the people want to gamble." -Senator Huey Long, Louisiana, 1935

The territory of Louisiana was originally claimed by the French in the 1690s. In order to secure and populate the valuable port site, the King of France awarded John Law and his company the opportunity to develop the new territory. Law raised money by convincing investors they would realize enormous profits from the gold and natural wealth of the colony. However, he couldn't find enough people willing to immigrate to the harsh, mosquito infested, diseaseridden region.

After the Civil War, Americans started moving westward and conflicts with Indians increased. To protect wagon trains, the Army built Fort Dodge along the Santa Fe Trail in 1865.

Six years later, in 1871, rancher Henry L. Stitler constructed a sod house about five miles from Ft. Dodge. The next year, the first business, a sod saloon, was constructed to service soldiers and buffalo hunters.

San Francisco The City Built by Gamblers By Byron Liggett The first citizens of the Bay Area were Native Americans. A peaceful people, they were especially social. They liked to party, enjoyed athletic competition and loved to gamble.

The Spanish established a presidio (military post) on the peninsula in 1776. Otherwise, the first dwelling erected in Yerba Buena ("good herb") was built by the harbor master in 1835. It consisted of four redwood posts covered by an old ship sail. Ten years later, the community had only grown to a dozen wood buildings and fifty residents.

By Byron Liggett America was founded by risk-takers, people willing to gamble on a new beginning, a better life. It was a rugged land abundant with opportunity and danger.

Only the most determined, independent, selfreliant adventurers were attracted to it.

If you've followed tournament poker over the last few years, you've witnessed what appearing on television can do to enhance a player's popularity. Many established professionals have become celebrities on the basis of their success in televised tournament play, while previously unknown players have stepped into the limelight by winning a major tournament and then following up on their success in others, becoming household names in the process.

Editor's Note: This story is an adaptation of material and interviews that may be included in Ms. Eolis' forthcoming book, Power Poker Dame

Last month it was the galloping poker economy, rather than a disaster in the making, that sent me scurrying off on a trip overseas. The itinerary was London, Barcelona and Vienna. I was trying to keep up with Thomas Kremser, the immensely popular European tournament director who has established TK Poker Event Consulting, GmbH to serve the international poker community.

Folks, remember I talk slow and write long-so when I got started on this article, I really did not mean it to be a novel-but this is part three and the end-I hope.

Did you know that there was a C-Day? Yes, on February 18, 1995 Mike's ingenious idea for a four color deck blossomed and was presented at selected poker tables in 65 casinos worldwide, making his dream come true. C-Day stood for Color Day. The four color deck consists of each suit being identified by its own color. Clubs are green, diamonds are blue, hearts remain red and spades remain black. This would simplify identifying your cards.

Seven Card Stud-Yes, the game is still played-by a lot of old timers-but the kids now days want to play the No Limit Hold'em as seen so much on television. I think that seven card stud poker is the truest test of poker and requires the most skill to play of any of the disciplines of poker. There are 52 cards in the deck and to be an expert seven card stud poker player you must consider each of the cards in each of the seven card stud hands that you play. If you can be a winner when playing seven card stud---you can sleep and play No Limit Hold'em poker.

For those of you new to the poker world or relatively new, you won't recognize the name Bill "Bulldog" Sykes. Let me tell you about a poker legend, not because of gold bracelets or the millions he won but because he was a memorable character, he was the Bulldog.