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The biggest prize in the history

The story happened in a gloomy October day 1889, in Bowen Saloon, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Ike Jackson, one of the richest farmers in the west, and the legendary player Johnny Dougherty were playing a passionate poker game. Among those 100 spectators that were watching the game, was also the Governor of the New Mexico, L. Bradford. When the bet reached 100,000 dollars, Jackson bet his farm. In his turn, Dougherty wrote a few lines on a sheet of paper, rose and pointing the gun to the governor’s head, forced him to sign the note. The note was placed then as a bet, on the table. His opponent read the note, swore and folded it up. “I rise the bet with the whole New Mexico territory”, the note said. See, you can bet anything, as long as you assume your responsibility and you have a gun pointed to your head! Or better said an entire country…

NIXON AND THE POKER PASSION

It is said that the former American president Richard Nixon sponsored his first election campaign from the money won playing poker in the navy during the Second World War. Still, as the political career does not match gambling, Nixon gave up poker in 1952, not before writing in his bibliography the following thing: “I’ve learned that the people that have a good hand, usually speak less and in a low voice, while those that bluff have the tendency to speak loud and in this way unmasking themselves”.

If for Nixon this worked, then keep in mind my advice, it might help you on your next game.

THE POKER MARATHON

The best example of the passion that the game induces was the well-known confrontation between the legendary poker player Johnny Moss and Nick “the Greek” Dandalos, a competition turned into a marathon game in 1949 at the Binion Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas.

Why a marathon? The game lasted five months, with small interruptions to eat and sleep. At the end, it is said that Moss won 4 million dollars of the Greek’s fortune.

This was, in fact, the beginnings of the World Poker Championship (WSOP), which officially started in 1970.

MONEY DO NOT MATTER

An addicted player and a sharper – William “Canada Bill” Jones improved his career at the middle of 1800’s, in the casinos along the Mississippi River. His fabulous prizes are also lost at the gambling table, and at the end remained a memorable remark of his: “Players have nothing to do with money anyway. This is why they are made for, isn’t it?”.

HE BET HIS WIFE AT CARDS

Well, even nowadays people continue to bet without a limit.

The most recent incident is that of the Russian Andrei Karpov who gambled his wife at cards, when he was left with no money and when he lost. Unfortunately for him, he also lost his wife, Tatiana, who chose a quick divorce and a relationship with, you are right, Sergey Brodov, the one who had fairly won her playing poker.

Andrei Karpov was not the only one. The American secretary of state, Bill Bennett also gambled his wife at poker.

“Though I regret betting on my wife, I felt that I had a good hand and that it was impossible for me to lose. I was totally surprised when Jim Baker laid a royal flush”, those were his words immediately after the game. With a nice price, he finally succeeded to get her back. HOW TO LOSE MILLIONS The billionaire Kerry Packer, the richest man in Australia, had two big passions: sports and gambling. The passion for gambling cost him millions of euros, in just one night, losing in a casino in Las Vegas 20 million dollars.

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