Half century in the Poker 'Mix'. Ask Me Anything

Originally Posted by Debi

I bet you have some great stories to tell! Frank Sinatra was your 4th cousin?

Did you live in Vegas all those years you were playing?

Originally Posted by Jillychemung

With all the brohaha around Eli's loans, how prevalent was it for players to loan back-n-forth these large +$100K sums of money?

What were some of your longest sessions?

What was the rake back in the day?

Any comps back then?

And BTW, Welcome to the forum. We've had a handful of 'oldtimers' over the years that have had some interesting stories.

Originally Posted by Debi

I bet you have some great stories to tell! Frank Sinatra was your 4th cousin?

Did you live in Vegas all those years you were playing?

Originally Posted by ARROGANTICE

This one is for you, darlin'
Stuey, whom I knew since he was 14, fried on coke, wakes me up to go with him to Tony the Ant's house because he just lost 300k of T's money in a game. I knew The Ant long time also, and he was doing some 'business' with my cuz in NYC. Tony chased me away when Stuey went in, and I later heard that Stuey had 'f..ked up beyond reason. and The Ant beat him into a pile of goo. Not the money; Stuey brought a piece to his house, which sent Tony into orbit. His little son was home.
Stuey spent days in the hospital.
Oh, and if you are wondering who Tony was, see 'Casino'. Pesci plays the watered down movie version of The Ant.
Next time: Master Ivey, me, and the straight flush rush followed by his monster heater at The Series. If you'd like to hear it.
After that, I will take you way back to me teaching Sammy & Altavese Omaha. Or if you prefer, Helmuth, me, Rickles, Sharif, and the $600 piece of chicken.

Originally Posted by lewis99

great stuff...hope there is a sinatra story...lol...when i was a young teen in sixties, i wrote to many movie,music stars...sinatra answered with an autographed color photo...classy move to make a fan for life....thanks darrell

Originally Posted by 8bod8

Welcome,
Good to have you around, enjoyed the anecdotes above, thanks!.
Hope you don't get annoyed by the agressive narcicistic youngsters that wannabe a millionair tomorrow.
(tagged the thread to stay informed of any news).

Originally Posted by ARROGANTICE

Credentials:

I retired in 2010 after a lifetime as a pro. 1962-76 part time, then permanently at the felt until the Caribbean called in ‘10.

Was awestruck for my 9th birthday when my parents took me on a plane from Idlewild, (JFK for you little ones,) to the desert as a guest of my 4th cousin, Ol’ Blue Eyes, at The Sands, October ’53. (My most definitive memory of my childhood as my papa passed in January ’54.)

Sat down for my first hand at the very same in December ‘65. Played my first hand for cash in 1949…and I am certain the first thing I saw when my eyes opened was somebody’s hole cards as my parents played non-stop. (Mio Babbo was a made member of the ‘Prime Minister’s’ crew.)

Rarely played tourneys, (although I did manage to bank 150K in them,). I lived in Stud, Omaha 8, Big O., all the Mixed, and the master game, Stud 8, from beginning to end. I was opposite everyone from Johnny to Doyle to Stuey to Chip, (The G.O.A.T., no debate.), to Master Ivey when they all played in the trenches.

I was a contributing editor of Card Player for a decade, and Poker Digest for its entire life. Proudly, I avoided Hold Em as if it were the plague. Doyle called it the ‘Cadillac’. Chip called it the children’s hour. Your choice. Poker became big business, kiddies got rich. (See my editorial in CP after Harrington won the main and the 1st Euro. Witness how prematurely naive I was��!) Inevitable and so great to witness in my golden years. Go get ‘em kids!)

Any questions about my games? Want stories from the Jurassic era to Obama? Ask me, I was there…

Originally Posted by neptun1914

Thanks for sharing stories from the young years of the game. Playing for so many years deserves great respect. I will watch this thread for new interesting stories.

Originally Posted by Serjo600

Where is I can play razz in Vegas?

Originally Posted by neptun1914

Thanks for sharing stories from the young years of the game. Playing for so many years deserves great respect. I will watch this thread for new interesting stories.

Originally Posted by ARROGANTICE

Originally Posted by muse713

I am loving this thread, thanks for sharing. Any stories about women that played poker back in the days?

Originally Posted by Serjo600

So you want to say that in the limit Razz pure never play except wsop, and now if you play this horse and mixed games only.

Originally Posted by Jillychemung

What was the strangest thing a player tried to sell so he could get into or back into a game?

Here's a pic of the pet gator a guy brought into my local game, bargain at only $500.

Originally Posted by ARROGANTICE

This one nobody believes unless they were there. Caesar's playing 75-150 mix, a couple visits the table. He looks like Brad Pitt, she looks like Angelina. 'We're available, either or both of us. We need to make $800. We'll do anything.' After the hysterics died down, Fast Eddie, (no not Felson from 'The Hustler',) pulls out his mule choking pocket roll and off go the three of them. Didn't see Eddie for three weeks! and then he never told us the tale!

Originally Posted by ARROGANTICE

Credentials:

I retired in 2010 after a lifetime as a pro. 1962-76 part time, then permanently at the felt until the Caribbean called in ‘10.

Was awestruck for my 9th birthday when my parents took me on a plane from Idlewild, (JFK for you little ones,) to the desert as a guest of my 4th cousin, Ol’ Blue Eyes, at The Sands, October ’53. (My most definitive memory of my childhood as my papa passed in January ’54.)

Sat down for my first hand at the very same in December ‘65. Played my first hand for cash in 1949…and I am certain the first thing I saw when my eyes opened was somebody’s hole cards as my parents played non-stop. (Mio Babbo was a made member of the ‘Prime Minister’s’ crew.)

Rarely played tourneys, (although I did manage to bank 150K in them,). I lived in Stud, Omaha 8, Big O., all the Mixed, and the master game, Stud 8, from beginning to end. I was opposite everyone from Johnny to Doyle to Stuey to Chip, (The G.O.A.T., no debate.), to Master Ivey when they all played in the trenches.

I was a contributing editor of Card Player for a decade, and Poker Digest for its entire life. Proudly, I avoided Hold Em as if it were the plague. Doyle called it the ‘Cadillac’. Chip called it the children’s hour. Your choice. Poker became big business, kiddies got rich. (See my editorial in CP after Harrington won the main and the 1st Euro. Witness how prematurely naive I was��!) Inevitable and so great to witness in my golden years. Go get ‘em kids!)

Any questions about my games? Want stories from the Jurassic era to Obama? Ask me, I was there…

Originally Posted by ARROGANTICE

Now that's funny. Go back two steps...before The Bellagio, before the Mirage, we were at Caesar's. In the '70s and early '80s we would 'pot out' for high-end jewelry. e.g. A bust out with a 5k watch would offer it to the table. We would give him, say, 1200, 150apiece, and then drop it in the next pot. winner get the goods. I once scored a 13K Patik Phillipe for 190.
This one nobody believes unless they were there. Caesar's playing 75-150 mix, a couple visits the table. He looks like Brad Pitt, she looks like Angelina. 'We're available, either or both of us. We need to make $800. We'll do anything.' After the hysterics died down, Fast Eddie, (no not Felson from 'The Hustler',) pulls out his mule choking pocket roll and off go the three of them. Didn't see Eddie for three weeks! and then he never told us the tale!

Originally Posted by ARROGANTICE

Credentials:

I retired in 2010 after a lifetime as a pro. 1962-76 part time, then permanently at the felt until the Caribbean called in ‘10.

Was awestruck for my 9th birthday when my parents took me on a plane from Idlewild, (JFK for you little ones,) to the desert as a guest of my 4th cousin, Ol’ Blue Eyes, at The Sands, October ’53. (My most definitive memory of my childhood as my papa passed in January ’54.)

Sat down for my first hand at the very same in December ‘65. Played my first hand for cash in 1949…and I am certain the first thing I saw when my eyes opened was somebody’s hole cards as my parents played non-stop. (Mio Babbo was a made member of the ‘Prime Minister’s’ crew.)

Rarely played tourneys, (although I did manage to bank 150K in them,). I lived in Stud, Omaha 8, Big O., all the Mixed, and the master game, Stud 8, from beginning to end. I was opposite everyone from Johnny to Doyle to Stuey to Chip, (The G.O.A.T., no debate.), to Master Ivey when they all played in the trenches.

I was a contributing editor of Card Player for a decade, and Poker Digest for its entire life. Proudly, I avoided Hold Em as if it were the plague. Doyle called it the ‘Cadillac’. Chip called it the children’s hour. Your choice. Poker became big business, kiddies got rich. (See my editorial in CP after Harrington won the main and the 1st Euro. Witness how prematurely naive I was��!) Inevitable and so great to witness in my golden years. Go get ‘em kids!)

Any questions about my games? Want stories from the Jurassic era to Obama? Ask me, I was there…

Originally Posted by ARROGANTICE

The love of my life always referred to me as 'that arrogant Sicilian gorilla'.. My nom de voyage, Iceberg, was dropped on me, literally, while playing a 50-100 mix game at the Horseshoe during the ‘82 series. Puggy, (yes, the late, great, often grotesque, one,) was over my shoulder when a woman in the game fired this shot at me: "You don't react when you win a big pot, you don't react when you lose a big pot...you're like a f.....g iceberg!"

Puggy recorded this and showed up the next day with a Lucite iceberg card lock for me. It stayed with me through my entire career. That 'nick' really took flight when years later Max Shapiro, my pal and fellow CP editor has some real fun with it: In a column he wrote about what he not so reverently titled 'The Pasta poker Paisans', ; John Bonetti, Vince Burrgio and yours truly, he observed the following: "Why is Sitra known as 'Iceberg? He's A Sicilian, not a Jew. Shouldn't it be 'Icepick?"
Ah, the good ol' days...