The Hard-Boiled Poker Radio Show

Show notes for Episode 11: “Five Card Stud” by Lorne Greene, from his 1965 album Lorne Greene's American West. The song was written by Wally Gold and David Hill. Here are the lyrics: I remember it well, it was a hot rainy night When that stranger rode into town And tied up his horse at the Rainbow Cafe and bought everybody a round. “Hey bartender, break open a new deck of cards, Let’s have some good, honest fun -- ha! Now, a sociable game for a dollar or two, That never hurt anyone. Now, put your money right down on the table, boys, The name of the game... five card stud. Deal slow and easy from the top, son, The name of the game... five card stud.” That poker game lasted all through the night, It lasted all through the next day. But one by one, they had to drop out. When they had no more money to play. That night there was only the stranger And a cowboy -- a young friend of mine -- They shuffled the cards and the crowd sensed the end As they put all their chips on the line. “Now, put your money right down on the table, boys, The name of the game... five card stud. Deal slow and easy from the top, son, The name of the game... five card stud.” After four cards were dealt to the young cowboy’s hand -- Two kings, everybody could see -- But the stranger’s hand, looking better than his, Showed an ace, and an ace, and a three. The last card was dealt to the young cowboy’s hand, And when he turned up a third king, Why that stranger just smiled and threw in his cards And he left without saying a thing. Well after he’d gone, they turned over his cards, And surprise showed on everyone’s face. Oh, they’ll never know why he got up to go When his card in the hole was an ace! Now in poker all the rules say that aces beat kings, So in truth, the stranger had won. But out of the crowd, just the two of us knew That the stranger was playing his son. “Now, put your money right down on the table, boys, The name of the game... five card stud. Five card stud, five card stud, five card stud....” “Poker Chip Draw,” The Cisco Kid (originally aired February 19, 1957) Starring Jack Mather (as the Cisco Kid) and Harry Lang (as Poncho). Here is a website where you can find about 200 of the over 600 episodes of The Cisco Kid. And click here if you would like to read O. Henry's 1907 short story, “The Caballero’s Way,” in which the character of the Cisco Kid -- very different than the hero depicted in the movies, radio shows, and on television -- was introduced. Finally, here is that old episode of the TV show The Cisco Kid I mentioned on the show, titled “Buried Treasure.” Incidentally, this episode originally aired on February 19, 1952, exactly five years (to the day) before the radio show featured on this podcast was first broadcast. Download.

Show notes for Episode 10: Most of this episode is taken up with the feature presentation, another old radio show featuring poker. The show begins on a train, which reminds me of a card trick I once learned while riding on a train. The first segment finds me performing the trick for you, dear listener, as a lead-in to the show... “Come, Fill My Cup,” CBS Radio Mystery Theater (originally aired June 27, 1977) Hosted by E.G. Marshall. Written by Sam Dann. Starring Larry Haines, Russell Horton, Earl Hammond, and William Griffis. Here is the Wikipedia entry on the CBS Radio Mystery Theater which provides a good overview of the series (which ran from 1974 to 1982). Here is an incredibly thorough guide to all 1,399 episodes. And here is a site that is one of several around the web with other episodes. Download.

Show notes for Episode 9: “Stud Poker,” Calling All Detectives (originally aired September 2, 1948) Another mystery from the casebook of Jerry Browning, Private Detective. Starring Paul Barnes (who voices all of the parts). As I mention on the show, Calling All Detectives originally started out as an “interactive” program, with Barnes calling listeners to see if they could solve the mystery. I have (sort of) recreated the idea here, stopping the show with a couple of minutes remaining to give you a chance to try to solve the case. (Good luck.) And speaking of luck, click here to learn more about the dice game of “Chuck-A-Luck” that is played in the show. “The Case of the Poker Murders,” Nick Carter, Master Detective (originally aired May 21, 1946) Starring Lon Clark (Nick Carter), Charlotte Manson (Patsy Bowen), and Ed Latimer (Sgt. Mathison). Script by Max Early. Music by George Wright. Produced and directed by Jock MacGregor. Here is the Wikipedia page describing the radio show. And here is a fairly detailed website that gives a historical overview of the Nick Carter character. Download.

Show notes for Episode 8: “Tales from the Tables” by Bob Woolley (a.k.a. Rakewell, the Poker Grump) The “Poker Grump” offers sketches of three characters he has encountered at the tables in the Vegas card rooms as well as while playing on the virtual felt. For more of Bob’s tales from the tables, check out his blog. In particular, take a look at this recent post in which Bob recounts a number of characters he encountered during an evening at the Hard Rock. “Silver Dollars” by Billy Collins (1977) After a bit of background regarding Wild Bill Hickok -- gleaned in part from Des Wilson’s book Ghosts at the Table (2008) & James McManus’ CardPlayer article titled “Aces and Eights” (8/21/2007 issue) -- I read a poem by Billy Collins that humorously revisits the story of Hickok’s demise. Collins’ poem originally appeared in his first collection of poems, titled Pokerface. It is also anthologized in John Stravinsky’s Read ’Em and Weep (2004). “Aces and Eights,” Frontier Gentleman (originally aired April 20, 1958) Written, produced, and directed by Antony Ellis. Starring John Dehner, John McIntyre, Jeanette Nolan, Jack Moyles, Larry Dobkin, Stacy Harris, and Vic Perrin. Here's the Wikipedia entry on the show, and here is a link to an archive of what I believe is all 41 episodes of the show. Download.

Show notes for Episode 7: “Dolan’s Poker Party” (ca. 1925-29) by Frank Crumit Four aces and a joker is a lovely hand at poker -- All the money in the pot is yours according to the law. Though I never like to gamble, let me say without preamble That I am a trifle partial to a quiet game o’ draw. On Thursday night McCarty organized a poker party. There was Dolan, Martin, Doyle, and Reilly -- six of us in all. Although the game was very quiet, but it ended in a riot Sure they overturned the stove and smashed the pictures on the wall. Listen and I’ll tell ye how the trouble did begin: Dolan opened up a pot and three of us went in. ’Twas opened for a quarter and when Dolan won the pot He counted it and found that sixty cents was all he got -- ho ho ho ho ho. Oh, Dolan got excited and declared that he would right it. He got up and intimated he was ready for a bout. Then he reached for Reilly’s Galways which he carried with him always And before we could prevent it he had plucked a handful out. Just to keep the ball a-rollin’ I declared meself for Dolan Sure they threw me on the floor an’ slammed the stove upon me back, All o’ the furniture was broken and I carry yet a token Of the luck I had the night that Dolan opened up the jack. All the furniture was broken and I carry it a token Of the luck I had the night that Dolan opened up the jack. Here’s a brief bio of Frank Crumit. As mentioned on the show, the song appears on Ricky Jay Plays Poker, a collection of old poker songs compiled by the sleight-of-hand artist. And here’s that interview with Ricky Jay from NPR’s Weekend Edition in which he discusses the collection. “Poker and the Written Word” by Tim Peters This time Tim offers an interesting overview of the history of poker books, reaching back to George Devol’s Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi (1887) to Herbert O. Yardley’s The Education of a Poker Player (1957) to Doyle Brunson's Super/System (1978) on up to the present day (and beyond). Send Tim your thoughts to pokerbooks at mac dot com. And visit his website, The Literature of Poker, for reviews and other interesting writings related to poker and the written word. The Education of a Poker Player by Herbert O. Yardley I read a short excerpt from the beginning of Yardley’s classic instructional manual-slash-autobiography. Click here to read my earlier post about the book, written last year to mark its fiftieth anniversary. “Poker Game,” Fibber McGee and Molly (originally aired February 23, 1943) Starring Jim Jordan, Marian Jordan, Bill Thompson, and Harlow Wilcox. Here's the Wikipedia entry on the show, and here is a link to a large archive of old episodes. Download.

Show notes for Episode 6: Audio from the 2008 World Series of Poker The show begins and ends with some sound from Day 1a of the Main Event, recorded July 3, 2008. “Four Men and a Poker Game, or Too Much Luck Is Bad Luck” by Bertolt Brecht This story was originally published in a German literary magazine in 1926. You can find it in John Stravinsky’s terrific 2004 anthology of poker writings titled Read ’Em and Weep. “The Ambassador of Poker,” Escape (originally aired April 4, 1950) Produced and directed by William N. Robson. Starring Elliott Reid (as Randolph C. Fairburn), Lucille Meredith, and Ben Wright. Based on the short story by Ahmed Abdullah, a.k.a. Alexander Nicholayevitch Romanoff (adaptation by John Dunkel). Here is the Wikipedia entry on Escape, and here is an archive where you can find many of the episodes. Download.

Show notes for Episode 5: “Tales from the Tables” by Bob Woolley (a.k.a. Rakewell, the Poker Grump) The “Poker Grump” shares some anecdotes about drunks he has encountered at the tables. If you don’t know who Red Skelton was, here’s a short biography of the comedian and long-time star of radio and television. “Little Queen of Spades” (1937) by Robert Johnson She is a little queen of spades and the men will not let her be. She is the little queen of spades and the men will not let her be. Every time she makes a spread, cold chill just runs all over me. And I’m goin’ get me a gamblin’ woman if it’s the last thing that I do. Goin’ get me a gamblin’ woman if it’s the last thing that I do. A man don’t need a woman, hoo, fair brown, he got to give all his money to. And everybody say she got a mojo baby been usin’ that stuff. Everybody says she got a mojo ‘cause she been usin’ that stuff. She got a way trimmin’ down hoo, now babe, and I mean it’s most too tough. Well, now little girl, since I am the king, fair brown, and you is a queen Since I am the King baby, and you is a queen Let’s we put our heads together hoo, fair brown, then we can make our money green. “The Queen of Spades,” Mystery in the Air (originally aired September 11, 1947) Starring Peter Lorre, Henry Morgan, Maureen Tuttle, Peggy Webber, and Ben Wright. Based on the 1833 short story by Alexander Pushkin. Here is a description of faro that originally appeared in The Merry Gamester: A Practical Guide to the most popular card, dice and board games of the English speaking world, from ancient times to 1900 by Walter Nelson. And here is that site where you can play faro online, a nifty flash player created by Sean Gleeson. Download.

Show Notes for Episode 4: “Poker Woman Blues” (1929) by Blind Blake I love to gamble, gamblin’s all I do I love to gamble, gamblin’s all I do And when I lose, it never makes me blue I gambled away my money, I gambled away my shack I gambled away my money, I gambled away my shack Same way I lost it, same way I get it back I won a woman in a poker game I won a woman in a poker game I lost her too, win another just the same Sometime I’m rich, sometime I ain’t got a cent Sometime I’m rich, sometime I ain’t got a cent But I’ve had a good time, every way I went I got a new mama, ain’t gonna gamble her away I got a new mama, ain’t gonna gamble her away Goin’ to keep her with me each and every day “Tales from the Tables” by Bob Woolley (a.k.a. Rakewell, the Poker Grump) The “Poker Grump” returns with the continuation of his list of stupid things players say at the tables, including the ever-popular “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner.” For the first part of the list, check out Episode 2. An excerpt from The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky In which Granny comes to Roulettenburg and wants to go to the casino. A couple of years back, I wrote a series of four posts about The Gambler titled “Dostoevsky Is Not Considered Summer Reading” in which I discussed how the novel might be of particular interest to poker players. Those posts begin here. “Hitchhike Poker,” Suspense (originally aired September 16, 1948) Starring Gregory Peck (Ray Fowler) and Ed Begley (Belden). Produced and directed by Anton M. Leader. Written by John and Gwen Bagney. Here is the Wikipedia entry on Suspense. Hundreds of episodes of Suspense remain available. Here is a page containing a sampling of some of the best. And here is a story about Utah’s recent license plate poker contest. Download.

Show Notes for Episode 3: 2007 World Series of Poker Player of the Year Tom Schneider (author of Oops! I Won Too Much Money) starts the proceedings. Excerpt from “Strip Poker,” Stop Messing About! (July 12, 1970) Excerpt from “Jack’s Trip to Las Vegas,” The Jack Benny Program (May 23, 1954) Starring Jack Benny, Don Wilson, Bob Crosby, and Mel Blanc. Here is the Wikipedia entry on Jack Benny, and here is a link to about 600 other episodes of The Jack Benny Program. For more on the history of the Flamingo Hotel, click here. “Playing Poker With Charles Coburn,” Duffy’s Tavern (originally aired May 4, 1949) Starring Ed Gardner (Archie), Charlie Cantor (Finnegan), Eddie Green (Eddie), and Hazel Shermet (Miss Duffy). Guest starring Charles Coburn. Here is a a terrific, comprehensive history of Duffy’s Tavern, and here are links to other episodes of the show. Leave yr comments, suggestions, and other whatnot here on this post, or send them to shamus at hardboiledpoker dot com. And if you haven't already, go subscribe to the show in iTunes! Download.

Show Notes for Episode 2: “Poker and the Written Word” by Tim Peters Tim discusses Jesse May’s 1998 novel Shut Up and Deal. As Tim explains, May is also known for having been “The Voice of Poker” on the British TV show Late Night Poker (1999-2002). In fact, during the first season of the show May hosted the show as Mickey Dane, the name of the central character in Shut Up and Deal. Along the way, Tim mentions a couple of other poker novels: Rick Bennet’s King of a Small World (1995) (which he recommends) & Richard Jessup’s The Cincinnati Kid (1963). (I wrote about Jessup’s novel early last year.) For those interested in some other poker novels, Tim also provides the following list of titles (no particular recommendations intended, here): Tap City by Ron Abell (1985); Broke: A Poker Novel by Brandon Adams (2008); Lucky at Cards by Lawrence Block (2007); The Rebuy by Burto Deluchi (2007); The Prop by Pete Hautman (2006); Texas Poker Wisdom by Johnny Hughes (2007); Dead Money: A No Limit Poker Mystery by Rudy Stegemoeller (2007); Deadman's Bluff (2006) & Deadman's Poker (2006) by James Swain; The Picasso Flop (2007) by Vince Van Patten & Robert J. Randisi; and The Perfect Play (2005) (called The Big Blind in the U.K.) by Louise Wener. You can read Tim’s reviews for CardPlayer along with other writings at his website, “The Literature of Poker.” “Who Played Poker With Pocahontas When John Smith Went Away?” (1919) sung by Fanny Watson (Sam M. Lewis / Joe Young / Fred Ahlert) From the musical Monte Cristo Jr. Here are the lyrics (again, as well as I can make ’em out): Looking through my history I find a little mystery About a certain dame. How did little Pocahontas Take John Smith for all his wampus? There! I know her game! He taught her how to play poker -- She sent him home without his dough. But every time that John came back He found her with a larger stack. Here’s what I’d like to know . . . Now, who played poker with Pocahontas when John Smith went away? She always dressed up so pretty. Somebody must have spent the kitty. She wore a bluff just like every Indian that led John astray. Johnny’s pipe of peace goes out the day he quit. When he came home he found his piece of pipe was lit. Now, who played poker with Pocahontas when John Smith went away? Now, who played poker with Pocahontas when John Smith went away? She always dressed up so pretty. Somebody must have set the kitty. She wore a bluff just like every Indian that led John astray. He called on her one cold night in an awful storm. She had no coat but still he kept her always warm. Now, who played poker with Pocahontas when John Smith went away? “Tales from the Tables” by Bob Woolley (a.k.a. Rakewell, the Poker Grump) The “Poker Grump” returns with a list of stupid things players say at the tables, in particular focusing on a couple of categories: "Compliments" & "Clichés." You can read more of Bob’s tales -- of both the grumpy and non-grumpy varieties -- over at his blog, Poker Grump. “The Killer Cards,” The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe (originally aired January 12, 1951) Starring Sydney Greenstreet (Wolfe) and Gerald Mohr (Archie Goodwin). Also starring Betty Lou Gerson, Jay Novello, Howard McNear, Barney Phillips, and Bill Johnston. Hosted by Don Stanley. Here is the Wikipedia entry on the show (in all of its versions), and here are links to other episodes of The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe (the Greenstreet version). You can leave comments and/or suggestions here on this post, or send them to shamus at hardboiledpoker dot com. Also, you can now subscribe to the show in iTunes! Download.