This gentleman’s presentation style is incredible. The inflection and pauses in his narration keeps you clinging to every word. Well done, good sir. Well done.
@@tc1817 he hasn't responded to many comments sense he passed 40k subscribers. I'm guessing he has to many comments to respond to now. That also implies he doesn't have much time to read over comments anymore.
This is one of my favorite episodes you've ever done. While I don't care to much for gambling I admire anyone who so dedicates themselves to a craft that they love! Plus his cunning and daring is something that is to rare today.
look try to replicate his scams in some bar Two things would happen-they wouldnt pay up because you obviously cheated and if you insist about paying up they would beat you up TT made it all up-his cunning and daring were a fantasy of his
I read that he bet that he could drive a regulation golf ball 1000 yards with a regulation golf club. He set up on a hole on the West Point golf course. He stood at the tee on January first. After the betting was sorted out, he turned 90 degrees and drove the ball down the frozen Hudson river. The drive wasn't measured but most agreed that it went out of sight at over a mile. I was stationed in Washington, D.C. and was assigned to be Staff Duty N.C.O. on the day of the Super Bowl. The commander and the sergeant major were discussing the game. I opined that it was foolish and that I would bet $5 that I knew the score of the game before it even started. The sergeant major laughed and said that he would take the bet for $100. The commander agreed to stand as a second for both of us. I told the sergeant major that the score was 0-0. The commander explained that the game couldn't end with that score. I explained that 0-0 was the score before the game even started. The commander hurt himself laughing and handed me the money. He then explained to the sergeant major that the cider was dripping from his ears. I'm happy to say that the sergeant major transferred a week later.
Brilliant play. Seeing as how a score requires a game being played, that commander was listening with his talking-down ears lol. Sergeant major was out ranked, but I’d bet he was fuming! ;)
When I went to New Orleans for a two week military EPA compliance HazMat course (one of the first in the military right after we were no longer exempt) we were billeted in a hotel one street from bourbon st. We were told that if anyone tried to bet that they could tell us where we got our shoes to decline. Because you got your shoes on your feet on Bourbon St.
I recently found your channel and enjoy it immensely. Having financed my way through school as a pool hustler, I often heard stories about the legendary Titanic Thompson from the old-timers. He was probably the most famous and successful proposition betters of all time. Legend has it he could toss a playing card great distances including on top or over buildings or make them stick in various objects by tossing it so that the edge stuck into whatever wall or item he was the object of the bet. Thanks for including this extraordinary fellow into your short history narratives.
Glenn I’m an old pool player , thinking about getting back into things , I’d love to run a few matches for fun and I won’t pull any punches with you my name is Mike coltrain..if you want to look me up to get an edge that be fine …please let me know I’m in the NC area ..
Thompson's mother was right. I was a semi-professional poker player for a couple years after my retirement from "real" work. It was enjoyable at times, but it was work,, and I gave it up to really retire. The one rule I had was never drink while gambling. I always knew my chances improved depending on the number of drinks I saw on the table.
Sar Jim: My hat's off to you! I play casino craps in the Mid-West United States. I can "toss" the dice and roll between 45 to 93 rolls, (sometimes more), before the dice "Seven Out". Most everyone will "Seven Out" in six to ten rolls, sometimes less. I practice on my "casino crap table" for several days prior to going to the casino. Throwing dice is very similar to a Major League Baseball pitcher attempting a "no-hitter" ball game. It can be done. I should know!
@@actionman9357 And my hat's off to you. Controlling a material thing like dice is way beyond me. At least I have a good handle on poker probabilities. You never know with a roll of the dice unless it's someone like you.
@@sarjim4381: The thing most people do not understand about poker is that it's more than playing cards. Poker is about "playing" people. You have a talent to "read" players and adjust your strategy for the play. A very real talent you have!
@@actionman9357 Thanks. It's just a different talent than being able to make dice behave the way you ant them to. I do consider myself pretty good as knowing when someone's bluffing, and that's about half of winning when you play poker. Craps, much like video poker, is you against the house.
@@sarjim4381 The most wonderful thing about playing casino craps is not just the 'shooter' against "the house", but most everyone (16 to 20 players, or more) has bets to win, and everyone is rooting for the "shooter" to hold and shoot the dice as long as possible repeating winning numbers. It is a group of crap players unified to beat the casino! It can be pretty heady stuff shooting the dice for 20 minutes or more, and people crowding the craps table to get in on the "hot shoot", sometimes two to three people thick! And the rest of the casino can hear the roar of the winning players, as winning numbers repeat over and over. Until the seven out! Poker players must oppose other players to win. It is a card game by necessity and strategy that pits you against all players, and end up as the last man standing. (I do not drink while shooting craps. I"ll have that drink later after I cash out at the cage!) Take care Sar Jim! ;- )
My late friend Toots Moss caddied for Titanic when he was a kid and he said that every story that you hear about him was true. He said that Titanic carried a whiskey bottle filled with tea and would drink from it and act drunk on the back nine all while he berated his opponent to anger. Then he would bet them that he could beat them left handed. And he did, every single time!
Used to see him all the time when I was a kid. He was always at Tenison Golf Course with Ben Trevino or hanging around Rodeos or Horse Auctions with Chill Wills and Benny Binion. He was a a fixture in the DFW area in the 60's. People were always pointing him out.
TT made it all up Seriously-he cheated Al Capone Yeah sure Al was a psychopathic murderer, Al had hundreds of equally psychopathic murderers working for him TT wasnt hard to find yet nothing happened TT made it all up Dont believe everything a liar tells about himself
I remember reading somewhere about a bet they'd set up to sink an unbelievably long putt. Titanic would easily sink the putt every time. He accomplished this by laying out a fire hose full of water where he planned to putt overnight and would remove it in the morning to leave a small unnoticeable path straight to the cup.
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as usual...another WONDERFUL LESSON. it must have been tough thou, you kept the "morals" out of the story, which is incredibly difficult on a subject like this. well done.
Lady Luck isn't always a lady. And she can be more fickle than any other woman. WC Fields or Minnesota Fats said it first, I think. Did it come from Guys and Dolls?
From the very start of his description of Titanic Thompson, I thought, "This guy reminds me of Sky Masterson from 'Guys & Dolls.'" Confirmation of that suspicion tickled me.
Oddly enough I find myself watching "Pocket Full of Miracles" from my Watch Later list, while this discussion ensues. I think to myself that these characters must at least have a passing aquaintance with the writer Runyan. This film, directed by Frank Capra, can be traced back to Runyon's "Madame La Gimp", remake of "Lady for a Day". Glenn Ford and Bette Davis play characters with the monikers "Dave the Dude", "Apple Annie". They are joined by "Mallethead", "The Weasle", "Slop" and others. In honor of Runyon, this post is written in the present tense and without contractions, which apparently is something up with which his characters would not put. This film is no Guys and Dolls, but Sheldon Leonard is no less at home in this picture as Steve Darcy as he is as Harry the Horse. I am sharing my coincidence so that the reader may similarly extend their experience on Runyon's Broadway. Or, as the writer put it the reader may "find another world in which to live".
A truly fascinating story of a mans life long devotion to gambling...perhaps he died broke (As so many Gamblers do) but he sure lived a rich life along the way! A fascinating story....told by a masterful story teller!
You are The History Guy !!! Keep up the great work. We need to get you in schools to help make the connections of who we are and where we all come from. Elementary schools, Middle Schools, Colleges/ Universities and just Life ... Thanks for your work .
I really love your channel sir. You're so genuine and easy to listen to, and the history you repeat is fadcinating, I thought I was an obscure history buff.XD
Hell yeah! If half my teachers were as engaging as this guy, well, I'm not saying I would get straight A's but at least I wouldn't fall asleep in class.
Was he the guy who loved to wager so much that he bet somebody on which rain drop would drip down the window pane first in the train window? That always struck me as a real compulsive gambler.
My wife’s Italian grandfather once threw a bowl of soup in Al Capone‘s face. Grandpa, a shoemaker, was in a restaurant when Capone was seated and served before he was. Grandpa, outraged and not knowing who Capone was, threw the soup in the gangster’s face. Later that night Capone’s thugs trashed his shop. Grandpa lived above the shop, it’s a wonder they didn’t kill him.
And he just happened to have that money in his pocket, although just initially stakeing 10 bucks.... alarm bells should have been ringing loud right there.
@Dr. M. H. From what I have heard about Titanic Thompson is that some of his 'propositions' were skill based while others were just a straight out con. The trick was trying to figure out which was which. Also for the amount of money he is betting he is gambling with other conmen/gangster/charlatan, etc. a regular guy wouldn't really be in his orbit.
As I looked at the thumbnail for this video, I was rather ambivalent. I watched it anyway because I have not been disappointed by any of your videos. And once again, I was hooked! Thanks History Guy!
Straight to Amazon to buy his book after watching this, i saw something on this guy a few years back and this piece just reminded me about him, should arrive by the weekend 👌
True story. My wifes uncle was a pro gambler all his life and bragged he never worked a day in his life. At his funeral the priest started the eulogy saying "He was a successful business man"
@@Erin-Thor Really? Not sure how you confused my comment with his sexuality. I didn't say "man your the best" or "you're the man " or even "You gays are the best". I think you're a little sensitive for public consumption of social media. You may want to rethink your life.
@@davedoyle6835 Hi Dave, More-than-likely Erin thought he was replying to someone else's comment. I did it a few years ago, but mine wasn't as far off-topic as his was, but I nevertheless felt like a damn fool.
hey history guy always enjoy your videos they are always fascinating you should do a video on the coal creek war that happened in the early 1890.s in Tennessee
I thought that was the case slso. Bat Masterson was a frontier gunfighter/lawman who later in life became a New York sports writer. Damon Runyun was also a NY sports writer at the same time.
The gamble wasn't whether he could throw a lemon to the top of a 5 story building. The gamble was whether he was going to survive if Al Capone found out he was being scammed.
Sir, your channel is terrific. You may want to consider uploading a podcast. All that would be required is re- uploading the audio from your videos. Thank you for your great content.
During the story I was thinking he was actually perfecting prestidigitation & had a definite magician quality to him. Also interesting he did partner up on his cons, but generally worked alone. Thumbs up!
Skye Masterson in "Guys and Dolls" while he bet, was mostly occupied with his three friends in finding places where high rollers could shoot dice without police interference. Better known as a "Floating Crap Game" because of the varied locations (parking garages, office building sub-basements, even an armory).
I love the stories of these old road gamblers. If interested, you should read "Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People" he was a champion poker player but was famous for his prop bets. Things like betting tennis champ Bobby Riggs he could beat him at ping pong if he got to choose the paddles (he chose cast iron skillets, after practicing with one for months) or betting a race horse owner he could beat his horse in a 100 yard race (the race was held on a 50 yard track. They ran 50 yards turned around and came back, the horse took so long to slow down and turn around that Slim was able to eek out a win).
