What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

I was browsing through the original Super System again and all the talk of single blind games and the prevalence of Stud and Draw really had me wondering what the state of the game was 50 years ago.

Say you walked into the Flamingo in Vegas in 1956 (I don't even know if they even had poker spread there at that time, but bear with me). What sort of limits and games would commonly be spread?

Today you obviously have mostly hold'em with a little stud and omaha thrown in. Lowest limit games are generally 2/4 and lowest NL games are 1/2 blinds. What was the deal 50 years ago? $.25 / $.50? Penny ante?

Can anyone share any insight? Any old timers around here? I'd be interested to know more.

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

I doubt there was much poker (if any) out there 50 years ago. I do know in the early 70s there was a hole in the center of the table so that when the pot went over it some of it would drop down the hole.

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

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Any old timers around here?

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I played casino poker in Las Vegas in 1969 --- quit laughing guys.

Only two places I played were the Bonanza (current site of Ballys) and The Dunes (current site of some casino). Was IN the Flamingo and the Stardust, but did not see their poker room.

Only game I played was straight 7 card stud. 25 cent ante and limits of 1 and 2. Hey - my daily wage was $10.

Thats the only game I saw. Did not see any Holdem or Omaha.

Left town $4 winner at poker.

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

Any other old time poker stories?

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

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Left town $4 winner at poker.

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That was enough for a hooker and a good amount of blow with enough left over for the downtown steak buffet. Trip report?

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

Abe - thx for the insight. Since you were there at the time, I am wondering if you know how "clean" casino poker was - i.e. - was there cheating going on or did the house try to keep the games tr8?

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

abe, were those games player dealt?

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

Some old Vegas poker stories:

http://web.archive.org/web/200410100...wdustjoint.htm

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Some old Vegas poker stories:

http://web.archive.org/web/200410100...wdustjoint.htm

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"The crowd loved Tom, Tom loved his horse, and his horse loved beer."

Awesome [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

Bellagio circa 1956.
http://www.thelastbestwest.com/graph...d_pointing.jpg

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

I'm not that old but I started playing at local card rooms in LA back around 1983 and at the time all I remember was draw poker. A bit later it was stud and stud hi/lo. I can't recall what the limits were though. I don't think limit hold em was played locally until maybe the late 80's but I might be off by a few years and then it would have been 1/2 blinds minimum.

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

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Bellagio circa 1956.

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Really eh? lol

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

I don't go that far back but I played poker in Las Vegas in the early 70s, draw and stud. The first hold'em game I ever saw in Vegas was in the early 90s, but then I was a blackjack counter back then and rarely played casino poker.

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

in the 60's at least. most played was highly raked 2, 4 six card stud for the tourists. with 15, 30 and 30, 60 razz games at the stardust. 200 400 stud or split games or whatever the few big time players and cheaters could dream up to get a live on to play.
they played 10 20 holdem with a 50 cent ante and one 5 dollar blind at the golden nugget. with occassional giant nolimit five card stud or no limit holdem.
california had draw poker and lowball in gardena 20 limit highest allowed by law. northern cal had higher limits and huge no limit lowball games.
in vegas john moss ,puggy pearson, sarge ferris. jimmy caseela, were some of the big time players. in the end i got to beat them all for something except for sarge who was too sharp and on the in.

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

[ QUOTE ]
in the 60's at least. most played was highly raked 2, 4 six card stud for the tourists. with 15, 30 and 30, 60 razz games at the stardust. 200 400 stud or split games or whatever the few big time players and cheaters could dream up to get a live on to play.
they played 10 20 holdem with a 50 cent ante and one 5 dollar blind at the golden nugget. with occassional giant nolimit five card stud or no limit holdem.
california had draw poker and lowball in gardena 20 limit highest allowed by law. northern cal had higher limits and huge no limit lowball games.
in vegas john moss ,puggy pearson, sarge ferris. jimmy caseela, were some of the big time players. in the end i got to beat them all for something except for sarge who was too sharp and on the in.

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I think you should include a chapter in your new book about the evolution of the game, include some classic stories.

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

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Any other old time poker stories?

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<sigh> I'm feeling really old now.

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

Man... I feel the fool when I refer to the old days as the days when Kill games weren't the norm.

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

guys I have been playing for a long time since 2001 which in todays world is like 25 year. Back in my day only 500 people in the world played online and everybody sucked.

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

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I think you should include a chapter in your new book about the evolution of the game, include some classic stories.

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

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Please no. Don't go all Cloutier on us, Ray.

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

...no one has yet mentioned that some of the games mentioned were dealt by the players (at least in the LA cardrooms). This was true through at least the mid-90's.

For anyone interested in a glimpse of the LA card room culture of say 25 or 30 years ago, Hayano's "Poker Faces" is a true classic.

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

Thanks to those sharing their stories.

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

[ QUOTE ]
...no one has yet mentioned that some of the games mentioned were dealt by the players (at least in the LA cardrooms). This was true through at least the mid-90's.

For anyone interested in a glimpse of the LA card room culture of say 25 or 30 years ago, Hayano's "Poker Faces" is a true classic.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't remember any games dealt by the players here in LA and I started playing around 83. Rick? Shag? Remember any? In the 90's? Is my memory that bad?

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
...no one has yet mentioned that some of the games mentioned were dealt by the players (at least in the LA cardrooms). This was true through at least the mid-90's.

For anyone interested in a glimpse of the LA card room culture of say 25 or 30 years ago, Hayano's "Poker Faces" is a true classic.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't remember any games dealt by the players here in LA and I started playing around 83. Rick? Shag? Remember any? In the 90's? Is my memory that bad?

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I was a nervous wreck when it was my turn to deal draw at the Normandie in 1981. The one and only jackpot game had the only house dealer. Around 1983 the Bike and Commerce had opened and I remember the Bike had jackpots and house dealers from the very beginning (I still lived in Rhode Island but was often in California on business).

The old timers complained but house dealers were much better than player dealt games IMO.

~ Rick

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

[ QUOTE ]
abe, were those games player dealt?

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My remembrance is that the poker at the Bonanza and the Dunes had a house dealer.

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

all of vegas had house dealers as most games were raked. in cal. games were time by law so why would the house pay for a dealer. so everyone dealt themselves until about 1982 when house dealers started showing up in places that didnt need the cheaters for shills. when holdem became around 1982 legal all of the cal. cheaters got broke trying to play holdem. it was a total joke as they were the best live ones in the bigger games. only a very few made the transition. the millions they stole playing 20 dollar limit and some bigger games later on went to the honest holdem players. justice takes a long time but in the end.....

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

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Bellagio circa 1956.
http://www.thelastbestwest.com/graph...d_pointing.jpg

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Isn't that more like 1890's? [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Ahh, the good ole days. Where the question that was presented to you was.. does he have bullets or.. BULLETS!!

Does he have big slicks or.. a KNIFE!

Re: What did B&M Games / Limits look like back in 1956?
 

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it was a total joke as they were the best live ones in the bigger games. only a very few made the transition.

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Without naming names, are any of those few who made the transition commonly known players today?

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]