Faro was the most popular game found in old west gambling establishments. It involved one person being the dealer which they would call a banker and several players that were called punters. Ittypically took 10 to 15 minutes to play and it was a fast game that gave you better odds than most other games at the time.
Vintage photo of men in an Old West saloon gambling. Vintage photo restored by Kathy Weiser-Alexander. L'Auberge Casino Resort, Lake Charles, Louisiana. L'Auberge Casino Resort has 1,600 slots and 80 table games, not quite as many as some of the other mega casinos in the U.S. But the casino tops charts in terms of ambiance, with its enormous glass dome and grand vaulted ceiling. The Globar is a chic addition to the scene as well. Professional gamblers in the Old West, the really good ones, were called 'thoroughbred gamblers.' I'm listing several thoroughbreds and sources where you can get more information, as well as a few famous gamblers, not necessarily thoroughbreds, but definitely well-known.
Dealer cheating was a common problem in this game, dealers would cheat in various ways such as rigging the deck or altering the dealing box they use to draw the cards.
Faro would be played by lying a board down that had one suit of cards attached to it in numerical order; you could stake your bets on one or several cards at a time.
Then the dealer would draw out two cards from the dealing box. One of the cards was a dealer's card which was the losing card and the other was the player's card which was the winning card.Winning didn't count on suit, only the numerical value of the card.
Any bets that were placed on card numbers that weren't drawn would be left there for the next round. Bets placed on cards with the numerical value of the dealers went to him. Bets placed on thenumerical value of the players got paid 1 to 1.
Faro was popular because it was a short game that was fast paced and easy to learn.
The cover of this book states it covers the Games, The Gamblers and the Great Gambling Halls of the Old West. It does exactly that in a vividly descriptive narrative that will help you feel the passion of the gamblers of those Old West Stories we all love.
BUT WAIT; THERE'S MORE.
This book covers Old West History from a unique perspective not often explored. Most works about Old West Stories will mention gambling in passing, focusing on other historical aspects of the era. This work puts into perspective how those gamblers in Old West Stories shaped the events more commonly referred to. This is mostly because almost every man who went West was a gambler.
This book points out that the act of heading West into the frontier was an act of gambling in itself. It included gambling your life itself to seek the potential that awaited. Many died, most failed to achieve great wealth and only a few created the life they dreamed of and that we fondly look back on.
Many of the Gunslingers, Lawmen and Settlers of the time were gamblers. Famous Lawman Wyatt Earp is a great example. Famed mostly for his law keeping reputation, he was an expert gambler and even owned his own gambling operation on more than one ocassion. This Part of Old West History is worthy of further reading and the reading this subject gets no better than this book.
Gambling In The Old West Movie
If you aren't particularly interested in the gambling aspect of Old West Stories don't assume this book is not for you. If you are interested in the lifestyle of the Old West at all (and lets face it, you would not be on this site if you weren't) there will be information and stories here for you. An aspect of this book that particularly appeals to me is the Glossary and Index pages. They are some of the most comprehensive I have seen and Ron has kindly consented to allowing me to recreate his Glossary here on this web site. So to get a feel for his high quality work, follow the link to GLOSSARY and check it out.
Its index and annotated bibliography are easy to use, being very comprehensive. I know I will be keeping this book on my shelf within easy reach for reference purposes. This book has over 400 entries in the Index and several pages listed for many of the topics listed, eg: Bat Masterson alone is mentioned on 10 separate pages.
So the short review is:-
'A great work that makes a significant addition
to the historical record of the Old West.'
The Detailed Review
For more information, take the link to the Review Pages for a more detailed analysis.
The Author is MrG.R. (Ron) Williamson
Ron Williamson is a storyteller, western writer, a member of The Western Writers of America and The Wild West History Association. His keen interest in real Old West Stories and authentic wild west history and broad knowledge of the topic are apparent in the book reviewed here. Ron has given several presentations at the National Outlaw & Lawman History Association (NOLA) and at the Wild West History Association (WWHA) annual meetings on topics including John Coffee Hays, Ben Thompson, King Fisher and frontier gambling.
Ron truly knows his subject. His knowledge began to accumulate during early childhood treks with his grandfather whilst growing up in the rough brasada of South Texas. The Mexican legends and wild west lore he experienced through the stories passed down by those who lived the legend gives the magical era a reality that I often wish I had experienced.
Ron has published articles in newspapers and in national magazines, written screen plays and received several awards for his work.
The writing style employed by Ron Williamson in 'Frontier Gambling' has the touch of the master about it. If you watch the movie 'True Grit', John Wayne or Jeff Bridges (depending on which version you have) draw you into the story and you can see yourself as the Texas Ranger tracking down the murderer and protecting Mattie Ross as you go. If you read 'Rogue River' by Kerry Newcombe you will become Cole Anthem as he battles to bring in a murderer and protect everyone around him as they flee Indians on a wild river ride. If you Listen to the old 'Gunsmoke' radio episodes and close your eyes you will become the brave and intrepid Sheriff Matt Dillon who would take on incredible odds to overcome evil and protect the citizens of HIS town.
The best fictional stories achieve this. In a work of non-fiction it a true rarity. Not since that wonder collection of Old West Stories in Dee Brown's epic 'Buy My Heart at Wounded Knee' have I found myself drawn into the narrative of a non-fiction work in this way. I highly recommend 'Frontier Gambling' to all enthusiasts of Old West Stories. I have a small shelf above my desk where I keep a few treasured works that I want to keep at hand. 'Frontier Gambling' by G R Williamson is being added to that shelf.
For more information, take the link to the Review Pages for a more detailed analysis.
The Author is MrG.R. (Ron) Williamson
Ron Williamson is a storyteller, western writer, a member of The Western Writers of America and The Wild West History Association. His keen interest in real Old West Stories and authentic wild west history and broad knowledge of the topic are apparent in the book reviewed here. Ron has given several presentations at the National Outlaw & Lawman History Association (NOLA) and at the Wild West History Association (WWHA) annual meetings on topics including John Coffee Hays, Ben Thompson, King Fisher and frontier gambling.
Ron truly knows his subject. His knowledge began to accumulate during early childhood treks with his grandfather whilst growing up in the rough brasada of South Texas. The Mexican legends and wild west lore he experienced through the stories passed down by those who lived the legend gives the magical era a reality that I often wish I had experienced.
Ron has published articles in newspapers and in national magazines, written screen plays and received several awards for his work.
The writing style employed by Ron Williamson in 'Frontier Gambling' has the touch of the master about it. If you watch the movie 'True Grit', John Wayne or Jeff Bridges (depending on which version you have) draw you into the story and you can see yourself as the Texas Ranger tracking down the murderer and protecting Mattie Ross as you go. If you read 'Rogue River' by Kerry Newcombe you will become Cole Anthem as he battles to bring in a murderer and protect everyone around him as they flee Indians on a wild river ride. If you Listen to the old 'Gunsmoke' radio episodes and close your eyes you will become the brave and intrepid Sheriff Matt Dillon who would take on incredible odds to overcome evil and protect the citizens of HIS town.
The best fictional stories achieve this. In a work of non-fiction it a true rarity. Not since that wonder collection of Old West Stories in Dee Brown's epic 'Buy My Heart at Wounded Knee' have I found myself drawn into the narrative of a non-fiction work in this way. I highly recommend 'Frontier Gambling' to all enthusiasts of Old West Stories. I have a small shelf above my desk where I keep a few treasured works that I want to keep at hand. 'Frontier Gambling' by G R Williamson is being added to that shelf.
Gambling In The Old West Pictures
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Gambling In The Old West Game
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