Chicken or Egg?
The frustration and
anxiety is but a faint memory now. At the time, the burning desire to play and
win money in a casino game of chance was all I could think about. Gambling may
be “in the blood”, but it is not innate behavior just for being male. So, which
comes first, the school of hard knocks or learning the game before you go out to
gambler?
I purchased several
“how to play books”. Many of the books boasted to be “the only way to win”
system. I read and re-read them. Few of the books did little to clear up my
confusion and frustration. It took a combination of studying and playing,
losing, winning and more losing, until I eventually came to understand the
games. Looking back on my learning experience, I recognize that trying to learn
about gambling from a book was a bit like reading a romance novel to learn about
sex. At the same time, simply playing the game without knowledge was a
nightmare. There had to be a balance between experiencing the live game and
learning from books. I feel that when it comes to learning about games of
chance, it is not a matter of which comes first, the playing or the studying,
but applying the two experiences simultaneously. The information from books did
not make sense until I had played and playing did not make sense until I had a
foundation and protocol of play. I also had a great teacher in the early years.
That made a huge difference.
Perhaps it is my
own particular learning style, but I found learning to play Texas Hold’em to be
a similar. I thought I knew how to play poker. After my first experience and
paying $120 for the lesson, I had to admit that I did not know the game. After
reading the first book, things started to gel. I played again and read more
books. As the two sources of text and play came together, only then did I awaken
to playing poker and how to win.
For those of you
new to gaming, consider gaming as a work in progress. Gather information and
participate moderately in live games in the beginning. Take it slow and kept a
keen sense of those things that work and those that don’t. Keeping a journal of
your sessions is especially helpful. Build your game through positive
experience, but even more by eliminating those gimmick elements that don’t work.
For those of you
experienced with gaming, learning is a life long quest. Keep your game sharp!
Keep learning!
On The Coat Tales of a Gambler… Part 16
After the World War
II, life in Greenville continued pretty much the same. Although modern
conveniences were more available, most folks still had iceboxes. Two brothers,
just back from the war, took over Greenville Ice and Coal Company from their
aging father.
Jeremiah and Joshua
Barns came home with worldly experiences after the war. The older brother,
Jeremiah, became known simply as, “Iceman”. He got his nickname partly from the
business and partly from the ice coursing through his veins. Joshua was a couple
years younger and the more cordial of the two. In a way it was good guy, bad
guy. Between the two of them, they had learned the ways of gambling and loan
sharking while serving over seas.
Delivering ice and
coal was a door-to-door business. So, Jeremiah and Josh were almost members of
the families that they served. In addition to the delivery business, the two
brothers ran a loan sharking and bookmaking business. The brothers sorted their
customers by the moral values held by the family. Some families were simply ice
and coal customers, while others were on the hook for loans or gambling debt.
That is where “the
Iceman” came in. Being more ruthless, he became the collection department. With
the inside knowledge of each family’s finances, Iceman structured ways of
extracting additional money, in amounts that could be managed by the bread
winner. If the man of the house needed cash, a loan would be set up and, just by
coincidence, the payments would be the maximum of what could be afforded. The
man prone to the temptation of winning a quick buck, would be set up with odds
they’d never overcome.
If a debtor got
behind, Iceman would arrange part-time work at the icehouse to cover the payment
of a loan or gambling debt. This, in effect, meant free labor for the brother’s
ice business. It was not a friendly arrangement, as Iceman was known for having
a short temper. He could become violently persuasive when not getting his way.
Iceman was more of
a loose cannon compared to his conservative brother. It was not uncommon for him
to show up at the farmhouse poker games or cock fights with lots of cash. He and
Scarpone got along okay, as the two seemed to be cut from the same cloth. Born
of the post depression era, they knew about living hand to mouth and surviving
on the streets. Iceman may have been short of formal education, but he was long
on larceny and the ways of taking advantage of human nature. That is, human
nature’s tendency for gullibility and greed. In those days, it could be a deadly
combination for poor people. Not that Iceman ever did away with anyone. He did
however, leave the impression he would go to that extreme if needed.
I was just a kid,
but still remember how I would get a piece of candy when the bill for ice or
coal came due. It was a tactical ploy, of course. Having the children in the
house aware that they would get a treat when the Iceman came collecting, created
a built-in reminder. This assured that the dads would have the payment ready.
Baseball was the
popular sport for gambling and, of course, the World Series was the heaviest
betting time. In between baseball season the bookmaking business went quiet and
the brothers concentrated on loan sharking. In a way, they provided a necessary
service to the local economy. I do not recall the Barns brothers having a
negative reputation. It was more of, “the way it was,” and accepted by everyone.
It seemed to include the authorities, at least for a while.
By the mid 50’s
demand for ice had dwindled. Electric stoves and gas replaced the need for coal
burners. The Barns Brothers’ Ice and Coal business eventually closed. Iceman
continued on his own with loan sharking and book making. Without the advantage
of “in home service”, he was too exposed to the law. It was not long before the
“game ended” with him going to jail for illegal gambling. Perhaps, had Iceman
consented to grease the cops’ palms, he may have gotten away with the scheme
longer. A much as he was street wise, he was stubborn when it came to seeing the
bigger picture. Josh married, settled down with a family, and sold life
insurance.
Next issue Sailor continues
with his On The Coat Tales of a Gambler…
