It seemed unlikely, I know, that there’d ever be another post here. I’m sure everyone thought the Hard-Boiled Poker Radio Show had gone the way of so many other poker podcasts over the last several years, never to be heard from again. But like a runner-runner straight unexpectedly coming to save your tourney life, the show goes on! Show notes for Episode 21 : This episode highlights the great comic actress Lucille Ball, star of film, radio, and television. Also given some attention in this one, ...
Aug 16, 2013
Show notes for Episode 20 : This episode focuses primarily on the great actor, singer, comedian, and “man of 1,000 voices” Mel Blanc. “Money” by Mel Blanc, music and lyrics by Stan Freberg and Ruby Raskin. Don’t want no lovin’, don’t want no kissin’, Don’t want no gal to call me honey. Don’t want my name in the Hall of Fame, Just want a big fat pile of money. Give me that all mighty dollar, for that lettuce hear me holler. Give me buckets full of ducats, let me walk around and waller In Mazuma, ...
Dec 14, 2009
Show notes for Episode 19 : “The Opposite of a Peace Sign” by James McManus, an excerpt from his book Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker (2009). I start the show with an excerpt from one of the later chapters in the new history of poker by James McManus ( Positively Fifth Street ). The chapter originally appeared as a column in the June 10, 2008 issue of Card Player magazine. This passage comes amid a discussion by McManus of some of the associations made over the years with the ace of spades. In ...
Oct 19, 2009
Show notes for Episode 18 : “Counting Beans” by John Fox, an excerpt from his book Play Poker, Quit Work and Sleep Till Noon! (1977) I read a short selection from the entertaining and informative strategy text by John Fox, a book that preceded both Doyle Brunson’s Super/System and Mike Caro’s Book of Tells . Click here to read my Hard-Boiled Poker post in which I discuss the book further. In the excerpt, Fox tells a story of how he devised a system for keeping track of statistical data at the po...
Aug 31, 2009
Show notes for Episode 17 : “Turn the Cards Slowly” by Patsy Cline; written by Sammy Masters (1955) Turn the cards slowly while you’re dealin’, darlin’. Please don’t double-deal to win my heart. Turn the cards slowly while you're dealin’, darlin’. Don’t go breakin’ rules right from the start. The ramblin’ gamblin’ reckless way you treat my heart’s a sin. Each night down on my knees I pray your gamblin’ ways will end. Turn the cards slowly while you’re dealin’, darlin’. And if you stack the deck,...
Jul 25, 2009
Show notes for Episode 16 : Most of this episode is taken up with the main feature. By the way, it appears whatever problems I was having before with iTunes have been resolved, so the episodes should all be appearing over there as before. Enjoy! “The Poker Game,” The Burns and Allen Show (originally aired March 7, 1944) Starring George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Jimmy Cash. Guest star Alan Ladd. Music by Felix Mills and His Orchestra. Announcer: Bill Goodwin. Here is a website with about 40 more e...
Jun 03, 2009
Show notes for Episode 15 : “Deal” by the Grateful Dead Starting off with a song this time. Although I fail to mention it on the show, I want here to give a tip of the fedora to our buddy Dr. Pauly , who actually had something to do with this one turning up here. Here are the Dead performing the song at the Boston Garden on May 7, 1977. The tune appears in numerous places throughout the Dead’s vast discography, the first time (I believe) on the 1981 double-LP Dead Set . Here are the lyrics: Sinc...
May 01, 2009
Show notes for Episode 14 : Raymond Chandler & Poker The show begins with a brief explanation of an quote about poker often attributed to the great hard-boiled novelist, Raymond Chandler. The line comes from his 1953 novel The Long Goodbye , although often the exact words uttered by the narrator-protagonist, the detective Philip Marlowe, get transformed somewhat. I refer to a couple of posts over on Hard-Boiled Poker in the segment. The post “ Raymond Chandler Said a Lot of Things ” explains...
Mar 11, 2009
Show notes for Episode 13 : “Everything is Wild” by James Thurber James Thurber’s hilarious poker-themed short story, first published in the New Yorker in 1932. Vera Valmore helps out with the voices in this one. The story can be found in several places, including in a Thurber collection titled Middle Aged Man on the Flying Trapeze . It also appears in John Stravinsky’s 2004 compilation of poker writings titled Read ’Em and Weep: A Bedside Poker Companion . “The Gambling Lesson,” The Life of Ril...
Feb 07, 2009
Show notes for Episode 12 : Excerpts from Total Poker by David Spanier (1977) Published before many of the other, “classic” examples of poker journalism such as Al Alvarez’ The Biggest Game in Town (discussed back in Episode 1 ), Anthony Holden’s Big Deal , and James McManus’ Positively Fifth Street , David Spanier’s 1977 collection of essays titled Total Poker smartly covers a wide range of poker-related topics. On today’s show, I read from a couple of different chapters in Spanier’s book. Firs...
Jan 17, 2009
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 y...
Jan 03, 2009
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, Ea...
Nov 30, 2008
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 y...
Oct 24, 2008
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 (...
Sep 02, 2008
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 ...
Aug 21, 2008
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...
Jul 31, 2008
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. Ever...
Jun 24, 2008
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...
Jun 01, 2008
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 t...
May 14, 2008
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 h...
Apr 23, 2008
