Slot machines entered the world of gaming. Sittman and Pitt of Brooklyn, New York developed a gambling machine in 1891 that was a precursor to the...
The Birth of the One-Armed Bandit
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gamblers
Frontier Gamblers
"How did 1880's professional gamblers handle their money when they won big"? Bank it? Carry it? Bury it? We didn't know. First, let’s talk about...
Paladin, Gamblers and the Oregon Trail
Did anybody have a good time on the Oregon Trail? Neal Hathaway Durango, Colorado Interesting question. Many did. Those pioneers were amazingly...
The Gypsy and the Bear
One day during Tombstone’s boom times, a Gypsy came strolling into town with a bear on a leash. He announced to the gathering crowd that for...
Running the Con in Denver
The Blonger brothers even outdid Soapy Smith. Lou Blonger and his brother Sam had a lot of experience in running Old West saloons, dancehalls and...
Blood on the Green Cloth
Fighting for the Faro Dollar: Johnny Tyler and Tombstone’s Gamblers’ War In the summer of 1880, Tombstone, Arizona Territory, was a silver-rich...
The Luck of the Irish
GAMBLER JOHNNY MURPHY WAS THE FACE OF AN ICONIC WESTERN PHOTO. Eight months after the murder of notorious Irish gunfighter James Leavy in front of...