Re: [DL] Big money poker games

[Vault Keeper <vaultkeeper@dupuis.shawbiz.ca>]

> Here is a story you might find interesting from the
> book Finding Pleasure in the Old West by David Dary.
> 
> What was described in its day as the world's biggest
> poker match took place between Isaac Jackson, a
> Colorado City, Texas, cattleman, and John Dougherty, a
> well-known Arizona gambler.  The game was played in
> Bowen's Saloon in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the spring
> of 1889.  According to the traditional account,
> Dougherty raised the ante of the no-limit game until
> there was more than a hundred thousand dollars in the
> pot.  Jackson, out of cash, met Dougherty by writting
> out a deed to his ranch alond with ten thousand head
> of cattle.  Dougherty, by then also out of cash, wrote
> something on a piece of paper, rose from his chair,
> and walked upto L. Bradford Price, the territorial
> governor, who happened to be watching the game.
> Dougherty drew his gun and demanded that the governor
> sign the paper.  Price did, and Dougherty tossed it
> into the pot, announcing that the governor had just
> deeded him the Territory of New Mexico, and he was
> meeting Jackson's raise.  At that, Jackson is said to
> have thrown down his cards in disgust.  The gambler
> promptly returned the deed to New Mexico Territory to
> the governor and bought drinks for the three hundred
> or so people who where looking on.
>                                       Horace Black

That's more like, poker games were there no ante limit bets.