King of cards called Odessa home

Odessa flourished because of risk takers in the oil business, so it was only natural that it became a haven for gamblers in the days when money was flowing freely.

In the 1950s and '60s, lots of money changed hands in card games. Some preferred bridge, others liked gin rummy, but poker was far and away the favorite game.

In that day, the big-stakes card players kept a low profile. You could get in a heavy game at the Inn of the Golden West. At one time, a guy named Paul Harvey (no connection to the famous radio commentator) ran a casino out of his home in Country Club Estates.

Of course, a lot of oilmen with a lot of money tended to bring in the big fish, too. They knew where the feeding was good.

In retrospect, we know the names of those frequent visitors to Odessa - "Sailor" Roberts, "Amarillo Slim" Preston, Doyle Brunson and a guy who would become the most well-known gambler from Odessa, Johnny Moss. But back then, you were extremely careful. Big-time card players had to watch out for both the good and bad guys. Authorities would bust a big game if they found out the location. And crooks were always on the lookout for a nice score by robbing poker players with hefty bankrolls.

We know the legendary gamblers now because something called the World Series of Poker was created in 1970 in Las Vegas and lent legitimacy to the profession of card playing. Johnny Moss, who liked Odessa so much that moved here in the 1950s, won the first title by vote of his fellow poker pros, most of whom had logged some seat time in Odessa.

Moss would win two more WSOP main events in 1971 and 1974 (the only player with three titles) and establish himself as the best of the best. This was long before poker came to television and before the World Series attracted thousands of entrants and paid millions to the winner.

But much of what went on behind closed doors in places like Odessa never came to light because Moss and company were a secretive lot. Most of what you did hear was unsubstantiated lore and stories of suspicious accuracy.

But Johnny Hughes, who was privy to lot of the games when he was a young man as part of his "education" did write about some of the experiences much later on virtuallubbock.com, a website devoted to West Texas music, lifestyles and myths and legends.

Hughes included this in his story:

"Johnny Moss moved to Odessa, Texas, in the mid-'50s to be near the oil boom, gambling and the big-time gamblers including Paul Harvey and Tom "Pinkie" Roden. They had one of the biggest poker games in Texas for many years. Harvey, a big-time bookmaker and gambler, catered to the oil-rich Texans in Midland and Odessa. One time, Paul and Johnny played heads-up poker for five days and nights. They took a two-day break and played another five days and nights. Needless to say, Johnny won.

" ... Pinkie owned a small hotel in Odessa called the Inn of the Golden West. The poker games were in a private club in the hotel ... This was the home game of Johnny Moss and many of the future winners of the early World Series including Moss, Amarillo Slim, Doyle Brunson, Brian "Sailor" Roberts, Bill Smith and Jack "Treetop" Straus. All of the famous road gamblers of the '50s and '60s went to Odessa to try Johnny Moss including Pat Renfro, Doc Ramsey, James "Longgoodie" Roy, Joe Floyd and Charlie Hendrix."

Hughes also chronicled a trip he and one of his buddies, severely underfunded, made to Odessa in 1961 to get into a hold-'em game.

"This was the most talented gathering of poker players imaginable at the time. No wonder we got broke. The big producers in those days were the bookmakers, bootleggers and the oilmen. Famous gamblers from all over came to Pinkie's joint. They strutted up licking their chops and limped away licking their wounds."

Moss enjoyed his fame after poker became acceptable. He was the grand old man of the game every year at the World Series, but maintained a dual residency with Odessa and Vegas.

Moss was the grand old man of the World Series until he died at age 88 in Odessa. He played in the 1995 event and died Dec. 16 of that year. But, from what they say, he never was one to miss a big game.