In those days, wagering was most popular between 1850 & 1910. Almost every town had at least one Old West Bar with a gambling game. Especially in the Old West, numerous saloons had gambling halls to while away free hours. 2 As a Western town was populated, gaming tables went up in tents. Then as the money flowed, bar-men upgraded. Jan 26, 2021 During the 1800s, however, gambling in the Wild West was quite different. Especially in the Wild West, the California Gold Rush of 1849 brought thousands of prospectors who enjoyed trying their luck at games of chance in places like San Francisco. Soon, primitive gaming houses were popping up everywhere, from large cities to small mining camps. Phil Coe – Old West Gunfighter and Gambler Called one of the greatest gunfighters in Texas, Phillip “Phil” Coe was also a soldier, a gambler, a businessman, and called the famous Ben Thompson, gunman, and gambler, one of his best friends. But undoubtedly the most popular gambling game in the West was faro, which drew its name from the Egyptian pharaohs depicted on the back of the cards. The foremost faro player on the Mississippi was Italian immigrant Charles Cora.

Wild West Gambler Outfit

Poker Alice Tubbs was a professional gambler who played her cards in boom towns throughout the wild west.

Her stories of risk, and reward reveal the gritty history of towns like Creede, Leadville, and Central City in Colorado, Silver City in New Mexico, and Sturgis and Deadwood in South Dakota.

Famous Wild West Female Gamblers

A lot of tales that “ain’t entirely true” have been spread, but Alice’s real story is even better than the tall tales you might have read. Join me, Liz Duckworth, an author, researcher, re-enactor, and devoted fan, and see the real west through the eyes of a lady gambler.