I experienced the best bet ever around 1970 for a few years… other than a fixed game.
At the time, there were such betting parlors as the Big Eight, the American eighth, the decimal and the fives. (I still can’t get over the dollars I put on the final four in those betesthat were designed on a coupon and I still haven’t gotten around to replacing them… ever).
Back then, the place to bet big was out there in La Mar Cafe… on the frightened side of town. (It was also frequented by a older gentleman who would strike it off with a cigar; a technique I still use to this day to mark my poker chips).
There were only three bets you could place: Team, player, and a prop betting. (I alwaystimated that they all were the same… but still… some were more desirable than others).
The original betters all bet on either their favorite or most likely the game… and I have to admit, it didn’t take long at all before I spotted the one I liked best.
Unless it was a prop bet, there were clear and see-throughLEY-CARDS. (Those little green ones… they’re almost on the outsides of BOTH decks to the player’s right, the dealer’s left, and a full court in the middle of the table. On the edges of the cards, above the suits… those little white stripes… they’re the dealer’s “day” cards. They’re not in the big decks, and the suits don’t have the same value despite their placement.)
If I remember correctly, there were white plastic chips for the big leagues, and black ones for the minors. Which reminds me of something… I think.
Anyhow, we were only a small group, and we weren’t playing for big chunks of change. It was more like we were playing for a couple of cents… at least that’s how we were setting up the table for our friends.
There were twenty-one players at the time and we were beginning to get bored. So we began to look at games we could play… away from the group. We had already gotten hooked on the old classic “We’re going to be number twenty-one” game. (Oh yes, that’s our goal… to bust the Poker88… of course not with a blackjack… but with cards as weak as they are).
Anyhow, we had a good time. We had already arranged to meet back in three months, (maybe more… who knows?), and were looking forward to seeing each other. However, those three months never came. Instead, we lost all three trips. “What’s the matter? We’re just not the same after being together for three months. We should’ve hit it big.”
Friendless, we were. Yet we were still determined to see each other again sometime in three months. We had different ideas on how to do it, but decided not to press it. I guess we were like most people in that situation. We were afraid to fail. It was a stupid, self-fulfilling prophesy, if you will.
At least it worked for me and my friend. We still don’t do it today.