George Devol Poker player Date of Birth: 01.08.1829 Country: USA

1. George Devol: The Legendary Riverboat Gambler
2. Gambling Career
3. Notorious Reputation
4. Later Life

George Devol: The Legendary Riverboat Gambler

George Devol was born on August 1, 1829, in Marietta, Ohio. He was the youngest of six children. Devol's father worked as a ship carpenter and was often absent. Growing up, George was a troublemaker who hated school, skipped classes, got into fights almost every day, and regularly found himself in trouble. His mother struggled to control him, and it was no surprise when, at the age of ten, he ran away from home to work as a cabin boy on the steamship "Wacousta" for $4 a week. It was during this time that Devol encountered gamblers, who fascinated him with their appearance and lifestyle, inspiring him to become a cardsharp himself.

Gambling Career

George Devol began learning the trade of a card player almost immediately. Riverboat gamblers typically preferred games like "21", "Monte Carlo", poker, and "Pharoah". They often had secret partners who would find and deceive inexperienced card players. By the age of fifteen, Devol had already become skilled in the art of gambling. In 1844, when the United States invaded Mexico, he took advantage of the situation and traveled to Texas with the soldiers, winning games against them using his cheating techniques. Devol returned to New Orleans with a fortune of $2,700 at the young age of seventeen.

The easy money intoxicated Devol, and he could no longer resist cheating. He targeted cashiers as his primary victims, often using alcohol to intoxicate them. Eventually, the wallets of the residents and visitors of New Orleans became so thin that the military governor of the city, General Benjamin Franklin Butler, ordered Devol to be imprisoned for a year. However, even in prison, Devol managed to deceive his fellow inmates and orchestrated an escape with the help of a bribed jailer.

During Devol's youth, river transportation was rapidly developing, with planters, cotton buyers, and slave traders utilizing the rivers for business and personal travel. For Devol, steamboats became his training ground, where he gained experience in the art of gambling. He usually posed as a planter and played games such as "Monte Carlo", "Pharoah", and various forms of poker. Alongside his tricks, Devol often relied on accomplices like Canada Bill Jones, Big Alexander, Bill Rollins, and others. He also bribed bartenders to use rigged decks of cards. In the 1880s, the popularity of river transportation declined as railroads began to dominate. New settlements emerged during this time, providing Devol with new opportunities for significant winnings. In Cheyenne, he crossed paths with the legendary Wild Bill Hickok.

Notorious Reputation

Unsurprisingly, Devol frequently found himself in trouble. He faced various threats and physical abuse in an attempt to deter him from cheating, but nothing could sway him. Devol famously stated, "I don't know how thick my skull is, but it must be pretty thick, or it would have been cracked long ago by a poker, a billy club, or a wagon axle. The blows that have fallen on my head would have crushed the skulls of most other men. Doctors have said that the frontal bone of my skull is nearly an inch thick."

Devol never sympathized with his victims. In his opinion, anyone who had a chance to glimpse an opponent's cards without being caught would take advantage of it and calmly collect the winnings. He believed that "all gamblers are looking for easy targets with money."

Despite his controversial career, Devol took pride in his winnings. Some of his victories became legendary tales, such as winning four slaves from a slave trader and selling them for $1,000 each in New Orleans. On one occasion, he even won crocodiles being transported to a circus. Another story tells of Devol winning $1,200 from a railroad executive, which led to the outraged minister issuing a decree prohibiting gambling on trains.

In his memoir, "Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi," published in 1887, Devol confessed his fraudulent past but claimed to have adhered to a certain code of honor. He asserted that he never took money from friends and would always inquire about potential victims' incomes, ensuring he left them with enough money for the journey home and a comfortable bed. However, given Devol's character, it is difficult to believe these claims.

Later Life

At the request of his new wife, Devol retired from the gambling world in 1896 and spent his final years selling his memoir. It is estimated that he won $2 million over his forty-year career. However, when he died in 1903, he had almost nothing left.