Miss Dumont was French by birth, arriving in Nevada in the 1850s. He was taught to gamble from a young age by a black, female friend of the family and became a card player with a count as deadly as his aim. A tuberculosis sufferer, Holiday knew his days were numbered and was therefore utterly without fear, a fact reflected in his gambling habits. This notorious outlaw is perhaps best known for his part in the O.K. Later, Masterson procured enough moolah to set up his own Olympic Athletic Club, through which he promoted up-and-coming boxers (and organised pools on matches). He used his winnings to fund multiple passions, including travelling and promoting prize fights. This pro-gambler and gunfighter was a bit of an all-round renaissance man. Definitely one of the hottest female poker players out there – ‘hot’ in terms of her fame! 9) Bat Masterson Rarely seen without a chunky cigar and a fat stack of ill-gotten cash, Ivers became the bane of pit bosses everywhere when she broke the bank at a casino in Colorado. Perhaps the most infamous female frontier shark, ‘Poker Alice’ hailed from Devon, England but quickly gained renown after settling in Virginia. Below are 10 of the fiercest frontier gamblers who ever lived: 10) Alice Ivers (AKA Poker Alice) He represents the openness of society and is associated with risk-taking. The gambler remains a compelling figure in Western imagery. As the West became more populated and domesticated, the public perception of gambling changed to a negative one, leading almost all state and territory legislatures to pass anti-gambling laws in an attempt to “clean up” their towns. Historically, gamblers were of both sexes, came from a variety of occupations, classes and geographical backgrounds, were of many different nationalities and were part of a respected profession. the wild west gambler is one of the most recognisable figures of the 19th century American frontier. the famous gamblers of the old west a.k.a. These rough ‘n’ tough saloon sharks came from various walks of life, included both men and women, and typically erred on the wrong side of the law. Many frontier gamblers have gone down in history for their daring exploits.

The heyday of cowboy gambling lasted from 1850 until 1910, during which time gambling halls would often be the first building constructed whenever a new camp or settlement was started. The circle of cut-throat varmints sat around dusty poker tables is one of the most enduring images from the American Old West but who were the meanest and most infamous of them all?

Old famous poker player