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Legends of America

Traveling through american history, destinations & legends since 2003., george devol – old west card sharp.

George Devol

“I don’t know just how thick my old skull is, but I do know that it is pretty thick, or it would have been cracked many years ago, for I have been struck some terrible blows on my head with iron dray-pins, pokers, clubs, stone-coal, and bowlders, which would have split any man’s skull wide open unless it was pretty thick. Doctors have often told me that my skull was nearly an inch in thickness over my forehead.”

– George Devol, Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi

George H. Devol was the greatest riverboat gambler in the history of the Mississippi River. He was also a con artist, a fighter, and a master at manipulating men and their money.

Born on August 1, 1829, in Marietta, Ohio, George Devol was the youngest of six children. His father was a ship carpenter and was often away from home. Though Devol had good opportunities for early education, he didn’t like school and spent most of his time playing hooky. The unmanageable boy was also prone to fighting, coming home almost daily with scratches and bruises from his numerous scuffles. When a teacher attempted to discipline him with a hardy whipping, he would turn on them, hitting them with stones that he carried in his pocket. While his father was away building boats much of the time, his mother would be forced to call in a neighbor or passerby to help with his punishment.

Devol ran away at the age of ten, serving as a cabin boy on a riverboat steamer called the Wacousta .  Evidently, Devol did a good job in this capacity as he soon took a better-paying job on a boat called Walnut Hills .

Another boat came soon after – the Cicero , where Devol learned to play “Seven-Up” and the art of bluffing. Seeing the high lifestyle of the professional gamblers on the boat, Devol was determined to follow in their footsteps, and by the time he was in his teens, he could deal seconds, palm cards, and recover the cut.

Fighting would continue to be a natural part of his life, and he soon developed skills with a gun, never hesitating to pull it.

By the time the Mexican War broke out, he was on a boat called the Tiago . Soon, Devol thought it a good idea to go to war and got a job as a barkeeper on the Corvette , bound for the Rio Grande and Mexico.

While aboard the Corvette, he met a man who taught him how to “stock a deck.” Upon reaching the Rio Grande and joining the forces, he quickly utilized his newly learned skills to swindle the other soldiers. But he grew bored with soldiering, and with his pockets filled with his ill-earned gains, he returned to New Orleans, although not for long.

At the tender age of 17, Devol’s pockets were filled with almost three thousand dollars as he headed back home to Ohio, laden with gifts for his family.

While back in Ohio, he mastered the games of Faro and Rondo.  Devol continued to hone his skills and made hundreds of thousands of dollars in the years before the Civil War .  Working the steamboats of the South, he joined in with other card sharps, including Canada Bill Jones , Bill Rollins, Big Alexander, and many others over the years.

Playing Faro

One trick that Devol liked to play was betting against ministers, who inevitably lost their meager wages to the professional gambler. However, Devol would always return their money, along with this advice: “Go and sin no more.” But to the many soldiers, paymasters, farmers, thieves, and businessmen, he was not so kind.

When the war was over, the railroads began to head west, with settlements sprouting up all along the way.  Many of these burgeoning towns, often filled with railroad workers, miners, and cowboys provided all manner of vices, including prostitution , numerous saloons , and the ever-present gambling halls. Supplying perfect opportunities for Devol’s operation, he followed the railroad expansion between Kansas City and Cheyenne in the early 1870s.

According to his account, Devol was working the Gold Room Saloon in Cheyenne when he encountered Wild Bill Hickok .  Devol tells the story that when Hickok placed a $50 bet, he lost.  He then placed another $50 bet, winning the hand that time; however, the dealer handed him back only $25.  When Wild Bill protested, the dealer stated that the house limit was $25. “But you took 50 when I lost,” said Hickok, to which the dealer responded, “Fifty goes when you lose.” The quick-tempered Hickok wasn’t about to accept those terms “sitting down” and quickly whacked the dealer on the head with his walking stick, turned over the table, and stuffed his pockets with the till.

On another occasion, when Devol was working the railroad route, he beat a railroad director out of $1,200.  This one-time winning game resulted in Devol’s profession being quickly curbed when the outraged official prohibited gambling on trains.  Further, the Pinkerton agency was hired to be on the lookout for the most notorious professional gamblers, including Devol.

In 1892, Devol published his autobiography, Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi , telling of his life and probably exaggerating much of it. Shortly after he published his book, the great days of railroad and riverboat gambling were over. At his new wife’s insistence, he retired from gambling for good in 1896 and spent the last years of his life selling his book.

It is estimated that Devol won over two million dollars in his forty years of gambling.  However, when he died in Hot Springs , Arkansas , in 1903, he was nearly penniless.

Reno, Nevada Gambling, 1910

©  Kathy Weiser-Alexander / Legends of America , updated November 2021.

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Riverboat Gambler 17+

64 casino table games, riverboat gambler, llc, designed for ipad.

• 4.6 • 1.9K Ratings
• Offers In-App Purchases

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Description.

Riverboat Gambler contains 65 casino games. All of these games can be found in a casino somewhere in the World, but no casino in the World has all of these games! Climb aboard The Riverboat Gambler and enjoy some of the hottest casino games around! This app serves up 65 different games and there are more planned. You will be amazed at the realism of your experience. Players are saying that they are becoming more proficient at the live games by practicing with Riverboat Gambler. Please read the reviews from loyal Players and professional casino Dealers who are using RBG for training purposes! Games Include: 1. Mississippi Stud 2. Three Card Poker 3. Ultimate Texas Hold’em 4. Criss Cross 5. Double Draw Poker 6. Let It Ride 7. Blackjack 8. Crazy 4 Poker 9. High Card Flush* 10. Pai Gow (tiles) 11. Pai Gow Poker 12. Asia Poker 13. Caribbean Stud Poker 14. Texas Hold’em BONUS 15. Baccarat 16. DJ Wild Poker 17. Tequila Poker 18. Red Dog Bonus! 19. Casino War 20. Keno 21. Roulette (American) 22. Craps 23. Lunar Poker 24. Cajun Poker 25. Four Card Poker 26. Heads Up Hold'em 27. Omaha Hold'em 28. Texas Shootout 29. Farobank 30. Face Up Pai Gow 31. Face Up Blackjack (Double Exposure Blackjack) 32. Jackpot Hold'em 33. Down Under Blackjack 34. Zombie Blackjack 35. Three Card Blitz 36. Casino Over/Under 37. Money Wheel 38. Three Card Fury 39. Four Card Frenzy 40. Big Raise Stud Poker 41. Single Deck Blackjack 42. Three Card Blackjack 43. Three Card Draw Poker 44. Deuces Wild 45. Bonus Six Stud Poker 46. 3-5-7 Poker 47. Chase the Flush 48. Fish, Prawn, Crab 49. Boule 50. Spanish 21* 51. Wild Five Poker (Poker with a Joker) 52. Boston 5 Poker 53. Deuces Wild Bonus! (Deuces Wild Hold'em Fold'em) 54. Sic Bo - IPad only 55. Six Card Poker 56. Rabbit Hunter 57. Cali Lowball 58. Deuces Wild (Video Poker) 59. Jacks or Better (Video Poker) 60. Joker Poker (Video Poker) 61. Royal Flush (Video Poker) 62. Double Double Bonus (Video Poker) 63. Triple Double Bonus (Video Poker) 64. Three Card Sabotage 65. Wild Card Stud Poker * These games are not currently available on the smaller legacy SE devices. The limited screen real estate makes it difficult to display the large number of cards that are required to play the game. These games were designed & developed by an ardent casino player who plays 3-4 times every week. No worries if you do not know how to play. Each game includes detailed instructions and rules as well as descriptions of the possible poker hands and the related payouts. Already a player? You're going to love being able to "sit at the table" and practice your technique. Each game includes its own separate set of achievements for you to tackle as you are building up your bankroll and you will periodically be rewarded with bonus chips throughout the day. You are sure to have hours of fun improving your understanding of the games! To top it off, the developer personally reviews ALL feedback and acts upon it. If you have suggestions, submit them! Many of the current games were introduced in response to Player feedback. Note: some games may not be available on devices with smaller screens because you would need a microscope to view your cards!

Version 61.0.3

This release is focused on some requested enhancement, library upgrades related to the pesky ads that pay the bills, and some bug fixes. 1. Roulette bug: the space for a split 24/27 wager was not properly recorded so if that wager was made and a 24 or 27 was spun, the wager didn't get paid. Many thanks to Danny (not me!) for using "Send Feedback" to reach out and alert me to the issue. With 280+ spaces to wager on that board, Roulette can be a bit gnarly! 2. Red Dog Bonus bug: another user reached out using "Send Feedback" to let me know that the "Win Achievements" did not appear to be getting tracked correctly. They were absolutely correct and I have fixed the issue in this release. So, if you're a Red Dog (a.k.a. "Acey-Deucey" Player), you have some additional achievement chips that you can still earn! 3. Craps enhancement: Several folks have reached out to request a feature that would show how much gets won (or lost) in Craps while a Shooter is rolling. I've added that as an enhancement in this release. Now, Craps will track the impact to the Player's bankroll while the Player is rolling the dice. The net impact will be reported any time the Shooter "make his point" or rolls a 7. Keep in mind when you're verifying the message that it's possible for some chips to remain on the board after a roll is paid; especially if you are using the "Dealer Assist" features that can be found in Preferences. So, you will have to take the bankroll amount into account with whatever is reported as "In Play". As to Craps: I feel like I am getting extremely close to isolating the issue associated with the final dice images not matching the roll results. I have still not reproduced the issue but I am getting fewer and fewer reports of this issue. Of course, that could also be an indication that folks are ignoring the problem and creating a false sense of accomplishment on my part. If you experience the issue, please reach out with screenshots. The roll result message is the correct number and it should match what shows in the "Roll History" that is available from the game's menu. More enhancements are coming; and some more games! Please keep sending me your suggestions and requests. Everything gets added to the backlog and I re-prioritize after each release. Thank you for your continued support and please stay safe! ~Danny

Ratings and Reviews

1.9K Ratings

Completely satisfied

Admittedly, I’m a dinosaur. I’m never going to be a gamer, on my phone or computer. But I do want to play plain ol’ video poker on my kinda old iPhone, to kill time. I don’t want to buy an app (period), especially without knowing that it’s good. I don’t want to have to pay real dinero to get fake money to keep playing a game that only pays back an occasional endorphin hit. I don’t want to get blasted with ads every minute, and I HATE those ads that ignore my mute settings and wake up my spouse. Lastly, I surely would rather somehow support a fellow human rather than any MegaCorp. This completely free River Boat Gambler(RBG) ticks all my boxes. Danny, the talented developer, is super responsive, obviously committed to providing the best app and service that he can, and refreshingly honest about the need to show an occasional ad to generate some modest revenue for his efforts, while working hard to make them as benign as possible. Via regular (every few hours) “loyalty bonuses”, RBG keeps you supplied with free chips when your luck inevitably runs out. RBG offers every casino card game you’ve ever heard of (and fun variants thereof. The app is aid out effectively and everything functions perfectly (if anything doesn’t work as it should, send feedback and Danny will fix it ASAP). I couldn’t be happier. Get it - you’ll be happy too!

Developer Response ,

Wow! I'm feeling a bit like a donkey right now! I apologize for not having responded to this review that you posted over three months ago! 😮 I honestly only noticed it tonight because I filtered my dashboard to see reviews I'd missed - I wasn't expecting to see any! 🤷‍♂️ Thank you for posting it, for the kind words, and for the 5 Stars! I feel really bad given that you emphasized my responsiveness; something I try to be very good about and I quite obviously failed on miserably here. I'm so glad you found RBG and I'm happy that you like it! I've developed the app to my standards; meaning I personally don't like a lot of ads, a lot of noise, and I have no patience for special effects that add no value. Personally, I just want to play the games and practice my strategies. Please don't hesitate to let me know if there is something I can do that will improve it for you. Again, I'm very sorry it took so long to reply; there's no excuse for that! I hope you're doing well! ~Danny

Just scroll, people!

Tl;dr at the bottom. I recently reached out to the game designer (Danny, who is ridiculously responsive) because I wasn’t able to access all the games. I was convinced of this because of a pop-up telling me my display was zoomed and so some games may not be accessible. I was further convinced of this because I had a strong recollection of trying (and failing) to scroll past the few games I could see on my screen. But it was a lie. It’s all a lie! [insert unnecessary maniacal laughter here] The pop-up is a minor algorithm oopsie and easily ignored. The real issue is I’m occasionally vexed by simple things. There’s a very good chance I didn’t scroll at all or tried to in the wrong direction. 🤦‍♀️ The good news is that being “limited” to just the few games I could immediately see, I discovered a fondness for Boston Five Poker - a game I didn’t know existed. And now I’m off to play the 50 or so games I didn’t know I could actually get to. tl;dr Really solid app, fun games, really responsive gamer designer, I’m an idiot.

😘🥳🤣 I loved our text chat; you totally made my day! And thank you very much for posting a review! I respond to every review and every support text and you may be right; I may be ridiculously responsive 🙃 Your chat came at a particularly low point during my day and I am even more grateful for that than am I for the 5 Stars. You're a gem! Thank you! ~Danny

One of a kind

Riverboat Gambler is as real as it gets. I’m not familiar with all of the games offered but every game that I’ve played in any casino that I’ve been to is in here. The rules and the payouts are exactly what you find when playing in a casino. If you are a new player and are intimidated by being a beginner at a live table, Riverboat Gambler is a great way to learn a game, practice it and gain the confidence needed to be comfortable playing in a live game. If you are an experienced player, you’ll enjoy this app for the sheer reality of the games. All of this said, what really makes this app unique is the responsiveness of it’s developer. He is more than willing to accept suggestions, even engage in dialog to gain understanding and make changes that enhance the app and increase our enjoyment of it. One such encounter and you will see that this one was created with passion for the games. Congrats, Danny. Note that every review gives 5 stars! Thanks for putting this out there. This truly is One Of A Kind

Hey 40! Thanks for the updated review and for your kind words. I definitely try to do my best and it's nice when a Player recognizes that for others to read. I hope you have a great new year! ~Danny

App Privacy

The developer, Riverboat Gambler, LLC , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Used to Track You

The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:

• Identifiers

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

• Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• 1,200 Chips $1.99
• 8,000 Chips $9.99
• 4,000 Chips $5.99
• 8,000 Chips (Bonus Add-On) $4.99
• 15,000 Chips $11.99
• 500 Chips $0.99
• 4,000 Chips (Bonus Add-On) $2.99
• 1,200 Chips (Bonus Add-On) $0.99
• 20,000 Chips $24.99
• 20,000 Chips (Bonus Add-On) $12.99
• Developer Website
• App Support
• Privacy Policy

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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