Distinctly Montana Magazine

Betting the ranch The History of Gambling in Montana By Jaix Chaix G ambling has a long history in Montana — a long, peculiar history, that is. And whether it was poker, faro, rouge et noir, whist, thimblerig, percentage stud horse, roulette, ten dice or chuck luck, each of these games found gamblers throughout Montana's history. Natives & Trappers Before recorded history, Native Americans used stickgames to determine who wins horses, cattle, and even use of land in a particular area. And long before Montana was even a territory, Native Americans bet on horse races, archery contests, and other games of skill. Later, early "European" trappers and settlers wagered on races and shooting contests as well. However, the Europeans brought something new: card games, which shifted the course of gambling history. Incidentally, card games caused one of the first gambling incidents in Montana history. Native American women playing stickgames at Glacier National Park, circa 1910-1940]. Photo courtesy of Library of Congress. Legend holds that horses, guns, watches, mining claims, even ranches and homesteads were wagered at poker tables in Montana. Three-card Monte Many able tricksters were known to bilk the last dollar from more honest, working men. These deviant hucksters would encourage unwitting players to wage at threecard monte: the classic card "shell game" where a player picks one of many cards, the banker shuffles them, and the player has to pick his card again to win. In 1862, a villainous gambling incident occurred in Montana Territory. Some lucky miners discovered gold dust at Gold Creek (near Garrison, where the last, "golden spike" of the Northern Pacific was driven 20 years later). News of miner's luck attracted a few morally disreputable swindlers who encouraged the miners to press their luck further with a game of three-card monte (or very similar game). Somehow, the miners luck went bad and the swindlers rode off with all of the miner's gold dust. But the miners allowed little time to pass, and quickly realized that the cards were secretly stacked against them. A posse quickly tracked down the swindlers, who each had their own luck with fate. At the end of the chase, one swindler drew a pistol and was shot by his captors. Another was hanged. And the last fared best and was acquitted in court. Two years later, this incident was not forgotten. During the first legislature at Bannack in 1864, three-card monte was banned in Montana Territory. "Bucking The Tiger" "Bucking the tiger", or "faro" as it was more commonly known, was all the rage in Montana's "Territory Days" and played in saloons and "gambling hells" throughout the northwest. Faro was a face-paced, easy-to-learn game, with good odds causing many gamblers to lose their last cent. And as with other games, gamblers won handsomely — or lost everything (including their senses to gambling fever). Faro was often played alongside another popular game in the pioneer days: poker and its many variations with just as many legendary bets. "Betting The Ranch" Legend holds that horses, guns, watches, mining claims, even ranches and homesteads, were wagered at poker tables in Montana. In the late 1800s, on a streak of good hands, a man bet his ranch and the town, of which he held most of the plats. Upon the dealing of the last hand, his luck ran out. He lost everything. Sadly, he spent the rest of his life struggling to gain back what he lost in a single poker hand (his descendants asked for privacy in this article). So indeed, there is truth to the phrase "betting the ranch" in Montana. 54 D I ST I N CT LY M ONTANA • FALL 2013

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