riverboat gambling song

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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Artist: Carly Simon

Album: Another Passenger

Carly Simon Another Passenger Riverboat Gambler (carly simon/jacob brackman) Riverboat gambler Drinking alone on the prow Chasing your bourbon with tennessee gin The big game's about to begin Riverboat gambler Hiding that ave up your sleeve I can see through all that debonaire style The irony bending your smile And i won't tip your hand I won't do you in I want to stay near you I want you to win Riverboat gambler You can defy all the odds You can draw diamonds to fill out your flush You can find someone to trust And i won't steal your chips I won't steal your pride Won't you take me on faith Won't you let me inside Riverboat gambler Under our velvet and lace You're an old vagabond, i'm a poor waif Let's make a place that's safe Riverboat gambler Come on and let me inside

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History of Riverboat Gambling on the Mississippi

The South has always been at least somewhat friendly to gambling due to the rise of the riverboat in the early 1900s. Games of chance were kept on the water so that anti-gambling laws wouldn’t apply. Games like poker and roulette took place on grand riverboats, even if the ship never left the dock.

This tradition was greatly reduced when the railroad became the main way to transport both goods and people, but some riverboats remain in the South today. In Mississippi and Louisiana, especially, retired steamboats are now used for river cruising and for gambling in places like Vicksburg.

Online casinos are one of the latest innovations in the casino industry. Since the rise of technological advancements, they are solid competitors to U.S.-based land-based casinos. Many gambling restrictions still remain in the South and across the ocean. For example, every casino in the UK gets licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.

The regulations of the U.S. online casino market have led to developers existing who only get associated with U.S. casinos and are not available at UK-based gaming sites. Some famous developers for the U.S. market are RealTime Gaming, Relax Gaming, Rival Gaming, Elk Studios and Betsoft.

But for those players who want the old-time experience of dressing up and boarding a grand steamboat, the South has plenty for them. Just look along the Mississippi River from Missouri to Louisiana. According to Visit Mississippi , the first steamboat to travel the Mississippi River was the New Orleans, whose October 1811 maiden voyage began in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The New Orleans stopped in Natchez in December 1811 before continuing to its final port in New Orleans.

Wealthy Southerners could afford to travel by steamboat, and some were ornately decorated in the Victorian style. The riverboat casinos that remain today continue that grand tradition, with music playing onboard, restaurants available to players and even live entertainment offered regularly.

So, if you want to step back in time and experience the old South by river—without all the outlaws and pirates —consider a riverboat cruise or evening of gaming.

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Riverboat Gamblers

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A Guide To The Most Iconic Riverboat Casinos In The US 

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Talk about casino destinations and you’ll most likely think of Las Vegas, Atlantic City or, if you are travelling outside the US, maybe Monaco or Macau.

Yet what are called “land based” or “bricks and mortar” casinos to differentiate them from the online versions are not necessarily on land or made of bricks and mortar.

We refer, of course, to riverboat casinos, a little slice of Americana that’s as American as Super Bowl Sunday or Thanksgiving turkey. Riverboat casinos conjure up images of the Mississippi and Mark Twain complete with white suit, top hat and cigar. There are more than 60 riverboat casinos operating in the USA and every single one of them has a story to tell. Here, we highlight a handful of the very best.

The Grand Victoria, Elgin

Our first stop is not on the Mississippi at all, but on the Fox River in Elgin, 50 miles north west of Chicago . Owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment, the Grand Victoria really is a slice of Las Vegas on the Illinois waterfront.  With more than 1,000 slots and video poker terminals and 36 tables, there’s a great choice of games.

If all that gambling whets your appetite, there are four dining options on board, including the highly rated Buckingham’s Steakhouse and Lounge.

Casino Queen, Marquette  

The Casino Queen would look like a lifeboat if it was moored alongside the Grand Victoria, but that is all part of its charm. It offers a more intimate and personalized experience, and although there are only eight tables, they host an intriguing variety of games that are not commonly found in land (or water) based casinos. If you know how to gamble online in the US , you’ve probably seen fusion blackjack and 21+3 at US online casinos. The Casino Queen gives you an opportunity to play them in real casino surroundings.

When you step ashore, there is an adjacent 31-acre entertainment complex with a variety of attractions and a huge choice of dining options.

The Amelia Belle, Amelia  

At last, we arrive in Louisiana, where the Amelia Belle lies nestled in the Avoca Island Cutoff waterway. This classic four-story riverboat looks like it has stepped straight out of a photograph from the turn of the 20 th century. When it is lit up at night, it takes your breath away.

At the tables, poker is the order of the day. The casino offers Mississippi stud, 3-card poker and Texas Holdem. There are also 800 slot games, while the Fanduel sportsbook has self-service betting kiosks, a wall full of television screens, and a huge video wall to show the biggest events.

Sam’s Town, Shreveport

On the opposite side of Louisiana, Sam’s Town could not be more different to the Amelia Belle. This floating leisure complex houses a hotel, health spa, sauna and live entertainment venue.

The casino offers more than 1,000 slots and 30 table games that include blackjack, roulette, baccarat, Let it Ride and Craps No More.

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The Best Country Songs About Gambling

By Jof Owen

Whether you’re trying your luck at the casinos in Las Vegas or just sitting around a picnic table playing poker with your friends in your front room on a Saturday night, we’ve got enough tunes to last you long into the small hours with our Holler playlist of The Best Country Songs About Gambling

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You’ve got to be in it to win it, and here at Holler we are all in. We bet you’re going to absolutely love our playlist of gambling.

In country music there have always been as many losers as there have been winners, and where better to go and look for them all than down at the casino.

That’s where you’ll find Clint Black on his good run of bad luck or Gram and Emmylou lining up whiskeys and gins and anything else in the hope they’re going to win. If your luck’s in Megan Moroney might be there too, and you can bet that Kenny and Dolly will always be around if there’s a spot of gambling going on. Plus, we’ve sweetened the pot with brand new songs from Emily Nenni and Kat Hasty too.

So, whether you’re trying your luck at the casinos in Las Vegas or just sitting around a picnic table playing poker with your friends in your front room on a Saturday night then you just hit the jackpot! we’ve got enough tunes to last you long into the small hours with our Holler playlist of The Best Country Songs About Gambling.

Listen as recklessly as you like, but please always gamble responsibly.

See the full tracklist for the Playlist below:

The Gambler

Kenny Rogers

Megan Moroney

Ace In The Hole

George Strait

Ooh Las Vegas (feat. Emmylou Harris)

Gram Parsons

When You're Hot You're Hot

A good run of bad luck.

Clint Black

The Lucky One (Taylor's Version)

Taylor Swift

You Get Half

Let's go to vegas, walking away a winner.

Kathy Mattea

Cody Johnson

Lucky Tonight

A gamble either way.

Dolly Parton

Amarillo Highway

Terry Allen

Fall Out Of Love

Turnpike Troubadours

Tumbling Dice

Emily Nenni

I Always Get Lucky With You

George Jones

Ace Of Hearts

Alan Jackson

Roll The Dice

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

Tails I Lose

Parker McCollum

Queen Of Hearts

Juice Newton

Everytime I Roll The Dice

Chris LeDoux

Mr Mudd and Mr Gold

Townes Van Zandt

I Feel Lucky

Mary Chapin Carpenter

Uptown Poker Club

From a jack to a king.

Ricky Van Shelton

Atlantic City

Dawn Landes

Honey (Open That Door)

Ricky Skaggs

Doug Supernaw

Elvis Presley

All I Wanna Do Is Play Cards

The lucky one.

Alison Krauss & Union Station

I'll Be Lucky Someday

Glen Campbell

You're Lucky She's Lonely

Summer Dean and Colter Wall

How Lucky Am I

Kaitlin Butts

So Damn Lucky

Taylor McCall

Hey, Lucky Lady

Last dollar (flew away), fun and games.

Kelsea Ballerini

When It Rains It Pours

The roving gambler.

George Hamilton IV

Little Willie The Gambler

Son of a rotten gambler.

Emmylou Harris

Chas & Dave

Vietnam Deck of Cards

Deck of cards, losin' in las vegas.

Merle Haggard

Big In Vegas

I got lucky, gambling bar room blues.

Jimmie Rodgers

Della and the Dealer

Cheat Codes and Dolly Parton

Lauren Alaina

Game Of Cards

Katy J Pearson

Heads You Win Tails I Lose

Dan Tyminski

Russian Roulette

Eric Church

I Bet On You

Heads carolina, tails california.

Jo Dee Messina

Maren Morris

Black Jack David

Loretta Lynn

Wagon Wheel

Darius Rucker

Jonathan Richman

It's A Cheating Situation

John Prine and Dolores Keane

Erin Kinsey

Casino Queen

Suzy Boggus

St John and the Gambler

The cowboy rides away.

Flying Burrito Brothers

Losing Hand

Luck of the draw.

Bonnie Raitt

Lawyers, Guns and Money

Warren Zevon

Clare Bowen and Sam Palladio

Riverboat Gambler

Dollar bille blues, waiting around to die.

Be Good Tanyas

Money On Me

Morgan Wallen

Gambling Polka Dot Blues

I take my chances, kentucky gambler, down in mississippi (up to no good), cheatin' songs, cheatin' is.

Millie Jackson

What Happens In Vegas

Phil Vassar

Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives

Gillian Welch

Turn The Cards Slowly

Patsy Cline

A Game In Town Like This

Every time i roll the dice.

Delbert McClinton

Loser's Cocktail

Dick Curless

Checkout Time In Vegas

Drive-By Truckers

Only Game In Town

Charley Crockett

One Night In Vegas

Chely Wright

Subscribe and listen to Holler's Best Country Songs About Gambling List above.

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