Matt Damon

I have received a second recommendation for the role of Luke Short, Matt Damon. If the choice were between Damon or DeCaprio, who would you choose ?

Remember Luke stood only 5' 6" tall and weighted about 140lbs according to Bat Masterson.

Keep those suggestions coming and check out my site dedicated to Luke Short at:

http://captyak.tripod.com/

Reese Witherspoon as Hettie Short

So if Leo is playing the part of Luke Short we need a really outstanding actress to play the part of Luke's wife, Hettie. It has been suggested that Reese Witherspoon would fit that role quit nicely and I couldn't agree more. She would be perfect for the role of Hettie Short who was petite and beautiful. Plus she was a fashion statement of her time. And, so full of life. Not to mention she had to be a very strong person to handle the life of a gamblers wife.

See photos of Hettie at: http://captyak.tripod.com/

Leonardo DiCaprio starring as Luke Short

What you do folks think of that? One reader, Ski suggested Leonardo DiCaprio for the starring role of Luke short. DiCaprio did play opposite Sharon Stone in the Quick and the Dead. He certainly has the look of a Luke Short and the build. And what about supporting roles? Luke was buddies with Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. He worked with Doc Holliday, though I wouldn't say they were good friends. Luke's wife was a very pretty and petite woman. Any ideas who would be a good match for those roles ?

Wyatt was 6 years older then Luke and stood a good 6 inches taller and about 20lbs heavier. Bat was 3 inches taller and had a stocky build. The photo of Luke's wife makes her look tiny, maybe 100lbs and 5' 4" tall.

Check out all their photos on my site at http://captyak.tripod.com/

Luke Short, the movie

I have been in talks with a movie producer who currently is involved in a reality show. He has this burning desire to do a movie on the life of Luke Short. Together, he and I know just about all there is to know about Luke: his gambling days, his scouting days, his gunfighting days, his family, his wife, his business interests, his buddies and so much more. This guy, Luke Short, packed more into his 39 years of life then most men could in a lifetime. Hollywood likes to show the face-to-face gun fight but in reality there were few such events. Luke was involved in two face-to-face showdowns and killed two very well respected gunhands.

I am exploring the idea of putting a team together for a movie on Luke. Are you interested ? Tell me what your interests are and what you bring to the table. Also, take a look at my Luke Short web site: http://captyak.tripod.com/

Do you see yourself involved in such a project ? If yes, email me at loneagle101@comcast.net

History of Poker and Playing Cards in America

Poker may have derived from the French term " poque" but that remains unclear. What is known for certain is that the earliest mention of Poker is in the book, " An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling" published by G. B. Zieber, Philadelphia 1843. Again published by T. P. Peterson, Philadelphia in 1857.

Bluff Poker (modern day Draw Poker) was introduced about the time of the Civil War and spread quickly as young men, in most cases first time away from home, picked up the game as a means of passing the time.

Stud Poker was played without straights and straight flushes as the game was invented well before straights and straight flushes were recognized.

Whiskey Poker was a game originally played in the lumber camps in America to determine who should pay for drinks.

Playing Cards have evolved over time. When first introduced they had plain backs, no rounded corners, no indexes and they were not double-ended.

The earliest example of double-ended cards date around 1861 but they didn't take root until the 1870's. Painted backs began showing up in the mid 1800's. Indexes ( the little numbers in the corner of each card) were introduced shortly before the 1870's and rounded corners showed up around 1875.

The Joker also showed up in the 1870's. First called the "Best Bower", then the "Jolly Joker" and eventually just " Joker".

Check out the Old West Gambling items offered at oldwestantiques.biz

Old West Collectibles

Having spent the last 20 plus years collecting Old West items and studying about them tends to cause one to think that things in this field move slowly, if at all. Then along comes the internet and it's a whole new ball game.

The down side is that you discover there are far more items out there then you realized and that tends to drive prices down.

The up side is that you discover there are far more items out there to choose from and you can improve on the quality of what you already have for less then you thought.

Plus, with the internet you no longer deal with a very well defined (and small) customer base. You now have the entire World knocking at your door, day and night. You can be making money while you sleep. Ain't that great !!!

Check out Old West Antiques and let me know you stopped by.