During his career at Burroughs, Doyle quickly realized that being a salesman for something no one wanted was not the way to go. He began to search more and more often and purposefully for poker parties, but this path led him to Exchange Avenue - one of the roughest and worst streets in all of America. At every turn there were saloons and gambling houses full of thieves, dealers, swindlers, crooks and prostitutes. "During the first year I completely fell for it, I practically did not see sunlight. I slept during the day and just played all night. I also stopped watching basketball, the only thing I was interested in was poker. And also women."
In this area, Doyle came into contact with many infamous names of the American underworld. “I remember Elmer Sharp, a chubby little fellow who had a pet bear. He had that in his private club, in which, when there was little playing or no payment, he very quickly stirred up the "fun" with him!
"It was here that I experienced my longest session of my life, lasting 5 days and 5 nights without sleep. I only had breaks to go to the bathroom or to eat, and unlike the others, I didn't cheer myself up with drugs, but only with coffee. A huge amount of coffee. One of my rivals was Virgil, who, unlike me, helped himself with drugs and alcohol. In addition, he smoked one cigarette after another. I've known Virgil for years and I've been warning him for a long time that this mix will kill him one day."
Tincy Eggleston - well-known person of Fort Worth
"During one lowball game, we got into a showdown together where I called his all-in with A2457. He replied that he didn't have a five, turned A2347 and beat me. He took a triumphant drink of whiskey, reached for his pot, and at that moment he collapsed dead on the table. This is where I first discovered how cold-blooded poker players can be - after paramedics took Virgil's body away, they continued to play as if nothing had happened. And played for another 24 hours."
The underworld players were unpredictable at that time, and literally every minute even a seemingly normal situation could turn into a fight or shootout. The quote "The question is not if it will happen, but when it will happen" perfectly describes the situation at that time. Doyle was aware of the players he was sitting at the table with, but also that the problems here are not solved by "fair play" outside. Almost everyone was under the influence of alcohol and drugs, which, along with the guns and knives in their pockets, was a deadly combination.
The story of the famous gambler Herbert Noble ended with a bomb in his car in 1951
“I've seen a lot of people die, but the worst memory I have is one night where we played illegal CG $2/$4 five card draw and ace-to-five lowball at the club. Around midnight, an agitated man walked in, walked up to a man sitting at the next table about two feet away from me, put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Then he turned and walked away without a word. That's when the panic started, everyone started running and ran wherever it was easier. Not because of the shooter, but because of the cops. I remember wading across the river to escape and the water was very icy.”
"During my stay on Exchange Avenue, I got to know and meet about 35-40 friends of the same age. But their numbers were rapidly declining - not because they stopped playing poker. They either ended up in jail, escaped or were killed. It's hard to get used to something like this, but I thought it would need a change..."
Source: VIP-grinders, autobiography of the Godfather of Poker, Wikipedia, library.uta.edu
