Who is the the Grand Old Man of Poker?

Johnny Moss died in 1995. The year that poker first starting surfacing on
the Internet. I have often thought what if Johnny had lived and been in a
good mental state as the poker boom began. He may have not played poker
beings he would have been hitting 100.

Moss was the Grand Old Man of Poker. A title bestowed on only him, to my
knowledge.

For ten years that title as become unclaimed. Seems the answer is simple,
depending on if you consider if it counts if the player is to old to
actively play cards. One would think you would have to be not only old,
but accomplished. Otherwise the old guy that could have been the codger at
the year 2005 WSOP, 93 or something. No...it has to be someone like Paul
McKinney (80), or Henry Orenstein(81) ...or even..... Oklahoma Johnny
Hale, about 77 years old.

I was Paul McKinney's first friend in Vegas. I can claim that about a few.
I don't think Barry Shulman would deny it. Barry and I never hung out. But
in his first trips to Vegas he played at Mirage. He used to come up to me
and say 'hello', and advise me on how to do Card Player's web site. years
before he purchased the magazine. Paul has been to my home in Summerlin.
And I hung out with his two grandsons (and Paul) like talking at an empty
table and doing dinners. Paul didn't start playing professional poker
until he was 75. Not one hand.

I also did business and worked with Johnny Hale. I have only dealt to
Henry Orenstein for 12 years at Mirage and Bellagio.

Johnny Moss? He gave me my first poker audition at Dunes. I failed it.
Johnny took me aside afterward and told me to go home and sit in front of
my TV and pitch cards all weekend and come back. LOL. I remember he asked,
"Do you have a TV?". I ended up getting hired by Jan Bowman at the
Stardust that following Monday. I spoke to Johnny numerous times at
Horseshoe in a fan capacity. This is about a month or so before I started
photographing and cover poker players in tournaments. I spent hours on the
rail watching him play. I don't know if I ever stated this on tis NG, but
when I auditioned for Johnny in October of 1984, I had no clue who he was.
I ended up working at the Dunes from 1986-89.

Well, enough about me. The question I want an answer to is, will Johnny
Moss always be the Grand Old Man of Poker?

Who is the the Grand Old Man of Poker?

Las Vegas
By Darryl "RazzO" Phillips
www.razzo.com