If an unsuspecting outsider looked at a major poker tournament today, they would see a respectable, fun, and competitive event filled with players of all ages and genders, from different walks of life.
Yet, it wasn’t always like this. Before 1970, poker was a game shrouded in mystery, played by outcasts in the backrooms of saloons and on riverboats, and associated with every type of immoral behavior you could think of.
Poker was still poker, and skill mattered, but playing in the right games and knowing how to stay safe were often more important than the way you played your cards.