Corky McCorquodale

Felton McCorquodale
Nickname(s)Corky
ResidenceFort Worth, Texas
Born(1904-08-23)August 23, 1904
Fort Worth, Texas
DiedNovember 23, 1968(1968-11-23) (aged 64)

Felton "Corky" McCorquodale (August 23, 1904 – November 23, 1968)[1] was a professional poker player, noted as the person who introduced Texas hold 'em to Las Vegas in 1963.

Poker had been legal in Las Vegas since 1931,[2] but Texas hold 'em was not played. In 1963, McCorquodale introduced Texas hold'em at the California Club in Las Vegas.[3] The game became popular and quickly spread to the Golden Nugget, Stardust and Dunes.[4]

He was a respected no-limit player in his career. Since McCorquodale's death in 1968, Texas hold ‘em has now become one of the most popular forms of the game in the world.

He was a posthumous charter inductee into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1979.[5]

  1. ^ Hayano, David M. (1983). Poker Faces: The Life and Work of Professional Card Players. University of California Press. p. 87. ISBN 0-520-05067-3.
  2. ^ Lawrence, Christopher (March 19, 2021). "Legal gambling not even the top story of the day back in 1931". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  3. ^ Sloan, Scott (March 2020). "Putting Texas Back in Texas Hold 'Em". Texas A&M University School of Law. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  4. ^ Farha, Sam; Storms Reback (October 2007). Farha on Omaha: Expert Strategy for Beating Cash Games and Tournaments. Triumph Books. pp. 8–. ISBN 978-1-61749-920-3 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Peters, Tim (July 18, 2007). "The Quest for Immortality: The Poker Hall of Fame". Cardplayer Magazine. Archived from the original on April 12, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2009.