Another Tale of Hustling

Around 1970 the high stakes game played in Philadelphia’s Cavendish Club was three man auction pinochle. Bob Jordan dominated the game. I would say a night in which he won a thousand dollars might be disappointing to him. Norman Kay would play in it occasionally, but I think he preferred partnership pinoche which is very much like bridge.

One day Phil and Crawford were driving in the same car and passed a tennis court. Crawford suggested they hit a few balls. Unknown to Crawford Phil was a very good tennis player. As they vollied Phil told me he could tell Crawford was intentionally playing badly. For once, Phil, who had always been a mark, decided to hustle him and didn’t reveal how good he was. He let Crawford keep increasing creasing the stakes until they played for ten thousand dollars a game which Phil won In spite of that win Phil told me he lost a lot of money to Crawford.