Rip Amarillo Slim Preston

[smashedagain]

And having read the 2+2 post from skippy I now feel bad about calling him a wrong un .... The guy has died and I want to try and remember the good side and the legendary tales

[smashedagain]

Having said that I shared a lift with Kara Scott

subtle

Lol. Is she still wife Hastings? Guess she pretty much has the choice of the entire poker community and beyond.

[Beaver808]

You get hate mail? Seriousy?

The term "jealousy mail" is probably more apt...

[sm00035]

Interview with Nolan Dalla

http://www.pokerlistings.com/a-legend-lost-amarillo-slim-breaks-his-silence-pt-1-38457

Personally I'd like to see a bit more evidence before ever remembering the guy as a child abuser.

Oh dear mate

[Gazza]

Having said that I shared a lift with Kara Scott

subtle

Lol. Is she still wife Hastings? Guess she pretty much has the choice of the entire poker community and beyond.

She's with Brian Townsend, no? Hastings played isildur and won like 4 million, Townsend helped analyse his game.

[tikay]

Personally I don't talk to strangers in lifts anyhow, so I don't see how it's awkward.

Anyway, here's a Johnny Hughes post on the 2+2 thread (I got it from the google cache, since 2+2 is down):

Night before last, Shawn Rice called me to tell me Slim was in hospice care. Shawn was Slim's protege at pool and poker since he was 19. He says Slim is the greatest hustler in the world. Shawn and I play some in the same poker game. He is a great guy. I wrote to Crandell Addington and Doyle Brunson. Crandell wrote back that he and Doyle will be the last two Texas road gamblers left, "dinosaurs" he said. None of the people who know Slim here in Texas think he was guilty of this charge. Doyle traveled with Slim for years, and Shawn did later. If he was a freak, those cloest to him would have known it. They all defend him, as Doyle Brunson has done this very morning! It is a usual TwoPlusTwo deal that many who have read little about the case make lying, false statements.


Some years back, Amarillo Slim granddaughter accused him of inappropriately touching her. She has publicly recanted, and said she made it all up. All members of Amarillo Slim's family, including her parents stand behind Slim.

Slim pled NO CONTEST to a misdemeanor assault charge that was NOT a sex charge on a plea bargain. Posters on here routinely say that Slim pled GUILTY OF A SEX CHARGE. If he had, he would be required to register as a sex offender for life. Poker sites routinely say he pldd guilty. There is a huge difference! Some bargain! You would have to know how it works in West Texas. They told him this: Option One: Plead no contest to a lesser, non sex c charge that does not mention or have anything to do with sex, pay a small fine and leave the building. Option Two: Be charged with felony sexual assault. Face a jury and possible life in prison. Life? or a fine? Choose.

Amarillo Slim had plead NO CONTEST to gambling, vagrancy charges several times, as had I. When we pled NO CONTEST to vagrancy by association, it didn't mean we were broke, didn't have a residence, or anything much. It was the cost of doing business for a gambler.

In Tulia, Texas, one lying rogue undercover narcotics officer framed scores of black people for selling cocaine. Many pled guilty when they were innocent on plea bargains to get a lighter sentence. Later this was all discovered, and the Governor gave pardons.

None of Slim's friends ever believed that he had become a child molester after seventy. Doyle Brunson, one of the most respected men in poker, and one os Slim's best friends and old road partners spoke out on Slim's behalf early on, as did any Texan I know of. Nolan Dalla, Media Director for the World Series, did an interview with Slim pointing to his innocence. It is illogical and downright ignorant to believe that Amarillo Slim was guilty of this when his whole family, friends, writers agree that he was innocent. It is time for poker to honor Slim again, with some time of special life-time achievement.

Thanks for posting that, Mr Skip, it certainly gives a bit of balance to the opposite view so prevalent.

I think it's very important not to take fixed views on these things, to have the ability to at least try & see the other side. 

I don't know what to think, really, but unless I had clear proof, I think I'd be civil to him. Do as thy will be done works well in most cases.

[neeko]

He got a full page obit in the Times today.

[luther101]

Mmmmm     ....       'tricky one'.

As his grand-daughter later withdrew the allegations - could he have been 'saving' her from the embarassment/shame of appearing in court and having to admit her lies?

The fact that her parents backed Mr Slim speaks volumes      ....        any parent whose child has been molested would - rightly - want the offender's head removed slowly with a rusty bow saw!

As for 'plea bargaining' - apart from not dragging the g/daughter into the witness box - who would place their trust/life at the mercy of a court/jury?

They've hardly got an amazing track record of getting things right either side of the Pond!

Also - no Legal Aid on The Land of the 'Free' maybe he simply couldn't afford to contest?

The 'evidence'      .....      a Grandad patted his g/daughter on the knee - that's noncing?

RIP to the old fellah      .....     case not proven.

[SuuPRlim]

I read his book way before all the child abuse stuff, not really up to speed on the story so cant comment but his book is brilliant.

Gonna to read up on the story now

[the sicilian]

Hmmmm.... I believe we live in a society where someone is innocent until proven guilty...sod trusting some of you lot to make an objective decision if my head was on the line..mind you I fancy I could make a run for it whilst you were sharpening your pitchforks and lighting those torches...

Although I had to laugh at child molestation being compared to some shady Internet poker scam.

Slightly off topic but I think sometimes we have become over sensitive to possible nonces. Where as it's good to be aware at possible dangers to our children I feel the fact that at my youngest childs school they have now banned parents from attending sports day.. This after banning filming of sports day the previous year. The worst example was when my daughter was playing the violin in a multi school concert. I was asked to stop filming my child who like every other pupil was fully dressed in school uniform. I mean for Christ sake it wasn't like they were running around in gym knickers and I was randomly filming all and sundry. This added to the fact it made me feel I was doing something wrong and dirty.

Some common sense and the need to jump on the proverbial bandwagon need to be addressed.

[TightEnd]

Victoria Corens' column in the Observer today

http://bit.ly/K2POka

[kinboshi]

Victoria Corens' column in the Observer today

http://bit.ly/K2POka

Some of the comments posted are an interesting insight as to how some 'muggles' view poker.

[notatroll]

Mmmmm     ....       'tricky one'.

As his grand-daughter later withdrew the allegations - could he have been 'saving' her from the embarassment/shame of appearing in court and having to admit her lies?

The fact that her parents backed Mr Slim speaks volumes      ....        any parent whose child has been molested would - rightly - want the offender's head removed slowly with a rusty bow saw!

As for 'plea bargaining' - apart from not dragging the g/daughter into the witness box - who would place their trust/life at the mercy of a court/jury?

They've hardly got an amazing track record of getting things right either side of the Pond!

Also - no Legal Aid on The Land of the 'Free' maybe he simply couldn't afford to contest?

The 'evidence'      .....      a Grandad patted his g/daughter on the knee - that's noncing?

RIP to the old fellah      .....     case not proven.

Wish I hadn't opened this thread as I now feel compelled to post.  I knew/know nothing of the guy in any capacity, and wasn't aware of the allegations against him.  I'm also a strong believer in 'innocent until proven guilty', but people will speculate.

Whilst I agree with almost all of luther101's post, I just wanted to pick up on the emboldened point.  I don't think we can reach the conclusion that that 'speaks volumes' at all.  It's a perhaps surprising, but sad, fact that parents of molested children won't always react in the way we might expect them to, especially when the perpetrator is another family member - so many shades of grey.

[david3103]

The pulchritudinous Ms Coren's view...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/may/06/victoria-coren-amarillo-slim-poker?INTCMP=SRCH