By anyone's standards, Johnny Moss was a rough character. He had served time in prison for killing a man in Texas and when he moved to Las Vegas, he carried his ways with him.
I tried for years to persuade him to sit down for an interview. He promised me he would but he never did. I guess he was just too busy playing poker or he didn't want to be bothered answering questions about the past.
Moss continued playing poker almost up to his on May 14, 1995 at the age of 88. He played at his favorite casinos, Binion's Horseshoe, the Bellagio, the Golden Nugget and the Dunes when it was still operating.
Dan Malka was a 23-year-old poker dealer when the Dunes hired him in 1978. Although Malka was neither a journalist nor a writer, he probably got the last interview with Moss before he died. Johnny took a liking to the young dealer and revealed things to him that he didn't share with anyone else.
In an article published in ANTE UP Magazine on May 12, 2011, Malka shared his experiences with the tough Texan who won the first World Series of Poker and about whom so many stories have been published. The article was titled, 'A Moment Or Two With Mr. Johnny Moss.'
Johnny had originally managed the Dunes poker room but had been replaced by Dartmouth graduate Chip Reese, who had a reputation as one of the best seven-card stud players in poker. Malka was in his third week of dealing when he met Moss. The game was $30-$60 seven-card stud. Moss was in seat four and an out-of-town poker player was in seat five.
The out-of-towner had been giving Malka a hard time. He won a big pot and when Malka pushed him the chips, he didn't tip the dealer. Moss didn't like that.
He told the player off in a low threatening voice and ordered him to push the dealer a red $5 chip 'or I'll throw your ass out of my poker room.' The player was intimidated. He fumbled in his stack and tossed the dealer three red chips.
'Thank you,' Malka said, directing his glance to Moss.
A couple of hands later one of the other players spoke up in a mild voice. 'Johnny, I don't want to get you riled up,' he said, 'but you forgot that this isn't your card room any more.'
Through serpent eyes, Moss glared at him and said, 'I don't forget anything. I know they gave my card room to the college boy but it will always be my card room and it will be again. You'll see.'
Moss was always in the Dunes card room either playing poker or reading a newspaper at an empty table. Malka noticed that nobody ever sat down next to him except his wife. He asked a dealer about it.
'He's a rough character,' the dealer said. 'Take my advice and stay away from him. You'll be better off.'
Malka didn't mind rough characters. He walked over to Moss's table and politely asked permission to sit down.
Johnny looked at him. Then he handed the sports page to him and invited him to take a seat.
Both of them read the newspaper in silence. Moss, knowing the routine, reminded Malka it was time to push. As Malka rose to his feet, Moss said, 'The other guys around here figure they better call me Mr. Moss. You can call me Johnny. But you still have to call my wife Mrs. Moss. Everybody has to.'
Malka smiled. 'I know that, Johnny,' he said.
From that day forth when Malka saw Moss sitting alone, he would sit next to him and share his newspaper. Johnny did the talking and Malka was a good listener.
Reese decided he could make more money playing poker than managing a card room, so he gave up his position to Doug Dalton who would eventually end up as director of poker at the Bellagio. The Dunes changed the location of its poker room and re-hired Moss as manager.
Malka left the Dunes and became a dealer at the Silverbird before moving to Florida to train dealers at an Indian-owned casino. He moved around within the poker industry and joined a Florida cruise line as manager of its poker room.
Fifteen years passed. Malka returned to Las Vegas on a four-day vacation and stopped at Binion's Horseshoe. He saw Moss, then 85, seated at an empty poker table reading a newspaper.
Malka stopped at the table. He said, 'Mr. Moss, I wonder if you might remember me.'
Johnny laid the newspaper down and smiled. 'Yeah, I remember telling you that you didn't have to call me Mr. Moss,' he said.
They shook hands and Malka sat down. He said, 'Johnny, how ya doing?'
Moss looked away from him. 'You probably heard about Mrs. Moss,' he said.
'Yeah, Johnny. Sorry to hear about it. She was a fine lady.'
Johnny asked him if he was still in the business. Malka told him about his job with the cruise line and said he was making good money.
Moss stared at Jim Albrecht, who was the Horseshoe's card room manager, and said, 'I want to get up out of this chair, walk right up to him, fire his ass and give you his job. But Bennie Binion won't let me. Bennie doesn't care what I think any more. He says we're too old now. Well, hell, he's probably too old. He lets his college boy son Jack run the whole damn place.
' What the hell do college boys know about our business any way? It's not right that you have to leave Vegas just to run a damn card room. One of my boys should be running this place, one who learned from me.'
Malka didnt tell Moss that he was a college graduate and he didn't remind him that he had never worked for him. He was just flattered that Moss considered him good enough for the job. That was all he needed from one of the most famous Texas poker outlaws of all time.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
