During the 1960s, I worked as a reporter for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner in Los Angeles, CA. The Vietnam War had turned a growing number of Americans, especially young people, against the U.S. government and the prevailing theme was, 'Make Love, Not War.'
Protestors mellowed out by smoking marijuana. They marched in parks, staged anti-war rallies, and even took over political offices to show they were serious.
While I supported the U.S. government in principle, I had my own personal doubts about what warring nations could accomplish. I often fantasized about the leaders of nations using different ways to solve their problems with other countries.
Today Vietnam and the killing fields of Cambodia are history, being replaced by Afghanistan, Iraq, and turmoil in the Mideast. Many citizens of Korea, Vietnam and Cambodia have put aside their hatred of the United States and have moved to America to find jobs. A lot of those people have wound up in Las Vegas where, unsurprisingly, many of them play poker or engage in other forms of gambling.
They still engage in war, but their weapons are not guns, grenades, bombs and rocket launchers. Their weapons are chips, money and their knowledge of cards.
I have played against some natives of Vietnam, Korea and Cambodia, and I can assure you they are no push-overs at poker. Some of them play so well that I refer to them as the Warlords of the Green Felt Jungle.
They stick together and share their knowledge of the game and even their wealth with their fellow countrymen. Some of them speak little English, but it doesn't seem to affect their game.
I make it a point of talking to players from the Mideast or Asia. I respect their play and I try to make them respect mine.
'Where iare you from?,' I might say.
'Cambodia.'
I ask them if they still have family in Cambodia and if they have visited their homeland since moving to America. Most are open with their answers, although some seem to resent the inquiries. I respect their wish for privacy and move on to other subjects.
One man who was born in Vietnam said, 'My country is no longer at war with America. Here we can fight our battles with cards and skill.' We shook hands on that premise.
When these foreign-born warlords win money, it is no secret what they do with it. They send part of it back home to take care of their family.
One evening I was playing at Binion's Horseshoe. There were three Asians at my table -- two from Vietnam, one from Cambodia. And they played their cards like they were soldiers on a battlefield.
I had two friends at the table who were ex-military. One had fought in Vietnam and I could see they resented the Vietnamese players because of their military experiences. We were drinking and the more we drank, the tenser the situation became.
Personal insults began flying. A couple of Asians lined up behind the card players and they began muttering among themselves. One of the ex-military men at the table, an American citizen, challenged one of the Vietnamese players to meet him in the parking lot.
The Asian player didn't smile. 'Any time,' he said, discarding his hand.
'How about right now?', the American-born citizen said. Both men began rising from the table.
Fortunately, security guards had been observing the game and they stepped in. They talked to both players, sorted things out, and warned them that if they got into conflict, they would no longer be welcome at Binion's.
One of the security people said, 'Is it going to be war or poker?'
There was a long silence at the table. Finally, the Vietnamese player said, 'It's up to him. The war is over. I prefer poker, but whatever he says is fine with me.'
The American said, 'You're right. Let's play poker.' He reached across the table and they shook hands. They were smiling, War Lords to the end.
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 ).
