#662 – The Poker Mix

When I play poker online, I usually listen to music. Although I have a series of different playlists I tend to stick with and change among, I have a special place in my heart (and on my iPod) for songs about poker, gambling, Las Vegas, or that spur a particular memory for me about those subjects. You can find this as an iMix on iTunes, but because several of the songs came from CDs I owned, rather than iTunes, they won’t show up on that list.

Please give me your ideas in the comments below. Am I missing some good songs?

1. Ace of Spades – Motorhead.

2. Atlantic City – Bruce Springsteen.

3. Cowboy – Kid Rock.

His bad-ass attitude seems perfect for poker. It’s just a matter of finding an appropriate song. This was the closest I could find with its reference to moving to California to “chill like Flynt.”

4. Deuces are Wild – Aerosmith.

It seems there should be SOME Aerosmith song, right? I picked this just by the title. Eat the Rich has more the attitude, though, so I could substitute that if I wanted.

5. The Gambler – Kenny Rodgers.

Have to pick that one.

6. House of the Rising Sun – The Animals.

It doesn’t portray gamblers in a very positive light, but it’s a great and famous song.

7. Leaving Las Vegas – Sheryl Crow.

8. Money, Money, Money – ABBA

9. My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion.

Maybe it sounds goofy to pick this song, but it’s got “heart” in the title and I think there should be some recognition of Dion’s Vegas residence and her husband Rene Angilil, high-stakes player.

10. One Night in Bangkok – Murray Head.

Maybe this doesn’t exactly fit but if there can be a hit song about chess – and I imagine this is the only one – I’m going to include it.

11. Only Time – Enya.

This one requires some explanation. When Andy Beal and Phil Ivey played at the Wynn in February 2006, at one point Ivey got so bored with the lack of conversation that he borrowed my iPod. Fiddling with the selections, he host a half-million dollar pot to Beal. In disgust, he pulled off the headphones and tossed them with the iPod at me. “You’re lucky I don’t throw them in the trash.” He immediately began a won that made him and his fellow high-stakes pros $10 million in four hours. When I checked my iPod later, this was the only song Phil listened to.

12. Polyester Bride – Liz Phair.

James McManus, in POSITIVELY FIFTH STREET, said this was a favorite song of Sandy Murphy, Ted Binion’s one-time girlfriend who was accused of murdering him (she was convicted, had the conviction reversed, and was acquitted at a retrial) and convicted of conspiring to rob him.

13. Pretty Vegas – INXS.

14. Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man – Bob Seger.

15. Rambling, Gambling Willie – Bob Dylan.

16. Rock ‘n’ Roll All Nite (live version) – KISS.

This is a personal pick. Whenever I win a poker tournament online, I play this song at top volume and sing it to Jo Anne. This works particularly well if it’s a late-night tournament and I can wake her up with this song.

17. Shape of My Heart – Sting.

This song includes lyrics about what the playing-card suits represent, and there’s a good chance Sting was informed of this by Anthony Holden’s BIG DEAL.

18. Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple.

“They burned down the gambling house.”

19. Something to Be – Rob Thomas.

Lisa Wheeler, photo-journalist turned publicist, posted on her MySpace page a montage of images from the 2006 World Series of Poker set to this song. I love the song, and I can’t hear it without thinking about the ‘06 Series.

20. Straight On – Heart.

Gambling is probably a metaphor in this song, but it’s used extensively.

21. That Was a Crazy Game of Poker – O.A.R.

22. Tumbling Dice – The Rolling Stones.

23. Under the Bridge – Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Ted Forrest told me this song was playing on the P.A. system at the Bicycle Club on what turned out to be a pivotal night in his career as a high-stakes player. It was as he was cashing out a big win in a ludicrous $400-$800 Razz game in which he was once stuck $30,000.

24. Viva Las Vegas – Various.

I have versions of this by Elvis, Bruce Springsteen, and ZZ Top.

25. Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon.

Another personal choice. Lee Ho Fuk’s, in Chinatown, is right behind the Empire Casino at Leicester Square, where I spent so much time the last two Septembers at WSOP-Europe. In fact, many of the song’s locations are now familiar to me from those experiences.

Please give me your comments about these songs and others you think should make the list.

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