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From the Archives - Geronimo Wins!
The great Apache war chief Geronimo led his people's resistance to the U.S. for many years before surrendering, after which he fairly quickly became a rather model citizen. Like many Indians an ardent gambler � a generation earlier the great Kiowa warchief Setanta had also been a notable sportsman � Geronimo was particularly fond of poker, at which he often won considerable sums, as can be seen in this excerpt from The Army-Navy Journal of August 29, June 9, 1900.
| A Wichita press correspondent states that Geronimo, the famous Apache war chief, deposited in the bank at Chicasha $1,425 some days ago, the result of his winnings at poker. Recently he became a great poker player. He shuffles the cards cautiously, never cheats, and expects his opponents to play fair. He �s a greater bluffer, and is not afraid to call a bluff. In the spirit of the old deacon's advice to the young men not to bet but if they did to bet on Jones's mare, the chief's conduct �n banking his winnings may be held up as a worthy example to those who seem to lighten a monotonous existence by dalliance with the deceiving jackpot.
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Clearly, Geronimo played poker the way he played war, seriuosly. This is demonstrated.both by his penchant for bluffing, and the amounts involved; in 1900 $1,425 was almost as much as a first lieutenant earned in a year, and more than twice the annual wage of the average public school teacher in the nation.
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