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Popular Culture Review
Bad Beat II: Busted with Four Aces
And so in our final sentences we answer the question: why are
Coolidge’s ‘‘dogs” so dog-gone popular today? Maybe it is because dogs playing
poker (or baseball, or going to court) are just plain funny. Poker is considered by
many gambling experts to be an analytical game of strategy. So the idea of dogs
playing this type of brainy game is viewed as ridiculous or silly. Finally, the
appeal of Coolidge’s work comes from nostalgia. For a generation of Americans
growing up in the 1970s, “dogs playing poker” has become an icon of leisure.
What family rec room would be complete without the image of dogs playing
poker? Certainly not mine.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
William Thompson
Works Cited
Alvarez, A. Poker: Bets, Bluff, and Bad Beats. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. 2001.
Alvarez presents a wide range of information about the origins of poker, the
psychology of play, leading players, as well as his experience playing in the
World Series of Poker.
Brunson, Doyle. Doyle Brunson's Super System: A Course in Power Poker. New York:
Cardoza Publishing. 1979. World Series of Poker champion, “Texas Dolly”
Bmnson shares his vast knowledge, including histories of tournament games,
and his “secrets” for winning at no limit Texas hold’em.
Caro, Mike. Caro's Book o f Tells. New York: Cardoza Publishing. 2003. Champion
player Mike Caro describes one of poker’s most interesting facet, “the bluff”