The nameless critics are not claiming that no poker match involving those players ever took place, or even perhaps that it was a big game. The question is whether the specific game described in
The Biggest Game in Town, that passed into legend as the origin of the World Series of Poker, actually took place. Since Alvarez mentioned how "Binion got his publicity" and how the players were "surrounded by crowds six deep," a few latter-day writers started to wonder where this publicity was at the time, why nobody but Moss ever mentioned this game, and even him not until decades later.
If you have facts about this game, some 1949-1975 corroborating evidence, that would be great, but if there were any in your post, I can't find it. Saying you found evidence that this happened and pointing out a description of them playing poker is like saying you have evidence of Babe Ruth's called shot and telling us about a newspaper article you once read that said he hit a lot of home runs.
As for the rest of your "the critics also" claims, you're correct that Binion did mention Moss in his UNLV interviews. However, Michael Craig never said that Binion never discussed high stakes poker.
Quote:
"But [Binion] never mentions (a) Johnny Moss; (b) a poker game between Moss and Dandalos; (c) any big poker game that drew spectators to the Horseshoe; or (d) any poker game from that era having anything to do with the start of the World Series of Poker in 1970."
The claim is that Binion did not mention the specific, legendary game, or anything close to it, not that he never mentioned poker. Also, Craig was quoting the Review-Journal obituary which called Nick the Greek the "Aristotle of the Pass Line."
I do find it interesting that you chose to stop quoting Binion at the moment he discusses Moss' later years: "...I think a few years ago, Johnny Moss was the best. But when a guy gets older, they can't set there. I never seen but one poker player quit the game with any money when he got old, with a lot of money. He was a fellow they called "Society Red" from Dallas, Texas..." I don't think you need to read too far between the lines to believe Binion was saying Moss had lost his ability and wasn't doing all that well towards the end.
Last edited by illdonk; 08-19-2011 at 05:50 PM.