Poker Alice

Childhood

Alice Ivers was born on 17 February 1851, in Devonshire, England, to Irish immigrant parents. At the age of 12, her family relocated to Virginia, USA, where she attended boarding school to become a refined lady. In her late teens, her family moved again, this time to Leadville, Colorado, a booming mining town that would shape her future.

Career

Poker Alice’s gambling career began after the tragic death of her first husband, Frank Duffield, a mining engineer who introduced her to poker. Left in financial hardship, she gambled to support herself, quickly gaining a reputation as a skilled player.

She traveled across the West, winning substantial sums in Silver City, New Mexico, and dealing cards in Creede, Colorado, at a saloon owned by Robert Ford, the man who killed Jesse James. Known for her sharp mind, beauty, and impeccable fashion sense, she used her charm to distract opponents while calculating odds with precision.

At her peak, she claimed to have won 250,000 (equivalent to over 3 million today).

Due to her religious beliefs, she refused to play on Sundays, a principle that earned her respect in saloons.

Personal life

Poker Alice married three times:

Frank Duffield – Died in a mining accident.

Warren G. Tubbs – A fellow gambler whom she defended with her .38 revolver when a drunken miner attacked him. They had children (reports vary between two stepchildren and seven biological children). Warren died of tuberculosis in 1909.

George Huckert – A ranch hand she married to avoid paying his back wages. He passed away in 1924.

Revenue

Poker Alice amassed considerable wealth through gambling, but she was also known for her lavish spending. After big wins, she would travel to New York City to buy expensive dresses, using fashion as a personal indulgence and a strategic advantage at the poker table.

Later in life, she opened Poker Alice’s Resort, a combination brothel and gambling den near Sturgis, South Dakota. The business brought in steady income but also legal troubles.

Interesting facts

• Always carried a .38 revolver and smoked cigars.
• Once shot and killed a soldier in self-defense during a raid on her resort.
• Served jail time for bootlegging and operating a brothel but was pardoned in 1928 due to poor health.
• Disinherited her relatives in her will, leaving her estate to friends instead.
  

Legacy

Poker Alice remains an iconic figure of the Wild West, inspiring books, films, and TV shows. Notable portrayals include:

• Barbara Stuart in The Texan (1960)
• Elizabeth Taylor in Poker Alice (1987)
• A mention in the Lucky Luke comic series