52 Pick One: Gambling Industry Pros Reveal Their Favorite Cards
Twenty gambling insiders share their most meaningful playing cards — and the stories behind them
3 min
Is there anything better than cracking open a fresh deck of cards?
The answer to that is obvious: Yes. There are objectively probably millions of things better.
But still, opening a new deck, feeling the tautness in the cards, the weight of them, the sharp-but-not-sharp edges, doing a quick hand shuffle before a riffle and bridge (or seven) …
Yeah, as far as life’s little pleasures go, not too shabby.
And within those 54 cards (we’re counting the jokers for reasons soon to be revealed), many of us have one or two of them that rank higher than the rest.
A favorite card, if you will.
So with that in mind, we asked 20 people in the wide world of gambling a deceptively difficult question: What’s your favorite card?
These are their answers.
Aces and faces
Jeffrey Benson, director of operations, Circa Sports: Ace of spades because I think it looks cool.
Brianne Doura-Schawohl, founder and CEO of Doura-Schawohl Consulting: Queen of hearts. I chose this card because the history includes a female that is regarded as beautiful, powerful, but also fearless. I feel like being one of the few women who work in the gambling sector, “fearlessnes” is a quality I hope to exude.
Jeremy Levine, Underdog CEO: Ace of hearts. I like to win and do it with heart.
Dave Portnoy, founder and owner of Barstool Sports, pizza aficionado: Super dumb. Jack of spades.
David Purdum, ESPN gambling writer: I’m going to say jack of spades, simply in honor of my favorite musician, Jack White.
Jason Robins, CEO and co-founder, DraftKings: I can’t say I actually have a favorite card, but if I had to pick it would be the queen of spades.
Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling: Probably the king of hearts. Bold, powerful card. Often called the “suicide king” as on modern decks the sword appears to run through his head, but I’ve been around the gambling field long enough to know that is likely just a printing error during the centuries when European playing cards were becoming standardized.
Capt. Jack Andrews, gambler, co-founder of Unabated Sports: Jack of clubs. The jack for obvious reasons, and I feel like the mainstream suits are spades or hearts. Plus those are the one-eyed jacks. Give me the oft-ignored club suit. The downtrodden. Those are my people.
Jay Kornegay, longtime vice president of operations at Westgate SuperBook: It’s simple. We draw for draft positions for all our fantasy leagues and there’s one card you want to see — please let me turn over the ace of spades. That doesn’t mean I get the first pick, but it allows me to choose my draft position. Winner!
Matt Perrault, co-host of The Bostonian vs. The Book: My answer would be the queen of hearts, for my daughter who is a huge Alice in Wonderland fan.
Can’t pick just one
Richard Schuetz, CEO of Schuetz LLC, longtime casino executive: I will answer to favorite cards, for it is the fives. Traditionally overlooked and thought unimportant in the scheme of things, but of critical importance in card counting.
Adam Levitan, co-founder of Establish The Run: I remember one time probably around 2004 I was really low on money, was losing and playing $10-$20 limit hold’em at Borgata — typical win/loss is like 300 bucks in that game. I made quads with the two black tens and won a massive pot. Seems like good cards to have.
Pete Overzet, creative lead, FantasyLife: I always loved getting pocket threes. I first started playing poker in high school and wore number three all throughout high school basketball because I loved Allen Iverson.
Joe Brennan, Prime Sports co-founder: A six. Most people would fold the moment they were dealt a six. I think a six has a lot of fight in it. If you’re going to play tight, you’re folding anything that isn’t at least a face card. You’ll spend all your time trying to play the top of the deck and just bleed yourself out. Six? That’s a risk-taker’s card.
Greg Raymer, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner: I don’t have one favorite card. But I do have two: the eight of spades and the eight of diamonds, together, as that was my winning hand in the WSOP Main Event in 2004.
Wild cards
Alex Kane, CEO and founder of Sporttrade: I would say eight of diamonds because of the “8” traced in the middle.
Gina Fiore, gambler, writer, consultant: Deuce of clubs. A group of friends were picking playing cards for credit card roulette. We’d all picked mostly paint or an ace. The last person to pick shrugged and pouted and said, “I guess I’ll pick the deuce of clubs.” It was just a funny moment and I always remember his face. So not super exciting, but I smile.
Victor Rocha, conference chair at Indian Gaming Association: The joker. It doesn’t belong to a suit or a rank, making it a symbol of individuality. That’s me.
Pat Mayo, Mayo Media Network: Seven of clubs, no reason.
Brandt Iden, VP of government affairs, Fanatics: OK, the first card that comes to mind is the nine of spades. Only because I am a big fan of the movie Rounders. The eight and nine of spades is the hand that Matt Damon uses to bait John Malkovich in the final scene.
