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A Soundtrack for the Game


2007-02-15 13:38:55
By: Gene Bromberg

If the name Ricky Jay isn't familiar to you, his face might be. That is, if you've ever seen the classic con-man movie House of Games, which featured Jay in one of the greatest poker scenes in cinematic history. Or you might recognize him from Deadwood, or Boogie Nights, or Heist. But Jay isn't best known for his acting work--he's long been considered one of the greatest sleight-of-hand artists in the world. If you don't believe me, I urge you to read Mark Singer's profile of Jay that ran in the New Yorker back in 1993. You'll never refuse to cut the deck in a poker game again. Not that that would help you against Jay, of course.

Jay has also written several books about gamblers, confidence men, cheats, and other colorful characters, and he's now released a CD/DVD combo titled, simply enough, Ricky Jay Plays Poker. The 21 tracks on the CD features songs by artists such as Bob Dylan, Patsy Cline, Robert Johnson, and Lorne Greene (?), all about this magnificent game that had entranced and enraged players for generations.

The DVD features Jay displaying some of his incredible card-handling skills at a poker table with some friends (I recognized actors John C. Reilly and Willie Garson in the brief excerpt posted at Amazon). And the set also comes with a 72-page book with a piece written by Jay and featuring pictures from his collection of poker curiosities.

So if you're looking for a gift that's guaranteed to surprise and delight any poker player (don't be embarrassed if you're looking in the mirror and nodding), this would do the trick. And if you're the sort to listen to your iPod while sitting at the table, what better background music could there be for shuffling cards and slinging chips?

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