Titanic Thompson
Alvin Clarence Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1892 |
| Died | 1974 (aged 82) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Other names | Titanic Thompson |
| Occupation(s) | hustler, gambler, golfer |
| Known for | gambler, golfer, hustler |
| Spouse | Jeanette |
| Children | Thomas E. Thomas, and Ty Wayne Thomas |
Alvin Clarence Thomas (1892–1974) was a gambler, golfer and hustler who created the character of "Titanic Thompson" and lived that fictional character's secret life.
Life of a hustler
Alvin Clarence Thomas, born in Rogersville, Arkansas, began conducting his nomadic, lucrative and secret career of hustling across the rural United States in the early 1900s. Later, when he had honed his skills, he moved on New York City where he became an underground legend by winning at all manner of propositions.
Blessed with extraordinary eye-hand coordination and incredible eyesight, he was a skilled athlete, crack shot and a self-taught golfer good enough to turn professional.
However, in an era when the top pro golfers would be fortunate to make $30,000 a year, Thomas (who after a misprint in a New York newspaper conveniently let people think his name was Thompson) could make that much in a week hustling rich country club players who thought they knew how to play golf, but found out—under extreme pressure from Thomas's creative and massive bets—that they were in way, way over their depth.
Thomas's genius was in figuring out the odds on almost any proposition and heavily betting that way. He also had to perform under pressure as he had to in golf—and most often did.
One fascinating hustle of his was to beat a golfer playing right-handed, and then offer double or nothing to play the course again left-handed as an apparent concession. One thing his opponent usually did not know was that Thomas was, in fact, left-handed.[1]
Origins of the Nickname
In his own story published in SPORTS ILLUSTRATED in 1972, Alvin Thomas said:
"In the spring of 1912 I went to Joplin, Missouri, just about the time the [Titanic] liner hit an iceberg and sank with more than 1,500 people on board. I was in a pool room there [in Joplin] and beat a fellow named Snow Clark out of $500. To give him a chance to get even, I bet $500 I could jump across his pool table without touching it. If you think that’s easy, try it. But I could jump farther than a herd of bullfrogs in those days. I put down an old mattress on the other side of the table. Then I took a run and dived headfirst across the pool table. While I was counting my money, somebody asked Clark what my name was.
'It must be Titanic,' said Clark. 'He sinks everybody'.
So I was Titanic from then on."
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, October, 1972
Autobiography
Thomas told his own story which was published in 1972 by Sports Illustrated. All rights to this published story were purchased and are owned by Sunbelt Productions, Inc.[citation needed]
Notes
- ^ Kaplan, Michael (2002). "All Bets Are On". Cigar Aficionado.
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