Titanic Thompson: The Legendary Gambler Who Never Sank

Alvin Clarence Thomas, known as Titanic Thompson, was born in 1892. Thomas' father, Lee Thomas, was also a professional gambler and left the family when Alvin was 14. Thomas started his gambling career at the age of 16 with $1 in his pocket.

During World War I, Thomas served in the army and rose to the rank of sergeant. He won over $50,000 from his fellow soldiers during his service. Thomas was known for his skill in marking cards, using techniques like making indentations with a sharpened nail.

Thomas earned the nickname "Titanic" after a bet involving jumping over a billiard table. He became known as "Tompson" due to a typo in an article. Thomas met Nick "The Greek" Dandalos in Chicago in the early 1920s. Thomas and Dandalos gained entry to high-stakes games through their association with Al Capone. Thomas once bet he could throw an orange through a building, substituting it with a lead-filled lemon.