Legend Lost: Amarillo Slim Breaks his Silence Pt. 2
Legend Lost: Amarillo Slim Breaks his Silence Pt. 2
This is the second of a two-part interview between Amarillo Slim and Nolan Dalla, who was on assignment from PokerListings for this exclusive feature.
Part two focuses on the legal proceedings with regards to the indecency charges, Slim’s strained relationships with his family and the poker community’s reaction to the controversy. If you haven’t read part one catch up here.
NOLAN DALLA: Let’s talk about the legal case. You ended up pleading guilty to assault charges.
Editor’s note: Despite Nolan and Slim referring to his plea as “guilty,” Slim actually pled no contest.
AMARILLO SLIM: Yes, to get this over with. God damn, it’s breaking up my family. It was the best thing to do. All I had to do was accept the charges and get probation. That wasn’t anything.
There were no felonies. I could accept that. And the main reason was I didn’t want to be in the courthouse as an enemy to my wife and family, and especially my grandbaby. I’m going to end up being the enemy, if we go to court. I can’t stand for that.
NOLAN DALLA: But the bottom line remains that you pled guilty to assault charges. You stated in a court of law that you were guilty. Why would you ever plead guilty to something you did not do if you were truly an innocent man?
AMARILLO SLIM: When my lawyer told me there’s an easy way to end all this, I asked him “How?” And he said to do a plea bargain. So, I said yeah – go ahead and do it.
So, he came out of court and said I got you probation and you pay a $4,000 fine. I was told it was just a misdemeanor for simple assault, whatever that means.
I asked him what he thought about the plea bargain, and he said – this will keep your family out of the courthouse and end it. See, I was trying to protect my family.
NOLAN DALLA: You decided to plead guilty to assault. Before that, did you fear a felony conviction and being sentenced to prison?
AMARILLO SLIM: No! The felony charges were already dismissed. I didn’t even have a bond set. Don’t you think that if I’d had felonies against me they would have arrested me and made me post bail?
NOLAN DALLA: Some have speculated as to the reasons for your guilty plea. They suggest it might be justifiable for a man in his late 70s, facing possible jail time, to accept any deal which would keep him out of a Texas prison.
AMARILLO SLIM: That’s not it. I would not have had to fight the case in court much. It would have been very easy for me [to win]. But I didn’t want my family dragged through a trial and being made my enemy in the court. I didn’t want my 12-year-old granddaughter to have to take the stand.
“Everything I loved was gone. It was taken away from me.”
NOLAN DALLA: You must have known the public would hear about this controversy and suspect you might be guilty of worse crimes. Weren’t you afraid of the harm this might do to your reputation?
AMARILLO SLIM: No, I’m not even scared of a big old grizzly bear. I just did what was appropriate – or at least what I thought was appropriate.
NOLAN DALLA: Were you depressed?
AMARILLO SLIM: [Expletive] yes. Everything I loved was gone. It was taken away from me.
NOLAN DALLA: But now you say you have your family’s support. At what point did they come back to you and want to move on?
AMARILLO SLIM: Yeah. They came to me when they realized they had it all wrong. I can’t remember when exactly that was, but all of a sudden everybody was calling and visiting and everything.
We were all sitting in the same room, eating the same food, swimming in the same pool. Everybody did a complete 360.
NOLAN DALLA: I think you’d acknowledge that you have a reputation as a master manipulator and a hustler. You know how to get things done. You can fix things. In short, you are capable of just about anything. Did you buy these people off?
AMARILLO SLIM: No. People might think that, but they can think what they want. Just so they know I didn’t molest a child or fondle a child or anything like that. I didn’t.
NOLAN DALLA: Let’s discuss the public’s reaction to the controversy.
AMARILLO SLIM: The Associated Press found out about it but they didn’t want to touch it. Why not, I don’t know. Then, John L. Smith [a writer with the Las Vegas Review-Journal] wrote the most damaging article you ever saw in your life.
But I never talked to him and there is nothing factual in the entire thing. He said they now call me “Amarillo Slime.” I haven’t heard that. I might interview him with a baseball bat.
NOLAN DALLA: But Smith was basing his article, as are most writers, on court records and …
AMARILLO SLIM: On the word of an assistant district attorney.
NOLAN DALLA: Yeah, but also the fact that you did plead guilty to three charges.
AMARILLO SLIM: I already told you how that was.
NOLAN DALLA: Yes, I can appreciate and even respect that. But you did plead guilty – yes?
AMARILLO SLIM: Yes, because I was advised to plead guilty. Because – we needed to end all that mess. It was also to assault, not to being a molester or doing something like that.
“I resent it. I resent it with every bone in my body.”
Then, everyone got a hold of it and the next thing I read was that I had pled guilty to whatever it was, being a child molester, and a pedophile. It just got worse and worse.
And it wasn’t true. I can’t even say the word pedophile. I resent it. I resent it with every bone in my body. I was 77 years old and all of a sudden I’m going to start molesting kids?
Huh? Not a lot of logic there, is it? There was a site [WickedChopsPoker] which called me a pedophile. I’m considering suing them if they don’t publish a retraction because none of it is true.
Back when I could have sex, I don’t have it anymore – I can’t help that – I would have had it when I could. How come I waited until I was impotent to do something like this?
NOLAN DALLA: But can you see how a writer or journalist following this story might conclude that since you pled guilty in a court of law, then that opens you up to speculation about what really happened?
AMARILLO SLIM: I guess so. But saying I committed molestation? No. That’s when I fight back. You want to know how many psychiatrists and child counselors I went and saw? Five. The D.A. set all these up while I was being investigated. To a person, every one of them said “There’s nothing we can do for this man. He’s no more a sex molester than I am.”
NOLAN DALLA: If you could do this all over again, would you do things differently?
AMARILLO SLIM: I have tried to have an understanding with all of my family about what I was doing [during the court case]. Now, they know what I was doing. I know it, and they know it. I was trying to protect my family. Hell yes, I would do the same thing over again.
NOLAN DALLA: But when you walk into a poker room today, some of the people in that room who once respected you might think differently.
AMARILLO SLIM: Yes, and that bothered me. But I have never had anyone say anything negative to me. Whether I was playing, or not playing. I think there are a bunch of hypocrites in the poker world and a lot of them are obligated to me.
Not a one of them has showed up and stood beside me … I don’t hear from them anymore. Some of them could have said something and shown their support. But they didn’t.
“I think there are a bunch of hypocrites in the poker world and a lot of them are obligated to me.”
NOLAN DALLA: Care to name any names?
AMARILLO SLIM: They know who they are.
NOLAN DALLA: Did you get support from anyone in the poker community?
AMARILLO SLIM: No, I didn’t seek any. But I sure should have had some. I will say that one person did speak up and say that what I was charged with couldn’t have possibly happened.
He told everybody that we had traveled together for years and slept in the same room. He said it never could have happened what was said about me.
NOLAN DALLA: Was Doyle Brunson the player who spoke up?
AMARILLO SLIM: Yes.
NOLAN DALLA: No matter what, some people are still going to say, he’s Amarillo Slim. He beat the rap. He beat the legal system. That’s who he is, and he’s guilty. What do you say to that?
AMARILLO SLIM: They don’t know the truth. They are wrong to condemn someone without any substance whatsoever. There’s not one single person who ever got up and testified I did something wrong.
The little girl never saw any counselors, because it never happened. The [felony] charges were dismissed against me. The grand jury never heard that I passed a lie detector test.
All of my family is on my side now, including my grandbaby. I don’t know how I can make it more clear that all of this was wrong. And now, I am ready to do something about it and speak out.
Special thanks to Michael Hirschensohn for his efforts in setting up the interview.
Click through to read part one of this exclusive story.
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User Comments
Amarillo Slim came up on a recent podcast, I recall the charges, but I revisited the story. There are some facts worth noting beyond Slim’s own statements that testify in his favor. First, as far as we know, Slim was not placed in a sex offender registry. That this was not a condition of his plea bargain speaks volumes, considering teen guys whose teen girlfriends have texted them a single topless picture have ended up on the list. Second, despite the severity of the initial charges, the DA dropped the molestation charges and settled for assault and fined Slim a mere $4000. This was likely far less than his attorney’s bill. Third, he was cleared by the initial Ft. Worth investigation. Only after that did the Montgomery County DA open his. It’s known that a DA can make a name for himself by catching a “big fish” in a sensational case. We don’t know the motive here, but it appears the case fizzled. At the end of the day, the child molestation charges were dropped and the penalty the DA extracted was paltry compared to the nature of crime he accused Slim of.
So, I was one who looked up to Amarillo Slim, and when I heard about the charges, I made a judgement based exactly on what I knew about it. Nothing. And my judgement was … nothing. There’s a big difference between No Contest and Guilty as every one has said. If you didn’t do a crime that you are being charged of and the evidence all points to you (And keep in mind that in this case, any thing involving a child doesn’t need a lot of evidence which is both good and bad) you have two options. One is plead not guilty, hope that the jury listens to your plea for help instead of the evidence used to condemn you that is being presented and the evidence that could exonerate you that is not being used. A slim chance, and one that could send you to jail for something you did not commit. The second is to plead No Contest which is NOT a guilty plea. You are instead saying “I didn’t do this, but I don’t have anything that you are using to back up my claim, so I will accept a punishment instead of taking the risk that I will be found guilty.” Considering the events and the treatment Slim was receiving, this was by far his best option. It is very unfortunate that someone like OJ Simpson has more supporters than Amarillo Slim does.
The fact that he is a poker player and “Lies” (which is a common misconception; bluffing isn’t as a big as part of the game that amateurs think it is.) has nothing to do with it. With that logic, any poker player is accused of something that they profess innocence to is guilty. That’s it. Maybe lawyers should be considered guilty without trial if ever accused because while they might not lie, a certain bending of the truth is encouraged. An actor is guilty because any proclamation of innocence is simply them “Acting” not guilty. A very narrow view if any.
Anyone that has had Children’s Aid come down on them for something that did not happen or was blown way out of proportion knows that they are almost above the law. The police that come in to the situation are quick to judge against you in those cases. It isn’t an easy situation to escape from and most of the words you use are twisted and turned against you. The fact that Slim is a rather famous person possibly made him an even bigger target for a DA’s approval rating spike. Whether that is absolutely the case or not isn’t clear, but can certainly be brought into it. Overall, given everything that transpired, I hope that the damage to his image and reputation get repaired as soon as possible and he regains the respect that he had no reason to lose.
Slim, you still have a supporter here.
Amarillo Slim made poker very popular in the 1970’s and 80’s. He also started most poker touraments then.
I know slim and he has always been kind to me and my grandson. i did not belive it then and still don’t. slim did the right thing to be rid of this so they all could move on. i trust slim always have and always will. poker would not be what it is today without slim and others like him, but then must poker players have no idea about the history of poker. the wsop and wpt owe slim, without him there would not be wsop or wpt……….
The interviewer, Nolan, should not be trusted. I don’t know of or about the people involved in this article, but based on his questions and general attitude, any moron can clearly tell he’s out for blood. As well, he asked about Slims plea multiple times and said “You plead guilty to the charges……” each time. One little problem with that, Slim plead no-contest, and gave pretty obvious reasons for that.
Why is this kind of shit published.
I see that Hannah has now gone on record as saying that nothing happened. Of course, the Slim-haters will say that he paid or
persuaded her to say that.
As for me, the fact that Doyle said that Slim couldn’t have done anything inappropriate with Hannah was good enough for me. Whether I trust Slim or not is immaterial. I trust Doyle and his judgement, and he certainly knows Slim well enough.
I am disgusted by the character assassination attempts in some of the comments. I cannot believe that real poker players do not understand that the prosecutor would take advantage of ANY opportunity to prosecute Slim. Besides – Who would take the word of a bureaucrat or politician over the word of a gambler?
If Slim were really a pedophile we would have heard countless stories about him buying preteen whores in Mexico. I guess some folks feel that “If you cannot be a Big Man yourself, you can at least feel better by tearing down a Big Man.
Truly bothersome that the interviewer could repeatedly make such a huge mistake by using the wrong plea — guilty — rather than what the editor’s note said it was: “no contest.”
I have read a number of articles about this whoha and as someone who has lived in Texas for a number of years I would have to say if the DA had anysort of case he would not of thrown out any sort of plea bargin. A Plea bragin in this sort of case 9999 out of a 1000 time means the DA does not have sort case and will take any sort of “win” no matter how small.
I have to believe Slim when he said he was doig to protect his family.
Rick Charles, in addition to contradicting himself twice in his comment, is apparently in legion with the deluded joke of rec.poker, Russ Georgiev.
If I knew nothing else, the fact that Doyle Brunson–who is an excellent read of people he scarcely knows, let alone a man he’s known for 50+ years—- said that he thought the charges were baloney would be good enough for me.
Now add this: the family has sworn out affidavits attesting that Slim is innocent and that the whole thing was a misunderstanding.
His granddaughter Hannah—the one he supposedly molested—has come forward and said that she exaggerated/lied.
Anybody who still believes that Slim is a pedophile is hard-headed and/or has the mental processes of somebody who believes what’s published in tabloids like “The National Enquirer”.
Slim is a long time friend we played poker for years, he {did not} touch any child let alone his grand daughter, he has never denighed any of his short commings in life and as far as the lies he tells thats what people come to hear and thats what makes him an assett to Las Vagas, and poker. get a life people he didn’t do it. jc
No Question He did it, He is garbage a liar and a child molester……..Your own grandaughter Wail until you meet your maker.
“When a person is charged with commiting a crime, he or she is given the opportunity to respond. There are three possible responses: a guilty plea, not guilty plea, and no contest plea. If a defendant does not enter a plea, a plea of not guilty will be entered for him or her. From the Latin, nolo contendre, no contest means the person does not refute the charges, but also does not claim guilt for the charges. This can save time if a person convicted of a crime must stipulate to each of the charges.
(wisegeek.com)
Mr. Slim pleaded “No Contest,” to assault charges; not “Guilty.” Big difference. Big mistake by the reporter, Nolan Dalla, getting the terms of the plea bargain WRONG. It really changes the entire second half of the article.
I don’t care what the charge is. If I am given the oppurtunity to walk free or risk 25 years in prison to clear my name then you can bet your life I am pleading to whatever they tell me.
Also, juries want to believe the 12 year old girl rather than the 80 year old man. If the guy was innocent he might still get convicted because a jury would rather risk putting an innocent man away than letting a guilty predator walk free.
He has to take the deal.
You morons…!
This guy has made a living as a poker player,,,TELLING LIES!!!!
People are WAY to forgiving.
He knows what he did was wrong.
But you FOOLs beleive his lies,,,LOL
Wow, some people are harsh in spite of not having access to the facts.
I don’t know what did happen, but didn’t they say there were more people in the truck then just him and the grand daughter, or more of his grandkids around?
And it does not make sense for a man of that age to suddenly show signs of being a pedophile.
What I have noticed though, is that people are so emotional about that word, that anytime someone is accused of it, they immediately attack the person even when they are not in the possession of all the facts.
Also, kids have been known to misconstrue adults actions as sexual in some way incorrectly. Possibly because some kids are educated about good touch / bad touch or what they call it now, and may not have the wisdom to fully understand situations.
MInd you, I am not saying he’s innocent. But I would err on the side of innocent until proven guilty, and it does not sound like the court proved him guilty – many people plead no contest when innocent for various reasons.
After reading the interview to be honest he may have done it and he may not have done it.And without seeing all ALL the evidence thats all we railbirds can do is simply specualte on limited information..But hell isnt that we do playing poker?But this aint poker its life its a mans life..and thank god ive never been accused of a crime however it doesnt blind me to the fact that the american judical system is “GARBAGE” fail to acknowledge that and your blind or just stupid.Just is not blind its become the master of small minds and ignorant remote flippers where a man is truly guilty until proven innocent in 2009.So slim if you do read this i would not mind you at my poker table at ALL!Am not an ignorant wretch i dont run with mob mentailtys like i may have in the “PAST” ON 2+2.God will judge you one day on what really happen but withought guilt without a shadow of a doubt i will not be one one to stand in judge of you.Take care slim
I think the one who should be investigated is Rick Charles (see above comments). I am sick of people in the media with some obvious axe to grind…use their position to accuse and oppress others who don’t have a voice. Who is the Rick Charles, and why should anyone listen to him. Is he another one of ‘those’ who can’t be famous, so instead leeches off of the the ones who are? PATHETIC. I would like to see a survey taken of how many are sick of the media, and these so-called ‘commentators’. Believe me the % would be very high…in the 90’s perhaps. I see those types in poitics on TV, so I stop watching their networks. Maybe people should stop listening to Rick Charles, or watching his programs (I never heard of him myself)….until he stops his yellow journalism….
I grew up in Amarillo and lived across the street from Slim and his family. We spent time togerther and my parents are still friends with Slim and his family. From my experience with Slim I know that he would hurt anyone that tried to hurt his family or anyone close to him. This is completly outside of his nature. He may be a “Character” but child molester he is NOT. I would trust my children and grand children with Slim. I think the entire Poker World owes men like Slim and Doyle a big Thank You for establishing the ground work for what we all enjoy now.
THANK YOU Slim
Just another sorry a$$ D.A. trying to “make a name” for himself and doesn’t care who he hurts doing it!!!
Most older people don’t understand the system and listen to their lawyers advice, but I believe Slim was right to take the deal and that he’s INNOCENT!!!