Justice Scalia Was a Poker Player and Gambler Who Bet on Length of Speeches

Justice Anonin Scalia was a revered man, no matter whether you agreed with his primarily conservative views or not.

Scalia passed away unexpectedly in his sleep Friday night at the age of 79.

What many did not know about the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court is that he had been a poker player.

Oddly enough though, as revealed in a riveting New York Magazine interview with the man, Scalia says he did not even know what a poker tell is.

From that interview:

But aren’t you the kind of guy who always puts all of his cards on the table? I feel like you would be the worst bluffer ever.

You can talk to the people in my poker set.

Do you have a tell?

What?

A tell.

What’s a tell?

What’s a tell? Are you joking?

No.

A tic or behavior that betrays you’re bluffing.

Oh! That’s called a tell? No. I never … do you play poker?

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Still Scalia told interviewer Jennifer Senior that he was a “damn good poker player”.

At the time of the interview, Scalia also noted that he and others in the chambers would routinely take bets on the length of speeches, more specifically the annual State of the Union. 

“In the years when I went, we used to take bets on how long the speech would be,” he told the New Yorker.  “Rehnquist loved to have betting pools—on football games, baseball games,” he added, referring to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

The House had to love Scalia, and not just the Republican-led House of Representatives. 

When asked if he ever won a “State of the Union” wager, Scalia responded, “I never won”.

- Ace King, Gambling911.com