Johnny Moss was born in Texas in 1907. Growing up in Dallas, he was drawn from early age to saloons where poker was played in back rooms. It is rumored that he befriended a group of cheaters who in turn taught Johnny Moss a few of their dirty tricks, but instead of using the information to become a cheater himself, Johnny Moss started working at a local card game place, and his job was to keep the other players honest and prevent cheating.
The long time spent by Johnny Moss observing other players with their different styles and tactics gave him insight that was not available those days from any other source such as books on poker strategy. The times were before legal gambling was common, forcing Johnny Moss to live on the road looking for gambling action.
As Johnny Moss took his act on the road, traveling wherever there was a good game to be had, The times when Moss traveled around winning more money than any other poker player in the world were a far cry from today's licensed land-based casinos and online card rooms. He always traveled armed, and on plenty of occasions had the need to use his weapon. Cigar Aficionado's gambling columnist Michael Konik once asked Moss if he had ever killed a man. Moss' reply was, "I don't know if he died."
Many stories and legends surround the name Johnny Moss. For example, at a backroom game he once noticed a peeping hole in the ceiling from which a spy for the house was observing the player's cards. Johnny Moss called the bluff, but following a blatant denial by the house, Johnny was forced to fire his pistol at the ceiling to prove his point, wounding the house spy above.
In 1949, at the age of 42, Johnny Moss played a five-month-long tournament against the famous and experienced Nick the Greek, finally forcing Nick to bail out uttering "Mr. Moss, I have to let you go."
Johnny Moss had a big role in lifting up the popularity of poker, especially in his native state Texas. He also participated in the first WSOP tournaments from the third tournament in 1970, and thus helped shape Poker as a legitimate sporting event.
Johnny played almost every year from 1970 to 1995, and during this time managed to secure 9 WSOP bracelets, placing him fourth behind Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson (10 each) and Phil Hellmuth(11).
Although Johnny Moss was respected enough at the tables, He also claimed to have won millions playing golf and bowling. His weaknesses, however, included gambling on dice and sports and Johnny was reported to have lost more than $8 million this way.
Johnny Moss quit gambling and smoking a few years before his death in 1995 and enjoyed a relaxed lifestyle.
Johnny Moss – World Series of Poker First place finishes
• 1988 WSOP, $1,500 Ace-to-Five Draw – Won $116,400
• 1981 WSOP, $1,000 Seven-Card Stud Split – Won $33,500
• 1979 WSOP, $5,000 Seven-Card Stud – Won $48,000
• 1976 WSOP, $500 Seven-Card Stud – Won $13,000
• 1975 WSOP, $1,000 Seven-Card Stud – Won $44,000
• 1971 WSOP, Limit Ace-to-Five Draw – Won $10,000