The Last of the Riverboat Gamblers

Some years ago, I decided I wanted to become a professional sleight-of-hand magician, but I wanted to do it differently.  I had always been fascinated by that classic American character of the fast-talkin', smoothin dealin,' riverboat gambler with a heart of gold.  And so, I decided to create a card-table sleight-of-hand entertainment act as "The Last of the Riverboat Gamblers." 

Well, as luck would have it, Bill Muster, then Chairman of the Board of the Delta Quuen Steamboat Company, saw me performing my riverboat gambling entertainment act at a nightclub in Los Angeles, and put me on the Mississippi Queen for her maiden voyage.

I lived on the MQ for four years, performing onboard with a wonderful rotation of 30 days on and 30 days off.  I loved that rotation!  30 days on was enough to want to get off; and 30 days off was enough to want to get back on!

These days the only steamboat ride where I perform onboard is the Great Steamboat Race each year.  I've been entertaining onboard and "judging" the race events for each of the Great Steamboat Races for 12 years now! 

But this may have been my last steamboat race.  I'm pleased to report I've developed a thriving -- and very time-consuming! -- career as a keynote speaker at meetings & events across North America. 

Performing my riverboat gambler card act in the Paddlewheel Bar onboard the Mississippi Queen has been one of the great joys of my life.  There are two levels back there, and many times I've had 200 people in that room, some of them hanging over the railing of the top section to watch me create magic with a deck of cards.