Poker is one of those games that you might think you are good at. Then there is the reality when you run into someone that is much better than you on the felt. That seems to be the case in a story told in “James Bond” lore about the interactions between former 007 George Lazenby and the actor who played his antagonist Blofeld, Telly Savalas.
What Happens When You Don’t Have Something to Do!
According to the Daily Express in 2010, Lazenby related the story of how Savalas and he began their battles over cards. While filming the only 007 movie that would feature him, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Lazenby took to saving his per diem – a daily stipend that was meant for those in the production to pay for assorted items while on location (food, lodging, etc.) – in suitcases because he was not spending all of it. Savalas apparently learned about this and, as the saying goes, the game was on.
“Telly saw the suitcase one day and asked, “Wanna play poker?” Lazenby related to the Express. “Well, I’d never played poker, and I started losing.” Those losses began to mount up over time, enough so that producer Harry Saltzman, who was in charge of the production of the film, had to step in and end the game. Lazenby stated, “Saltzman put a stop to it and told Telly “Leave my boy alone.”
Savalas and his penchant for poker were quite well known in Hollywood. He was one of the first actors who brazenly stepped into the battles at the World Series of Poker, playing alongside 70s and 80s poker icons such as Stu Ungar, Doyle Brunson and “Amarillo Slim” Preston. Savalas was much more noted for his cash game play, but that did not stop him from earning some cash at the WSOP tournament tables; he would earn three cashes, two in Seven Card Stud tournaments and once in the Championship Event, prior to his passing in 1994.
Even though Savalas may have taken Lazenby on the poker tables, it appears that the duo got along quite well on the set. The acting legend treated Lazenby like an equal, something that Lazenby appreciated. “Our first scene together, they warned him I was a novice actor,” Lazenby recalled. “Savalas told them, ‘He (Lazenby) doesn’t need any help. I’ve got to watch out, he’ll blow me off the screen.’ That was, in a way, a compliment.”
Notable Poker Conflicts Between Friends
Most enjoy poker as relaxation, but in some circles the games can get a bit heated. Back in 2010, Washington Wizards guards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittendon had an altercation that would affect the team tremendously. Allegedly after a poker match on the team charter, Crittendon refused to pay up on his debt to Arenas (reportedly about $25,000). Arenas attempted to intimidate his teammate, allegedly bringing an array of weapons into the locker room and telling Crittendon to “pick up one.”
If that was not enough, Crittendon responded that he had his own and the two allegedly pulled weapons on each other. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and a potentially tragic situation was avoided. Both players were suspended by the NBA for the remainder of the season, while Crittendon actually was charged and pled guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge (Crittendon pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter in 2015 and is currently serving a 23-year jail sentence in Georgia).
NBA players are apparently quite willing to gamble it up during their team travels. Arenas stated that former Boston Celtic teammates Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce (who has stepped onto poker’s biggest stage, the WSOP) would frequently play a game called “booray.” Arenas stated that the trio would be “betting Rolls-Royces on the plane” and that players could lose tens of thousands of dollars in a short flight.
When there is lots of money on the table, sometimes it can cause issues. At least between Lazenby and Savalas, there did not seem to be any animosity over the situation!
I really loved “Kojak” he was one tuff guy,
a really excellent actor!
Michael D.
Brooklyn, NY